In the Beginning
I joined Facebook years before everyone else did, primarily as a way of keeping in touch with my teenage nephews. At the time, with a minimal investment of time and energy, Facebook gave me a window on their lives: links to songs they liked, photos of class trips to South America, status updates about relationships gone awry.
Months later, as more and more people discovered Facebook for themselves, I began receiving hundreds of friend invitations: from old friends, from new friends, from acquaintances, from people who have been kind enough to read my books, from people who have bought my decks, and, in some cases, from total strangers with no connection to me at all. As someone who takes words seriously, I used to agonize over every request. Was this person really someone I would characterize as my "friend?" And if not, was there a reason I should allow that person to be my "Facebook friend?"
Eventually — like most people on Facebook, I think — I just gave up and started clicking "Accept" because ignoring a friend request just seemed like a crappy thing to do.
As a result, my timeline — the constantly-updated list of all the things my Facebook friends are doing — became increasingly crowded with things I just didn't care about. Updates from actual friends slowly gave way to invitations to events I'd never heard of, offers for products I didn't want, opportunities to send Easter Eggs or flowers or magic pets to people I didn't know, and bizarre notifications ("Ergo3445 has tagged you in Virtual Paintball Madness! Click here to tag him back!").
Facebook Fail
On top of all this, Facebook has recently redesigned its interface, making it harder than ever for me to focus on what really matters. The result? I've quit going to Facebook entirely. (Because my Twitter updates, blog posts, and recommended reading blurbs are posted there automatically, I still *look* involved … but I can count on one hand the number of times this year that I've actually signed on to Facebook.com.)
In a nutshell, Facebook, for me at least, has become an example of the Law of Diminishing Returns: it demands more and more time, effort, and energy … while delivering less of what I come there for in the first place. What began as a simple, easy way for friends to share stuff with friends is now this lumbering, sluggish, over-designed monstrosity that means less to me the more I use it.
This is not a formula for satisfaction … or success.
The Grinch who Stole Facebook
I realize this attitude makes me something of a Facebook Grinch, especially in the minds of those who adore all things Facebook.
Let me be clear, then, about what I'm saying. Through Facebook, I've reconnected with many wonderful people, including friends and family — and I'm thankful for every single one of those connections. Through Facebook, I have a connection with many people who appreciate my books or Tarot decks … and I'm thankful for those connections. Through Facebook, I get links to photos and videos and status updates from people I care about … and I'm thankful for those, too.
What I am saying, though, is that the overhead associated with Facebook:
- the constant stream of ads
- the constant stream of invitations and alerts
- the requirement to sign in to Facebook to participate fully
- the fact that befriending me (because I want to know what you're up to) floods your timeline with every action I take (forcing you to follow everything I'm up to)
makes the Facebook experience less and less pleasant for everyone involved.
The Joy of Twitter
That's why, I suppose, I'm more enthusiastic than ever about Twitter. Facebook is slow; Twitter is fast. Facebook wants me to log on to Facebook.com to see updates; Twitter updates come directly to me.
Facebook fills my timeline with every action ever taken by any person who is my "Facebook friend." By contrast, Twitter lets me share anything I want to share (status updates, photos, links, you name it) with anyone who cares to follow me … while allowing me to follow only those people I want to follow.
On Twitter, I am not constantly bombarded with ads disguised as invitations, alerts, and requests. On Twitter, I can follow your status updates for a while, duck out, and come back later — without the overhead of being or becoming your "friend." I can follow who I want to follow … and people who want to follow me can do so … without any of us having to answer any "friendship invitations" at all.
Twitter Is Better at Keeping People in Touch
Twitter is not — and does not want to be — a storage space for your photos or a host for your discussion group. (There are plenty of other services out there for these things, and they do these things better, frankly, than Facebook does.) But when it comes to making it easy for people who care about each other — professionally or personally — to build a community and keep in touch … no service out there does what Twitter can do.
If you're on Facebook, invite a few friends to come with you, and give Twitter a try.
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