Facebook Going Back to Social

Facebook killed its Paper news-focused app today. Earlier this week Facebook announced a change to its algorithm to give priority to social posts over business and news. There is plenty of content on the business and marketing side of this. I want to focus on the user experience

In the terms of technology platforms, Facebook is aging. It's strength is in its sheer number of users. That strength is also a weakness, as people are more and more concerned about privacy. It is a given that Potential employers will view your social media footprint to evaluate you as an employee.

People have thus stopped sharing so much on social media. At least they have stopped sharing the stuff they don't want just everyone to see. They seem to not mind sharing political talk, but that is another matter. Facebook has been trying to combat this. I know I have been enticed by Facebook to engage more with Groups (which I do a lot anyway).

Groups, or more specifically closed and secret groups, allow smaller groups of Facebook friends to interact and plan events outside of the watchful gaze of employers and family. I use several of these groups myself.

Facebook is still the way to reach almost everyone that you want to. I only know of 3 friends I have that do not have accounts on the social network. And even 2 of those 3 have access to my posts through family members I have connected with.

Some would be surprised that Facebook has been this strong for as long as it has. I am frankly one of them. If Facebook is now actively shunning the businesses who pay them for advertising, then the problem with people using the site are not just academic.

I am not a huge Facebook fan, but I use the site because almost everyone I'm connected to is part of it. If that drops off, especially from young people becoming adults who might shun the site before they even start, then the appeal of Facebook may fade. The fading will be slow, not like former social champ MySpace.