25 Things I Hate About Facebook

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I have been tempted to deactivate my Facebook account for some time. In this short YouTube video, Julian Smith comically explains his frustrations. I concur with all twenty-five of his reasons.

I was ready to deactivate my Facebook account last week. Then I heard Chris Brogan at O’Reilly’s Tools of Change Conference. He put forth a model that I really liked.

To paraphrase, he said that your blog is your “homebase.” This is where you ultimately direct people. On the other hand, services like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. are “outposts.” The purpose of an outpost is to connect with people that otherwise wouldn’t find your homebase.

This makes sense to me. At least several times a week, I get Facebook messages from people who say, “I stumbled across your blog on Facebook.” So, for now, I guess I will keep my account open. Personally, I find Twitter so much easier to use and more rewarding—and certainly less annoying.

Question: What do you think of Facebook? What do you like? What annoys you? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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Category: Social Media
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  • Trina

    That just made me laugh!

  • http://twitter.com/nmabry nmabry

    I still like Facebook.  However, I have had to work hard to tweak what actually comes into my News Feed.  I block every “noisy” app and select what updates I want from different individuals.

  • http://twitter.com/Renmeleon Renmeleon

    Thank you for sharing the Julian Smith link, I am still giggling about it and agree wholeheartedly with every single point. He nailed it. I would also like to point out though that a great deal of it can be avoided if you manage your settings properly. That said, with as many “updates” as Facebook makes, it can be a pain to constantly RE-manage everything after they have reset it.

    I joined Facebook in order to keep up with the friends who had migrated there totally, even so much as to no longer answer regular emails. I do see the value in it as an outpost, great perspective, but will still hope for an option to avoid it completely in future as it is a definite timesink. I use Twitter and prefer it, admittedly having more than one account, and have grown fond of Tweetdeck as I sometimes manage client posts as well.

    @renmeleon  (personal, catch all)
    @artforcures (my non-profit)

  • https://www.facebook.com/AuntiesWorkshop Auntie

    Things that annoy me about Facebook:

    The Ticker – it is a total waste of screen space.

    The “Ask Question” button – you know, you can ask a question without it.

    Facebook “grouping” your friends for you.  Why???

    The inability to format posts.

    People who tag you in a picture…and it’s not a picture of you (It’s a pic of dog, a building, a baby, etc)

    Abbreviations that don’t make sense.  Some examples:  prolly (probably), meh for “me” (really?), wat (what), dat (that).  Sheesh!

    The “your friend just answered a question about you” thing.  *Rolls eyes*

    Teenage wall fights. 

    • https://www.facebook.com/AuntiesWorkshop Auntie

      Oh yeah, and timeline.  I HATE THE TIMELINE.

  • http://christopherbattles.net/ Christopher Battles

    I prefer Twitter much more, but I see upsides Facebook also. As Facebook is mainly people I know in “real life” it is a way to keep up with them.  The amount of notifications does get crazy, but there does seem to be more ways to control that now.  I just post to Twitter and have it go to Facebook most of the time.
    Thank you Michael, that was a great video.

    K, bye

  • http://twitter.com/mcnairwilson mcnair wilson

    Clever video. It’s a good start. I’d add: the inability to go into a comment stream (of something I’ve posted on my page) and delete individual comments from bullies, the foul mouthed, and folks who’s mom and dad might be cousins.

  • Joseph Reynolds

    I use facebook to keep in touch with family and friends. Twitter? I consider it little more than verbal diarrhea. I occasionally use it to keep in touch with a conference hash tag… but mostly it leaves me feeling like I need a shower.

  • Jeanie Hackett

    Michael, you have been inspirational to me. After reading your book, I designed & launched my site (just went live this week!) Jeaniehackett.com. I’m an actor, acting teacher, director, etc. But I can see you really don’t “get” FB. (Perhaps you are just too advanced!) Here’s how I see it: Twitter is for “the world” to find you. Your tribe of strangers who all have something in common.  FB is for everyone who has known you in a more personal way over all the years — and other than that, you may have nothing in common. It doesn’t really generate income, it just generates…sustaining the shared connection. FB eliminates the social silos that we’ve accrued in our lives. 

    I think there is nothing more grand than seeing a comments from 15 different people from diverse places and times in my life all in the same space as the same time. I mean, imagine if that really happened in real life…a high school friend, with that really nice family you met in Paris, with that old boyfriend you’re now friendly with from college, with your Mother’s best friend from PA, with your hot-shot lawyer cousin with your pilates teacher, etc. I mean, we used to think that was what happened in heaven, right?  Something to me very human and touching about that.So…it’s not just because you will hear from people there who’ve discovered your amazing blog…it’s because the primacy of the journey we have with other people trumps time, place, status,# of followers, etc.  

    Thanks again for all your wonderful posts, the book, podcasts, etc.! 

    • http://michaelhyatt.com/ Michael Hyatt

      I actually wrote this almost four years ago. I am now an active user of FB. I still don’t like it all that much, but for different reasons. Thanks.

  • Roberto

    I agree too! However I’ve spend time turning off all notifications and such. Made my FB as private as possible to avoid all those things popping up.

  • Mkrfreenchrist

    I like facebook because it is my best way to connect with dear friends in Germany and Zimbabwe. This is where I receive personal messages about how they are doing, pictures and sometimes videos. I also like FB because it gives opportunity to encourage others and share requests for prayer. I just read this morning of a 41 weeks pregnant woman whose baby is stillborn. The aunt and friend of mine, was asking for prayer for her family. It is a great tool for these reasons.  
    I love the humor in the video posted above and while much of it is true…social sites shouldn’t be a mode to be “all about myself”. Blogs can be venues of self promotion or promotion of your family….a wordier place to say to others, “hey listen to me, look at me, aren’t I great and look at what all my family is doing”. Therefore, while I like to write and enjoy sharing my life, thoughts and experiences with others, I prefer to do that face to face. And unless it’s really helpful information, who really has time to keep up with everyone’s blogs…it’s like getting a newsletter in the mail at Christmas rather than a simple card wishing the other person a blessed holiday. Again, some blogs are a tool to be self-indulgent, however, I really like Michael Hyatt’s.

  • Rated_insane

    1. Fishing Statements, e.g., “Why do certain people have to treat me this way?”
    2. Cheesy quotes disguised as status updates as a means to validate your life to the world, e.g., “I am your parent: I will hold you tight, support you, guide you, hug you, blah blah BLAH”
    3. Worse – inviting people to like your cheesy comment if they agree
    4. Too many people tooting their own horn too many times a day, and disguising it as gratefulness. “I am now fabulous, I have worked so hard to achieve this (and have already told you about it everyday for the last year), I am thanking every one of my facebook friends for my fabulousness, join me on my fabulousness, we can be fabulous together.”
    5. That is okay for company’s to essentially buy your “Likes” by entering you into a (probably fictitious) prize draw if you do.

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