Saturday, December 06, 2008
THE FACEBOOK BLACKOUT
I'm happy to announce that I will partaking in the Facebook Blackout, slated for all day December 15, 2008. This voluntary "blackout" is a grassroots movement of Facebook users who have agreed to abstain from using Facebook in any way on December 15 as a way to express their collective frustration at Facebook's administrators.Earlier this year, Facebook made significant changes to the overall look of Facebook. This change was very unpopular with Facebook users, who overwhelmingly opposed it. For example, on July 27, Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN) student Scott Sanders created the Facebook group "Petition Against the 'New' Facebook", whose membership now boasts a mighty 1.6 million users.
At present, those who have RSVPed in the affirmative to the Facebook Blackout total just over 975,000 users, and could very well top one million. In the group description, its creator, French resident Boris Kelevra writes in very choppy English:
What will happen if we all decide not to login on facebook for 1 day ! Don't you adminstrator remember that we are the one using facebook ?? On December 15th, if we are still on the new facebook, let's all not login for one day ! [...] Please invite all your friends in this group so that we could really make an happening on December 15th! Waiting to have at least 1, 000, 000 members attending !
To add my two cents, the changes in format Facebook made are appalling because there was little consultation among its users and because when the administrators learned of their consumers' angst, they did nothing about it. While the changes in the "new" Facebook took some time to get used to, it has not caused within me any neuroses. I am taking part in the Facebook Blackout not so much to make a certain point, but rather to show solidarity with those who seek to cause ripples.
# posted by Steven Latimer : 4:04 PM
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