How Facebook Ruined Comments (at Least For One Writer)

harrymcc writes "Back in late March, Facebook finally introduced a feature which lets you reply to a specific comment on an update. But at the same time, it started reshuffling the order of comments in an attempt to put the best ones at the top. The change only applies to Pages and to the Profiles of people with more than 10,000 followers, but it's driving me crazy. Over at TIME.com, I explain why."

Comments

link in the article doesn't work

[prelelat]

It didn't seem to work for me so I went to http://techland.time.com/2013/05/12 and then was able to browse to the article.

Here's the actual link see if it works if you have issues http://techland.time.com/2013/05/12/facebook-comments/

Re:You know who else had things ruined?

[Anonymous Coward]

True dat. All of the cares in my life have been overwhelmed by explosions that don't affect me, and have already been over-reported, and a case about kidnapped girls that are white enough that you know you will be hearing about them for the next year.

So there is absolutely no room whatsoever in my tiny heart, or my pea brain, not to mention my millisecond attention span, to possibly read anything else, ever. Get back to me next year... unless someone blows something up again or kidnaps some girls.

An Extremely Decent video on the subject

[symbolset]

Facebook updates in real life.

Re:An Extremely Decent video on the subject

[Anonymous Coward]

The clip is great. Here's what I don't get: WHY do people keep using that shit, when so many seem to hate it so much?

I hate broccoli. You know what? I don't eat it every day and then bitch about how horrible it is. Why would anyone keep using a service that they seem to dislike as much as they do?

Are they insane, or masochists, or what? I mean, it isn't like people were talking with other people, keeping up to date, and planning things to do together with friends, on the internet for decades before FB came along, or anything... Or is it that they believe they need a for-profit data-harvester in the middle, in order to talk to people?

Seriously, WTF?

O

Re:An Extremely Decent video on the subject

[crutchy]

prolly cos they just want to... i dunno... keep in touch with their friends and family. there used to be facebook for that

myspace died because it became popular as a simple social networking platform and then commercial interests took over and killed it

then facebook took over from where myspace failed

(peering into future some)

facebook died because it became popular as a simple social networking platform and then commercial interests took over and killed it

then the borg took over from where facebook failed

Re:An Extremely Decent video on the subject

[SJHillman]

We get it, you don't have Facebook and feel the need to tell the world they don't need it either so that you can feel superior by being different.
I don't have cable TV, but I at least understand that some people feel that TV has value and thus subscribe to it so I'm not going to go around telling everyone that because I don't want TV they shouldn't want it either.

Re:An Extremely Decent video on the subject

[pegasustonans]

We get it, you don't have Facebook and feel the need to tell the world they don't need it either so that you can feel superior by being different.
I don't have cable TV, but I at least understand that some people feel that TV has value and thus subscribe to it so I'm not going to go around telling everyone that because I don't want TV they shouldn't want it either.

Clearly, people see value in communicating with friends/family in a casual environment. I understand that.

The issue for me is, to use the TV example, my TV doesn't compromise the privacy of my neighbors and acquaintances, Facebook does. I'm not on Facebook because the potential value there is outweighed by my privacy concerns with the service.

Unfortunately, my friends and family *are* on Facebook. This means, as family members share private photographs of me and talk about me on Facebook, my privacy is compromised even though I never agreed to it. This is the real issue here.

Re:You know who else had things ruined?

[crutchy]

Also, pity about the thousands of innocent victims (including women and children) killed by US drones in Pakistan. Oh but they aren't US citizens so that doesn't count, right?

Re:Ok

[ArcadeMan]

Because some businesses don't want to lose even 1% of potential customers. That's why you see Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. everywhere.

I just wish companies would put up pages for their own products on their own website instead of telling us to learn more at "facebook.com/product/".

Re:Time for new Facebook competitor?

[Frosty Piss]

Facebook's changes are pissing off its users....the same people who put them in the dominant position it is in now.

I don't believe this is so.

I think Facebook is pissing of Techies and the Uber Cool but that the "average" Facebook user is still quite happy.

Maybe some of these Super Cool Proto Users should take another look at Google+ which as evolved into something very similar to the "original" Facebook. Of course you will not be able to validate your sad life with 100's of "friends" whom you really don't know and have never met in person...

Not many people inhabit Google+ yet but if they don't kill it off like so many of their "projects", it will be the natural transition when Facebook becomes passe by the normal non-Uber Cool Proto Users.

Re:You know who else had things ruined?

[Smauler]

Do you want us to police the world or not?

Not. Please.

Seriously, do you and other people in the US really think they're the world's police, the last bastion for freedom, etc? Is this a common mentality?

"At least for one writer"

[Brucelet]

Well I'm glad Slashdot headlines are at least becoming honest about the substance-free stories we've been seeing lately.

Re:Ok

[T-Bone-T]

Why make your own website when you can use a free page on Facebook? You don't have to hire a designer or any other internet related things and by default you get an interface that almost every customer is familiar with.