This time last year, Facebook was it. Social Media’s golden child, walking from the Harvard corridors, across the Atlantic and into our lives. This post from June last year is indicative of the hype that surrounded the site’s phenomenal success.
Arguably, the site was at its most deific when Microsoft invested $240m in a 1.6% stake, valuing the company at $15bn – that’s roughly the GDP of Zambia.
But when Facebook opened up to applications, they were branded by US blog Valleywag as a “cornucopia of uselessness“, with Zombies, Pirates and various other trivialities taking over the site we’d all come to know and love. Then there were the stories of University students condemned by Facebook evidence, plenty of workplaces banning the site, and don’t even get me started on Beacon.
Still, one year on from the hype, Facebook is sitting pretty as the second most visited site in the UK, but there are numerous voices of dissent out there, suggesting that we’re at the beginning of the end. Is there more to come from Mr Zuckerberg, or has Facebook jumped the shark? (You might have to look that one up!)
YES
Facebook was best when it was about me and my friends, looking at photos, catching up with old acquaintances, removing tags from various embarrassing pictures, and joining groups that I liked the sound of. It was so much more innocent back then. Now I’ve got 80 useless app notifications to wade through, that group I joined keeps emailing me with nonsense, and every time I log on, Facebook reminds me with its advertising that I’m 27 and STILL single. In fact, what’s the point of using it any more? I’m back in touch with those people I’d forgotten about, and have actually realised why I forgot them in the first place. In fact, life’s pretty much back to how it used to be before Facebook.
NO
Ok, so I might not use Facebook as much as I used to, but I check it every now and again, in fact, it’s just become a normal part of my social life rather than something over-hyped, and surely that how it’s meant to be. I use it to invite friends to parties and to remind me of their birthdays! There are some great photos of holidays on there and when I mates over a drink, I’m fully prepared with questions on anything that’s caught my interest. The new Facebook chat is great because not everyone uses IM, and I’m still touched by the occasional status update that lets me know I should give that person a call to see if they’re ok. Facebook’s site traffic is still growing, and the core function of the site remains the same, I’ll go on using it for the forseable future.
Interestingly enough, this question has been circulating since September 2006 - a tad premature perhaps – and it’s one that everyone has an opinion on, even the FT.
Lewis, great post – I couldn’t agree with you more. You just made me laugh out loud with the comment: “I’m back in touch with those people I’d forgotten about, and have actually realised why I forgot them in the first place.” This is so true – why do people who you wouldn’t talk too these days suddenly feel the need to ask you to be a friend on Facebook? Then again why do I seem to agree to do it?
I use Facebook to keep in contact with friends, new contacts and former colleagues as I now live in sunny Leeds after being a northerner in London for several years. It certainly does have its uses but I think it’s really down to the fact we are all nosy and like to see what other people are up to.
I also think we all use it differently now. People tend to log in less but they still do log in. Myspace was 2006, Facebook was 2007, Twitter seems to be 2008 – what’s going to capture the imagination in 2009?
Great work keep it up!!
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