This is fairly bizarre, but I received a call from Facebook earlier this afternoon asking if I would be interested in participating in a one-on-one video interview for their Marketing division. Apparently a friend of mine who works there gave them my contact information. I told them I'd love to. The interview begins in eight hours, and I'm supposed to have suggestions to improve Facebook.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to find out what Jatraquero Facebookers thought. Looking at our group tells me that there are a lot of us. I can take your suggestions in with me tomorrow. I don't know how seriously they're taking these interviews, but I thought it'd be worth a shot.
So...how would you improve Facebook?
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Something that allows you to choose to know if the forums/walls of the groups or events you're in are being updated.
Odd little questions to answer in the profile beyond the basic information already there. Also questions that would change & ask for updates (like the status bar does) per week would be cool. I'm thinking something along the lines of a random fill-in the blank question: "Jaclyn's word for the week is _____", "Jaclyn's favorite carnavore is _____", etc. Random stuff is always fun.
A way to change the formatting of the "current status" blurb. Sometimes "Jaclyn is ..." doesn't work too well for what I want to get across. Also, sometimes the pronouns don't change as they ought.
Way to distinguish or highlight certain groups. For instance, it'd be awesome if I could highlight the "I'm a Philosophy Major (and Damn Proud!)" group when I'm in a philosophical mood, or working on my thesis.
Maybe a way to separate the feed by networks?
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
Built-in RSS feeds?
No wait, maybe that would be too creepy.
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
I would love it if you could have them send you an email when you receive a message. You can choose to get notified by email if someone writes on your wall, pokes you, invites you to something, etc, but not when you receive a message.
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
That's strange... I get an email every time someone sends me a message.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I get an email everytime someone sends me a message, as well. They just started doing that a few months ago, though.
My main suggestion is to remove the word 'is' from the status bar. Just have the person's name, and then let them fill in the sentence however they like. The 'is' is too restrictive, and leads to some interesting sentence constructions.
My other suggestion is that they let you choose to ignore updates from certain people (it's annoying when that one person updates their profile 3x a week so that they're always on top of the 'Recently Updated Friends' list). I think this 'ignore' feature should be a checkbox that you could select or deselect at any time.
I'd also like to see the option to make your own profile private, in case you need a facebook break. There's a good chance you can already do this, I haven't really looked too hard into the privacy settings.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I remember when I joined facebook the two things I wanted most were global groups and being able to friend high schoolers.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
Being able to choose our own verbs for the status messages (so that "_____ is..." isn't the only option possible) would be nice.
The group forums are currently threaded so that the most recent posts appear at the end of the thread, rather than the beginning, which is really annoying- and very silly considering that walls are already threaded the other way around.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
RSS feeds. A better way to network on actual issues of interest.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
Tom, can you elaborate on the latter?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Let's say I want to swap information about a piece of code I'm writing. I've managed to identify a group for coders and have joined, but now we want to create subprojects and share documents or schedule events related to those things. How do we do that while remaining a child of the parent group?
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
Ah, good point. I hadn't thought about using Facebook for, y'know, actually productive purposes. Insofar as its primary mission is to act as a social networking hub (allowing people to keep up with friends, send messages, etc.), I think Facebook is already miles ahead of MySpace, Friendster, and the like.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
*gets a happy tear in his eye seeing Tom support the addition of RSS feeds*
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
Get bought up by Google so I can merge my large high quality Picasa photo web albums with the tagging and linking features in Facebook
And if anyone is talking to Google soon, tell them to automatically link Google Maps to Picasa, so I do not have to manually upload and link KMZ files in order to look at geotagged albums online. Or at the very least, get rid of the 1MB maximum file size limitation in Google Maps.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Oh on livejournal it bolds intrests that you share with someone (in their profile) that would be really cool for intrests, books, movies, activities, etc.
Posted by Hank (Member # 8916) on :
I agree about the "is" question, and I've always thought it would be nice to be able to rank groups I've joined somehow other than how they appear automatically.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I'm pretty sure they change with the most recent updates at the top.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
They do on Walls (including the Wall of the group itself), but not in forum topics.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
Wow, such power! If only I had something I really wanted to change...
Being able to tell when people post to groups (that I'm a member of, obviously) without going to the group to check would be nice, but it could also be just one more annoying thing on the mini-feed or clutter in my inbox. Maybe if you could select the topics for which you want to be notified about updates?
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Perhaps this is just me, but I can't seem to join my school network...
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
aiua, do you have an email address from that school? To be in their network that has to be your email of record.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
I do, and I've tried that route, though so far been unsuccessful.
It says it doesn't recognize my school.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
are you sure there is a network for your school? That is really odd if there is.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Quite. It's listed in the list of school networks, and the fact that my friends are in it does lead me to believe in its existence, yes.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Completely odd. Do you have a facebook in a different network?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I have one, but it'll only make a couple hundred people happy.
Graduate of Dondero High School have been forced to have "Royal Oak Alumni" on their profile, because Dondero closed last year.
That's crap, I want it changed back.
Seriously though:
Is there way that when you list your favorite movies they can automatically link it to IMDB or Amazon?
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
That would be a nice change, Lyr.
Yep, in my city, so I'm content. My network will -hopefully- change in a few weeks anyways, so I'm not terribly put out.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tarrsk: Ah, good point. I hadn't thought about using Facebook for, y'know, actually productive purposes. Insofar as its primary mission is to act as a social networking hub (allowing people to keep up with friends, send messages, etc.), I think Facebook is already miles ahead of MySpace, Friendster, and the like.
Because Facebook was constructed using a much more useful and streamlined architecture than myspace or the others.
This is what I don't like about some of the suggestions for Facebook, actually- that they try to make Facebook more like myspace. For instance, the "Orincoro is" status format keeps people from turning the status bar into a random quote bar. If it were just a random quote bar, it would be myspace-like in its uselessness. People work well with some uniformity and direction. I think if it changed, then it would have to change to something that kept "status" from becoming "nothing."
The other issue I have with Myspace, the one no one ever complains about for some reason, is the load times. I have a fast computer and connection, and myspace constantly goes down, constantly gives errors, constantly times out and is perpetually slow in loading. Top that with the aggressive color schemes and horrific content on most people's pages, and you have a horrible experience. I hate myspace with a passion, and I am looking forward to the day when it is eclipsed by sanity.
Facebook should keep as a golden rule, to remain streamlined and formatted with attention to ease of access and comfort in reading.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
I wish it was still for students only...and alumni.
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion: I wish it was still for students only...and alumni.
Ditto.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I don't know much about facebook, but I know that I don't want to join myspace. I'm attending a university now, but it's not the one I'd want to join in facebook. I graduated from college in 2000, and it's been a very long time since I've had an alumni email address there. So does that mean I can never join their group?
Also, a friend of mine is wanting me to get on myspace, but I'm trying to lead her toward alternatives. She said that facebook is only for students and is just as commercial and icky as I find myspace to be.
So what's the story with facebook? Is it better than myspace? How?
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
they are both just ok. myspace is a TON more customizable than FaceBook. the bad thingabout myspace is that ppl will sometimes spam u with lame deals for free stuff and what not. facebook is not just for students any more. u can join a regional network now.
i agree with all the ppl that say they should take out the "is" for Status. it really is too restricting.
Posted by IrishAphrodite19 (Member # 1880) on :
I agree with Orincoro. Facebook needs to remain streamlined and simple in design. I've seen groups requesting that Facebook allow backgrounds and music and "all that" which simply makes me cringe. I like Facebook more than Myspace because it is easy to read and gather information. Also, without these additions it keeps Facebook from being a contest between adolescents for who can have the most pimped out page.
~Irish
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Anyone else notice? Facebook 's layout changed slightly and they added some features.
You work fast, Celaeno!
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
I don't like the new layout with some of the features on top and some still on the side. I liked the ease of having it all on the sidebar together.
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
yeah. but i havent really liked any of the major layout chagnes they've ever done. but i give it a few months and i get used to it.
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
I hate change. I wish they would stop making major layout changes. Celaeno, can I blame this one on you?
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
You can't blame it on her, no. There was a group started by facebook admins a few weeks ago with pictures of what they were about to change, and it looked exactly like the new updates.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I like Myspace better than Facebook because seriously, I get next to no messages on Facebook. Myspace, my friends actually TALK to me.
-pH
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
I sent you a ninja, that has to count for something.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Define talk Ph.
I don't want to know my Jedi name or have to read bored messages from middle school classmates who never liked me in the first place.
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
I'd like to think my opinions count for something, but no, I don't think you'd be able to blame the new Facebook layout on me.
They were more interested in learning to what extent my friends influence my life than in actual suggestions.
I should show my friend who works there this thread, though. I think he'd find it fascinating.
Posted by Chanie (Member # 9544) on :
I'd like to be able to mark certain "friends" in a class where I don't get their updates. There are some people who give the play-by-play to their lives. So I get "Levi is about to make dinner." "Levi is making dinner." "Levi made dinner." I haven't talked to Levi in 10 years...
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Yeah, that's kinda what I was getting at with the selective ignore feature.
I get constant updates from people who won't give me so much as a head nod if they see meet out on the weekend.
Posted by Sean (Member # 689) on :
Click "Preferences" to the right of "News Feed" on the top of the feed page. You can enter who/what you're more/less interested in hearing about.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
It does, Tick. It certainly does. Ninjas are love.
quote:Originally posted by Orincoro: Define talk Ph.
I don't want to know my Jedi name or have to read bored messages from middle school classmates who never liked me in the first place.
As in, my Myspace friends actually message me. For conversation. I can use it to keep in touch with friends on tour, even. Facebook? Not so much.
-pH
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
Could there be a way to keep track of how many times I've poked people? I think that would be fun...
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Insofar as its primary mission is to act as a social networking hub (allowing people to keep up with friends, send messages, etc.), I think Facebook is already miles ahead of MySpace, Friendster, and the like.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)