Most regular readers of this blog would know I am a tinkerer, especially when it comes to the internet. I have a good many sites that I have built (and rebuilt in most cases) and I try out lots of things. It took me a while to jump into the whole social networking scene, so it is only very recently that I have really tried out the likes of Facebook and Linked In.

I’ve posted about Facebook several times before and none of it was very flattering.  I think everything I said in those posts, early in 2008, still holds true for me.  Since then I’ve picked up and begun using the Facebook iPhone application.  It’s better than the web site because it massively reduces the clutter but it cleverly introduces a new layer of irritation in that the programmers clearly had no experience with date handling.  In short, it’s an embarrasment to Facebook.  Entries on the screen will change date over time and you never know exactly when anything happened unless you check via the web site.

But that’s not why I am writing this post today.  No, what spurred this post is something I read on The Apple Blog, where Weldon Dodd wrote the most illuminating ‘aside’ about Facebook that I have seen in a while.

iPhoto also adds new sharing capabilities that integrate directly with two popular photo sites — Flickr for your good photos and Facebook for all the crappy snapshots of your friends.

This statement really tickled my fancy. You see I do continually check Facebook from my iPhone and, wading through the clutter of “so and so scored 1 million points on the latest fad” messages and the ever-elusive dates, what I see is this.  None of my contacts spend much time keeping Facebook up to date. It is clearly treated as a poor cousin to other aspects of their lives, online or otherwise.

Take a look at the photos you can find on Facebook.  They are largely of the “my friends”, “me” or “we went/were here” snapshot variety.  Then look at Flickr, where you will find some of the most amazing artistry you have ever seen.  Weldon was spot on.

Taking it further, I would summarise Facebook as somewhere people go to be on a social network.  It’s not an extension of themselves but something extra they (try to) do.  For this reason, at least in my circle of friends, it fails to be a true social network.

But…

It is a vehicle for keeping tabs on what people are up to.  Or at least it would be if people devoted enough time to it.  Certainly I have re-connected with one person entirely because of Facebook and for that I am grateful.  But that person has posted maybe half a dozen “updates” in the year or so since we “found” each other again.  (To be fair, I’ve posted less!)

So this most valuable facet of Facebook is underused, obviously, by the type of person I know and care to keep in touch with.  This stands to reason if you work with my social factor calculation.  Is there a better solution to this desire to keeping tabs on your friends lives?

I think there is.  The trouble is it is a bit of a Catch 22. You see, most people don’t get Twitter until they start using it and see what happens.  I know I didn’t, but I know I live with it every day now and I love it.  I’m not going to try and explain it here, as I have seen many other people fail.  Rather I will send you to this video which is really very well done.

And I’ll make a plea.  Those people who know me, who use Facebook, but rarely to let friends know what’s going on in their lives, and who are not already on Twitter – give it a try.  Please.  For me.  Watch the video, then come visit me.  Those of you who are on Twitter, but aren’t using it (you know who you are), please take a little time to get into it.  I should add that Twitter really took on a new dimension for me when I enabled myself to post updates when away from my computer, using my iPhone in my case – it definitely makes it easier to post and more topical.  There are many ways to do this if you have a reasonably modern mobile device.

P.S. I’ll still be checking Facebook regularly.