DISQUS

The Toad Stool by Alan Wolk: Enough With The Guilt, Facebook

  • Greg Verdino · 1 month ago
    I was just thinking the same thing this very minute, in light of Facebook's suggestion that I poke Steve Case. Ewwww.
  • Ben Kunz · 1 month ago
    Yes. I saw you tweet this a while ago, and I've noticed the same. Facebook just reminded me I haven't written to an uncle recently, and it felt like mom nagging. Ugh!

    From a marketing perspective, this is likely a device to get heavy users to proselytize Facebook to light users. And what does that say? Facebook is concerned that within its millions of users, most use it infrequently, the first step to defection. I'd say Facebook is putting a defense up, fearing its cresting millions may move on to the next new thing.

    Finally: Alan. You haven't written on my wall recently.
  • Alan Wolk · 1 month ago
    @Ben: I wonder if FB's marketing team thought about it beyond "we'll get heavy users to proselytize light users" -- so much of what goes on there just seems random.

    That said, it does seem that there's a sense of "okay, now what?" from a lot of users: they've found out what their long-lost friends are up to, realized why they'd become long lost friends, wasted too many hours on Bejeweled Blitz and figured out that writing on someone's wall wasn't the most efficient way to make lunch plans and the vast majority of them still don't feel comfortable posting articles or even status updates.

    Which is not to say they're dropping out, but there's definitely a sense of "okay, now what?"
  • Guest · 1 month ago
    Very true!