A Screenshot of my Timeline (viewable to developers only)
The new Timeline feature and enhanced News Feed have caused a stir in the past months. (Some might say it’s a bit more than a stir…)
Change is inevitable. Change is necessary. If Facebook didn’t change and adapt, they’d be left behind. (Even though many users complain at any inconvenience to their user experience.)
Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, announced this Timeline would become a virtual scrapbook that would “tell the story of your life.” The Facebook mission has always been to “make the world more open and connected.” With 800 million, the social network is well on it’s way.
The idea of sharing the story of your life caught my attention. As a chronic scrap-booker, having this information and images on one page, available to share, rather than stuck on a dusty shelf, is divine. You can control what people see in your timeline (so you can hide rather embarrassing music choices, etc., from past years) and you can add photos and information into the years before you joined Facebook.
I’ve played around with this and it is all too engaging. It might even suck you in more than you have the time for.
All for the sake of a story.
We all have a unique story. We all have high and low points. We all have lessons learned. To be frank, some lives will be more interesting than others. But that level of interest is in the eye of the beholder. Family can see all you’ve done. Friends. Beaus. (Be careful of that one!)
What are your thoughts on this twist of social media focus? Do you want to share your story or did you like things as they were?
Note: I’m not so naive to not realize the benefits of everyone’s lives stored on one central location and what that means for advertisers, etc. But you only put what you want seen. You also are under no obligation to participate in Facebook, so if you have a problem with it, you can put your energies into another activity or site.
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