There’s a cow on my Facebook

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Published Friday, February 12, 2010.

Life is grand at Googleplex. Maybe you folks should stop staring at the fishes and get to work now, huh?

Google Buzz is here, yey!... Look. It’s this new thing on my Gmail where I can do really cool stuff like sharing links and photos and stuff. Damn, aren’t those Google folks brilliant. How did they come up with that? It’s not like you could be doing that same stuff on Tumblr or Facebook or every other space in the Social Web for years.

Yes, the Social Web… Just how bad can it be? Do we really need it so much that it has to be everywhere? So let’s look at Google for a second. I thought these guys were all supposed to be geniuses or something. Don’t they have to take this crazy admission test where you need a 165 plus IQ to pass? Well, my guess is maybe that’s the problem. Too many freakin’ geniuses running around staring at fishes and lava lamps. They’re lacking your plain average common sense. Or mine. Darn, I want my seat on that fish room too!

So what’s wrong with Gee Buzz? I understand what they’re going for. Integration, integration, integration. Nothing wrong with that. But the question remains: what’s Google bringing to the table that no one else has to offer? What’s new about Buzz? What can I do with it that I can’t be doing elsewhere, that’s going to make me feel like I really need it and can’t understand how on Earth I could live without it anymore?

The answer, sorry to say, is “nothing”. It looks like a poor man’s Facebook. And Facebook sucks, by the way, with all its corporate marketizing and useless apps. Get that goddamn cow out of my face will ya’?

Let me tell you about Facebook. It’s become the web’s entrance door for people who missed the blogging revolution. I don’t want to sound harsh but most of these people have no “internet culture” – I know, it's not like most bloggers have it, either. But Facebook is really great at deceiving you because it provides instant gratification within your group of “friends”. So you actually think you’re getting somewhere or, even worse, think you’re making a statement by subscribing to thousands of petitions or joining the group to save the frogs of Tasmania or whatever like you’re making a difference. What happens to Facebook is that, although it’s great as a concept, it gets ruined by spammy invites, useless quizzes and plain stupid games that I couldn’t care less about.

Back to Buzz, the real problem is that it has no punch. No personality. And the interface is unimaginative. Just look at Twitter. It’s simple and fun. It makes you want to say something. With Buzz, you stare at it and wonder «okay, so what am I supposed to do with it?» Sure, I can associate every other web space of mine like Blog and Reader and Twitter. But is that the way to really use it? What else is there? Oh, right. Links and images. How great.

As it is, Google Buzz is simply redundant.

6 Messages to “There’s a cow on my Facebook”

Fatima at 2/13/2010 07:41:00 PM

Não concordo com a sua apreciação relativamente ao facebook. Para além do mais, nem toda a agente que lá anda perdeu a era dos blogs... Mas, seja como for, mesmo que as pessoas que lá andam não tenham cultura colaborativa na web, é de louvar o espaço, o conceito subjacente ao Facebook. Não vejo, também, como Daniel neste momente nenhuma ideia original relativa ao Buzz. Quer que eu fique com a vaca? lol cumprimentos, Fátima Neves
Rita at 2/14/2010 03:38:00 PM

I guess you totally missed the real purpose and value of facebook. It has nothing to do with what you described, and the less that a facebook user cares about is to subscribe petitions, join groups, play quizzes or add the mentioned useless applications. On the contrary, is one of the most powerful tools of networking with your friends around the world or around the block, where you can actively interact or passively get to know what they are up to in the most varied formats. And spam invites was never a problem, unless your are naive enough to accept people you don't know in your network.
Despite not agreeing with you on this topic, congratulations for the blog and the consistent great content you post on it.
jraulcaires at 2/17/2010 07:16:00 PM

Também tenho vindo a achar alguma piada ao facebook, que me parece não ter nada, para mim, pelo menos e do modo com eu o uso, ter nada a ver com os blogs. Uso-o para manter relacionamento com pessoas de quem sou amigo, reatar relações com pessoas de quem já tinha perdido o rasto e,por vezes, na maior parte, tem-me proporcionado felizes reencontros. Também o utilizo para relacionamentos de um âmbito mais profissional ainda que aí as fronteirtas se esbatam porque aquilo que eu sou profissionalmente, também o sou pessoalmente, as minhas profissões assumem amiúde a dimensão de devoções. Será uma espécie de extenção dos "mensagers", vários que existem.

Acho que os blogs têm uma esfera mais pública, o facebook uma mais privada. Aliás, recentemente, o presidente Obama l´publicou algo a advertir os adoloscentes para terem cuidado com o que "postam" no facebook... - porque é preciso cuidado com as promiscuidades...

Agora, se for o caso, quando o facebook começar a ser pago ... - hasta la vista...
jraulcaires at 2/17/2010 07:19:00 PM

PS: ainda não experimentei essa "cena" do Google, mas também não tenciono experimentar...

Por muito que eu me canse de coisas velhas e goste de experimentar novas...
jraulcaires at 2/18/2010 12:47:00 AM

Já agora, o que pretendemos com uma escrita exclusivamente em inglês?
Anonymous at 2/23/2010 07:53:00 AM

Se o problema do Buzz fosse apenas esse. Observe bem o Buzz por dentro, espreite a forma como toda a gente se pode espreitar. Abra os seus contactos buzz e passe uma boa parte do tempo a ver quem são os contactos (à partida e até agora privados) dos seus contactos. O Buzz é um disparate completo e rematado mas não só, mas não só...
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10451703-2.html

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The architecture blog A Barriga de um Arquitecto / The Belly of an Architect (written in bilingual Portuguese-English) is mainly focused on contemporary architecture and urban design, covering recent works from Portuguese architects as well as projects of international significance.

My name is Daniel Carrapa. I was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1973. I’m an architect living in Évora, a nice historical town that was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1986. I’m married, have 4 cats – Matilde, Patanisco, Olivia, Lisa – and 1 dog – Moby. Moby is a three-legged dog. He’s okay. I graduated as an architect in 1996 (FAUTL Lisbon Faculty of Architecture). I am also an authority on cat litter and will provide expert advice upon request.

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