Tag Archives: Facebook

19 July 3
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I’d prefer Google+ over Facebook!

I just came across this article on PCWorld.com which confirmed what always annoyed me. It is Facebook’s usability. I used to think (a bit ridiculous though but anyway) may be it is Microsoft’s legacy passed on to Facebook to make things unnecessarily complex and useless, and to turn deaf on to users when they expect something and something intelligent until things start slipping out of hands.

I must accept that despite using Facebook for years I still don’t get it fully. Why simplest of things are buried deep down in confusing maze of pages, settings and menus? Why every one of my contacts is added as ‘Friend’? Why it is difficult to control what I share? Why there’s no direct link to pages that I created using the same account? Why navigation changes so drastically from one section to another? Why I’m not in control of my experience? … and the list goes on including privacy concerns.

Usability is science but not a rocket science. Users tend to react fairly quickly online and we have seen how some big online setups have been deserted by their users who were in millions. Google+ is built upon Facebook’s shortcomings to provide users with what they have been expecting for so long. It may not matter to some but for me it is what I wanted and I fully recommend it.

To Facebook, best of luck.

Communication, Criticism of Facebook, Facebook, Facebook features, Google, Google Plus, Internet, Media, Microsoft Corporation, My Musings, Online social networking, social media, Technology, Technology/Internet, Usability, Web 2.0, World Wide Web

15 July 6
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TED: What Google and Facebook are hiding

Under - Media, Technology

Eli Pariser of the progressive organization MoveOn says the Internet is hiding things from us, and we don’t even know it. In this TED Talk he calls out Facebook, Google and other corporations who are transforming the Internet to suit their corporate interests.

Communication, Computing, Eli Pariser, Facebook, Google, Internet, Internet activism, MoveOn, MoveOn.org, Technology, Technology/Internet, Ted, World Wide Web

12 December 2
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Cortex – Google Chrome extension for social media sharing

Under - Design, Media, Resources, Technology, Usability

Now we can share all those fancy pictures, videos and articles found online in one click to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and to Instapaper. Thanks to Cortex for making a lengthy process 2 second’s job.

Cortex is the fastest way to share links, articles, videos, images, music to your friends and family across the web.

Cortex, developed by Joey Primiani, is a free Google Chrome extension. Having it installed, I had to setup social media sharing in the Cortex settings after which it was pretty easy – click and hold for the menu to appear and zoom … the stuff is already published by the time you open or refresh your Facebook,Twitter or Tumblr page (support is limited to four sites only at this stage).

Cortex reminds me what Bonnier R&D did a while ago in the form of Mag+ – especially the unforgettable menu dial (below). Although the precise functionality was not envisaged in the Mag+ demo for those Facebook and twitter buttons but I believe it could have been the same as Cortex!