Facebook sucks!
Facebook sucks; I honestly can't understand its popularity.
It has so many gratuitous and useless bells and whistles that I'm reminded of those busy box toys for toddlers (not to be confused with the very useful software package whimsically called busybox).
I still find ordinary email far better for non-real-time communications with friends, family and colleagues. When I have something to publish to the world, I put it on my own website. When I want to rant about something, I'll come here (though it should probably also go on my own website). And I'll use various web discussion boards to debate specific topics such as news stories.
Facebook seems to be designed for exhibitionists addicted to sharing every trivial detail of their lives. I use it only because a few people don't seem to be available anywhere else, such as acquaintances from school and more distant relatives. But it's a major pain in the ass, especially when I trip one of their "security" mechanisms.
This happened again yesterday. While already logged in from home, minding my own business, I was told of Facebook's real-identity policy and presented with pictures of people I was supposed to identify to prove I'm really me.
I got a wide shot of a conference room full of people, with none of their faces visible. I got baby pictures. How in hell am I supposed to identify them?
I got maybe one out of three, but that wasn't good enough for Facebook's security Nazis; skip two and you're completely locked out for an hour!
For all I knew, these pictures were of high school classmates I've not seen in 40 years and didn't really know that well even then. They might have been distant relatives I've never even met in person -- or even their family members. In any event, this is totally ridiculous. I've been locked out three times now. The last time this happened, I retried on and off for days until I got lucky enough to recognize enough pictures in one session.
When I complained to Facebook I was told that to even process my inquiry I would have to scan and provide my birth certificate, passport, drivers' license and other sensitive identifying information to prove I was a real person using my real name. Fuck that! Other than having a few credit cards stolen, which was aggravating enough, I've never been a victim of serious identity theft and I'm not about to become one now by giving that kind of information over insecure email to some anonymous flunky at Facebook.
People really ought to boycott Facebook. Use email. Use the web. Use chat boards. Use instant messaging. They all work fine, at least if you're an adult or near-adult. Leave Facebook to the toddlers who can't figure out how to use the grownups' Internet.
It has so many gratuitous and useless bells and whistles that I'm reminded of those busy box toys for toddlers (not to be confused with the very useful software package whimsically called busybox).
I still find ordinary email far better for non-real-time communications with friends, family and colleagues. When I have something to publish to the world, I put it on my own website. When I want to rant about something, I'll come here (though it should probably also go on my own website). And I'll use various web discussion boards to debate specific topics such as news stories.
Facebook seems to be designed for exhibitionists addicted to sharing every trivial detail of their lives. I use it only because a few people don't seem to be available anywhere else, such as acquaintances from school and more distant relatives. But it's a major pain in the ass, especially when I trip one of their "security" mechanisms.
This happened again yesterday. While already logged in from home, minding my own business, I was told of Facebook's real-identity policy and presented with pictures of people I was supposed to identify to prove I'm really me.
I got a wide shot of a conference room full of people, with none of their faces visible. I got baby pictures. How in hell am I supposed to identify them?
I got maybe one out of three, but that wasn't good enough for Facebook's security Nazis; skip two and you're completely locked out for an hour!
For all I knew, these pictures were of high school classmates I've not seen in 40 years and didn't really know that well even then. They might have been distant relatives I've never even met in person -- or even their family members. In any event, this is totally ridiculous. I've been locked out three times now. The last time this happened, I retried on and off for days until I got lucky enough to recognize enough pictures in one session.
When I complained to Facebook I was told that to even process my inquiry I would have to scan and provide my birth certificate, passport, drivers' license and other sensitive identifying information to prove I was a real person using my real name. Fuck that! Other than having a few credit cards stolen, which was aggravating enough, I've never been a victim of serious identity theft and I'm not about to become one now by giving that kind of information over insecure email to some anonymous flunky at Facebook.
People really ought to boycott Facebook. Use email. Use the web. Use chat boards. Use instant messaging. They all work fine, at least if you're an adult or near-adult. Leave Facebook to the toddlers who can't figure out how to use the grownups' Internet.