Spring Break
Column: Facebook changes echo the past
James Stewart/Columnist
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Opinions
Facebook is a big part of college life. If you don't have a Facebook profile, that's totally fine.
But for those of you that do, you know how quickly time disappears when you get on just to check your wall or to watch that video your friend just sent you.
Hours disappear as you Facebook-stalk your friends and debate whether your friend is really dating that person, or if they are just joking around.
You also know how integral Facebook quickly becomes to planning anything beyond just having a few friends over for an impromptu game of Scattergories.
Planning and informing people of large get-togethers and outings is ludicrously easy when all you have to do is type a message, hit a button and everyone you want to inform is notified and will likely read your message within a few hours.
I like Facebook. I've liked it since I got it, and I've liked all its incarnations.
Original Facebook was pretty bare-bones compared to what it's become, but it was still more useful and easy to navigate than the unwieldy behemoth that is MySpace.
When everyone spoke out against "new Facebook," I was part of the minority that tried explaining the new layout was, in reality, much better and easier to navigate than the old one.
I was actually an early adopter, so by time everyone else was forced to switch, I'd already gotten over my frustration with the layout.
When people got all uppity about the inclusion of applications, I must admit I got a little annoyed, only because I would get a barrage of e-mails from friends asking me to join their guild or join the fight against the vampires.
It was irritating, and yes, there are still irritating notifications to join a cause or whatever, but they're manageable.
Since I have a long history of trying to be the voice of reason after the fact, I'm going to try something new and be the preemptive voice of reason.
Facebook is about to change again.
Next Wednesday, March 11, the second "new Facebook" will launch.
There will be bugs. There will be glitches.
You'll have to search a little harder for your favorite links.
You'll get frustrated, and you'll bemoan the changes.
You may even see groups petitioning to bring back "old Facebook" (which is actually "new Facebook" that the same people hated when it debuted).
Just take a deep breath, go outside and play Frisbee (it's supposed to be 60 degrees on Wednesday) and don't get worked up.
No, there's really nothing you can do about it.
Can you whine? Of course.
Just remember in two months, you'll forget there ever was a Facebook layout before the current one, and then you'll whine when the third or fourth "new Facebook" launches. Just calm down. Happy stalking!
James Stewart is a junior English major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
But for those of you that do, you know how quickly time disappears when you get on just to check your wall or to watch that video your friend just sent you.
Hours disappear as you Facebook-stalk your friends and debate whether your friend is really dating that person, or if they are just joking around.
You also know how integral Facebook quickly becomes to planning anything beyond just having a few friends over for an impromptu game of Scattergories.
Planning and informing people of large get-togethers and outings is ludicrously easy when all you have to do is type a message, hit a button and everyone you want to inform is notified and will likely read your message within a few hours.
I like Facebook. I've liked it since I got it, and I've liked all its incarnations.
Original Facebook was pretty bare-bones compared to what it's become, but it was still more useful and easy to navigate than the unwieldy behemoth that is MySpace.
When everyone spoke out against "new Facebook," I was part of the minority that tried explaining the new layout was, in reality, much better and easier to navigate than the old one.
I was actually an early adopter, so by time everyone else was forced to switch, I'd already gotten over my frustration with the layout.
When people got all uppity about the inclusion of applications, I must admit I got a little annoyed, only because I would get a barrage of e-mails from friends asking me to join their guild or join the fight against the vampires.
It was irritating, and yes, there are still irritating notifications to join a cause or whatever, but they're manageable.
Since I have a long history of trying to be the voice of reason after the fact, I'm going to try something new and be the preemptive voice of reason.
Facebook is about to change again.
Next Wednesday, March 11, the second "new Facebook" will launch.
There will be bugs. There will be glitches.
You'll have to search a little harder for your favorite links.
You'll get frustrated, and you'll bemoan the changes.
You may even see groups petitioning to bring back "old Facebook" (which is actually "new Facebook" that the same people hated when it debuted).
Just take a deep breath, go outside and play Frisbee (it's supposed to be 60 degrees on Wednesday) and don't get worked up.
No, there's really nothing you can do about it.
Can you whine? Of course.
Just remember in two months, you'll forget there ever was a Facebook layout before the current one, and then you'll whine when the third or fourth "new Facebook" launches. Just calm down. Happy stalking!
James Stewart is a junior English major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
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