Bebo makes me shudder with repulsion every time I go to that page. Against my better judgement, I created a log-in to the site, but I already know that I shall never-ever set a virtual foot into the http://doorstep/ of that site again! The place is a nightmare - I can see how it works in terms of creating/making friends and networking, but the layout options are disastrous if one appreciates a bit of user-friendly design on one's screen! I know that it is very possible to create a nice looking profile page for yourself (and there are a lot on there), but the visual assault of flashing fonts and unreadable colours that you meet along the way make it a horrible experience!
MySpace is a little better, but... not much. One thing that really annoys me is a non-moving background on both of these sites, that makes the text un-readable as you scroll. And the pages that you have to scroll through vertically and horizontally in order to find anything.
I think that these sites have tapped into an anonymous / flashing / gory-colour-ridden / txt-message world that has it's own language of pictures, comments and posting that you can read just fine if you have learnt how to 'speak' it. I can see the attraction for those who speak/read/understand the lingo, but it drains the life from me when I try to decode it myself!
Facebook is a bit different. The layout is very much the same from profile to profile - there is a template that all profiles follow, and fit into, whilst still allowing for some of the individual's creativity (photos/videos/drawings).
The applications feature of facebook is both a blessing and a curse. Applications allow you to play games or interact with your friends. I love Scrabulous to pieces (an online scrabble game you play with facebook friends - each move played whenever they log on), but I am well and truly over the invites I'm sent to become a Werewolf or Vampire (you "bite" your friends and turn them into a member of your posse, then they in turn bite their friends - the more people under you, the more your status goes up - a pyramid scheme kind of like Amway, but without the hard-sell). The thing is, if you want to participate in any of these, you have to "Add" the application to your profile, and so does your friend.
For me, Facebook has been the easiest to use and the most fun. Scrabble games, and the Rugby World Cup Picks application are things that draw me back to the site. The social networking aspect of it has worn off and I don't really use it to keep in touch with anyone, but it's kind of like a medium that houses my tenuous link to people I will only see every so often - we don't try to catch up in real life, but at least we're friends on Facebook!
In summary: it sounds like I'm getting old in my late twenties and am mystified by today's youth... in reality though, I spend quite a bit of time online, and I'm not going to return to a badly put together site - I need the info straight away without having to go to needless effort. This is how websites and services (like Blogger) become more popular - they're, more user-friendly. It just depends on who the user is, and by the looks of it, I've missed the myspace generation!
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1 comment:
It sounds very much like you are ready to leave the flashing lights and settle for more stability and structure....
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