

Why Facebook sucks - bootload
http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/10/13/whyFacebookSucks.html

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reidman
Uhhh...maybe I'm missing something, but who cares about Facebook being an
address book?

"Reddit sucks -- you can't use it to reserve seats at your local movie
theater! You know what else you can't do? Thwart velociraptors. When is
someone going to release a social news site which allows me, the user, to
outwit a raptor? Google is, as usual, our only hope."

I dunno, maybe I wouldn't be so flippant if I had invented RSS and was,
apparently, in constant contact with Robert Scoble ;)

~~~
henning
The real point is that it doesn't give you control over your data while
profiting off of it.

Others have said this in different ways before but it bears repeating.

~~~
reidman
Maybe, but the thing is...Facebook is pretty awesome.

I know that probably sounds a little juvenile, but that's the attitude that
most of its users have. They could care less about having control of their
data. The vast majority have no clue that Facebook could give them control of
their data, and even if it happened they wouldn't know what to do with it.

"Hey neat, I downloaded my Facebook. I wonder if I'm supposed to play XML
files in iTunes or Powerpoint..."

The only thing that millions of people _would_ (not could) potentially do with
their Facebook data is: move away from Facebook, given a better alternative. I
haven't yet seen a solid argument for why Facebook should open up that data.
Maybe there are decent ethical/moral/rhetorical reasons, but none which make
business sense for Facebook and the majority of their customers...

~~~
fauigerzigerk
If it was possible to export that data there would be apps to help people to
process it further. No need to stumble around in XML piles. Your "makes no
business sense" argument is not even Web 1.0 ;-) It's the ages old argument
that was brought forward wrt Office file formats, pre TCP/IP network protocols
and an endless list of other lock-in strategies. Even Microsoft has shed that
retro attitude to some degree exactly because it does not make business sense
in the long run. You need third parties to build on your stuff and that means
you must set the data free.

~~~
derefr
But people only _care_ when 3rd-party tools exist that they _can't use_. Right
now, the ivory tower is okay, because the rest of the landscape is flat and
barren.

~~~
fauigerzigerk
I think people do care a lot about moving data between applications. There is
nothing that comes up more often when end users need help. Today I was asked
to move emails out of Mac Mail. Last month it was watch lists from a trading
site to an Access database. Data silos are a huge problem and a productivity
killer.

------
henning
I'm hoping Facebook will acquire the same stigma that AOL, an older data roach
motel/walled garden, did.

~~~
utnick
I think a facebook-aim comparison is far better than a facebook-aol one

aol instant messenger is still BY FAR the most popular im network in America

Geeks and hackers can sit here and say the world would be better if everyone
used Jabber or some other open protocol, but it won't catch on because...

1) people like aim 2) their friends are on aim

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jsmcgd
I'm convinced that people who slate facebook haven't really used it. It is
currently my most effective means of communicating with friends and family.
And I don't think I've ever come across such a polished application before,
web-based or otherwise.

~~~
Harj
He's not arguing that facebook isn't an effective means of communication or a
good web-app.

His (valid) point is that users put all their information into facebook
without being able to take it back out when they want. There's an imbalance
there and it does suck.

~~~
jsmcgd
Well the article is entitled 'Why Facebook Sucks'. I personally don't agree
that the point is valid. What you have in Facebook is a list of contacts for
other Facebook users. It wouldn't be that useful outside of Facebook.

~~~
Goladus
The author admits the title is not precise:

 _PS: When I write about it, I do it crudely, saying they suck or don't. When
Doc Searls writes about it he calls it Vendor Relationship Management. Doc
writes so elegantly because he is a research fellow at Harvard University._

------
almost
What about the API? It wouldn't be at all hard to make a "Facebook-exporter"
application using that. The question is: why would I bother doing that?
Facebook is crap as an address book, it's the other bits that are useful...

Whatever other reasons there are to think Facebook sucks I don't think this is
one.

~~~
DougBTX
It's against the TOS to export data using the API.

~~~
almost
Ah, then ignore what I said before.

------
zaidf
Most college folks would celebrate if all the Winers of the world abandoned
facebook.

~~~
kmt
Not clear. What do you mean?

~~~
zaidf
99.9% of facebook users don't care about how "open" facebook is--until it
remains a very useful social tool.

~~~
veritas
So because a majority doesn't care, we're not allowed to critically assess
Facebook's shortcomings or voice our opinions over its policies?

Winer is simply stating his opinion and pointing out the lack of openness when
it comes to Facebook's data.

~~~
zaidf
If Winer was stating his opinion, so was I:)

Perhaps I should have been more clear: I think facebook is pretty open, I
don't think there is an immediate need for facebook to make it easy for users
to move to other networks.

