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I’ve been saying for a while that I question how long the world’s most popular social media service will retain its popularity. Yes, there are security and privacy issues that come up from time to time and some of the games and activities on there can waste people’s time to the point where they put their jobs at risk. But what I feel will do in Facebook is that it will become a victim of its own success.
Quality is extremely important in the business world – if you make crappy products or provide horrible services, you won’t survive. Even as speakers, a good talker can get anyone to hire him/her for a presentation, but only if that person is a quality speaker will he or she be hired for a second engagement. Quality also affects our online presence – probably in more ways than you realize. If you’re just online for casual conversation, then this may or may not concern you. If you’re online to promote your business, cause or idea, then it’s something you want to pay attention to.
People are finicky. Doing something to please one person may upset another. You simply can’t please everyone and social media has made this quite evident. People unfollow on Twitter or unfriend on Facebook for no apparent reason. Maybe you said something that offended them or maybe you just sounded boring to them. There’s no rhyme nor reason and you can’t expect people to think or act the way you do.
A blog that I frequently visit came into some recent criticism that I felt was worth talking about. The site, Orlando Theme Parks News, which provides information and updates on all the theme parks in the Orlando, FL area skips over attractions that its owner feels are too ‘dark.’ This is includes the new Harry Potter’s World of Wizardry at Universal Orlando and the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Again, the site’s owner feels that these attractions conflict with his beliefs, so he never mentions them in his reports. This has caused a bit of an uproar on one of his posts, which makes me wonder: who really has control over your blog?
While I noticed the absence of the Harry Potter land in a report, I didn’t think much of it until I read the comments on one particular article. Some people were respectful while others used terms like ‘religious nut’. Keep in mind that this website is free to use and the ads are very unobtrusive, yet people still complained as if they are not getting their money’s worth. This guy takes the time to visit all these theme parks to take pictures and post information, yet people complain that he doesn’t do more.
A decade is an eternity in the world of technology. A site, service or company on top of the world today may be gone tomorrow. So the big question is the future of the world’s most popular social network – Facebook. Will it be as popular? Will something else be the next big thing? Will it even still be around?
Well, no one really knows for sure what will happen to Facebook or social media in general in the next few years. And with so many factors that could make or break a company, it’s about as easy to predict as it is to predict Barack Obama’s successor. Of course, that doesn’t scare me from taking a good educated guess so I’ll not only look at what might happen to Facebook, but also include some scenarios as to how it could be overtaken as the social media juggernaut. So let’s start with my prediction.
With use of social media on the rise, it’s not uncommon to see people misusing it. While spamming, cyber-stalking, cyber-bullying and identity theft are some of the misuses that often make the news, the most common misuse is people posting things they shouldn’t.
Now it’s debatable as to what’s acceptable to post to social media depending on your particular situation. You may not be identifiable or have your security settings mastered so only people close to you see what you post. But one thing to consider is that even if you have your profile locked down is that social media sites are prone to bugs and policy changes – both of which can give access to people you don’t want looking at your profile. So here are ten things to never post to Facebook.
Social media is by far the great tool ever created for making the world smaller and our personal and professional networks larger. And since everyone is different, people use these tools for different objectives. Some prefer to remain anonymous while they chime in on conversations, while others, seeking stardom, would sell their right kidney to have someone mention their name. Every log in is an adventure with no telling what the next few moments will bring.
The more we use social media the more immersive the experience becomes. I liken it to a late night party when people have started coming out from their shells. In one corner, you might see a guy who’s normally shy retelling a story to a small crowd in an animated way. On the other side, there might be two people trying to outdo each other to prove how wild they are. And on the dance floor, there may be a couple having an intimate kiss acting as if there’s no one around for miles.