They did it again! Just as the world finally got over the last wave of “improvements,” Facebook slapped its users with a new hoard of changes to deal with. Granted, a few of these upgrades are pretty useful. Photos upload faster and appear larger on newsfeeds and profiles. Friends can link their app activities directly to their timelines which makes it easier to share what they are up to. The issue, however, is the extent to which Facebook continuously estranges its users in the name of progress.
Facebook has made it its business to implement changes without advanced warning or approval from users. Consequently, users lose trust with the company and they vent their frustrations via posts, tweets, blogs, and the like. In the past, Facebookers would complain until they got use to the changes or until people stopped listening. This round of changes, however, may lead to more drastic actions. Facebook’s new competitor, Google +, is no longer invitation only; now anyone can join. Since most of the changes to Facebook were adapted from other services like Google + and Twitter, users are more likely to deactivate their accounts and jump ship to another platform. Facebook needs to be more conservative and forthcoming with their “improvements” in the future or they may just "improve" themselves out of the market.
I think Facebook did make a bold move here - it reinforces their "father knows best" business mentality but is that the right way to sell the business to their users? Facebook is supposed to enable individuals to be a connected organization of users - shouldn't they be informed if there's major changes imminent? Maybe Facebook has done the research to show that people won't really care enough to change their habits - maybe they already have the audience captured?
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