Stop Trying to Make Me Use Facebook

"Why use Facebook for anything," I tweeted this calendar week. And I hateful information technology. I run into no reason to utilize the ubiquitous social network. I don't need it for marketing. I don't demand it to observe sometime relatives. I don't demand to continue up with loftier school classmates or former crushes.

I'thou not interested in post-obit the life of someone I'k non hanging out with. If I am hanging out with them, why exercise I need to friend them on Facebook?

While I tin can easily avoid Facebook, one thing I cannot avert is site afterwards site requiring Facebook to log in. Luckily that trend has walked back a scrap; well-nigh sites allow y'all to create an account with your email address.

Fifty-fifty more than annoying is the "check united states out on Facebook" promotion. Instead of simply maintaining a expert website, which can be done cheaply using a multitude of methods—hello Wordpress, hello Blogger—they resort to Facebook. Here is why they should non do this.

If yous are non a Facebook user, y'all get this page blocking the site. How is this a proficient idea? Does the California Faculty Association at Pomona recollect this helps them?

I do not want to bring together Facebook. I click on "Not At present."

Boom, I get one-tertiary of my browser page blocked past Facebook.

This huge overlay stays there every bit I scroll around the page. Why does any organisation utilize Facebook equally a homepage or sales site or information site knowing this is the way information technology displays to non-users?

How is this amend than an individually designed free WordPress page using any number of modern templates? Nobody is hounded to join WordPress. The site is easily maintained. The likelihood of users being tossed off the organization is minimal.

The funny thing about this is, it'southward causeless by many domain name providers that y'all'll use Facebook as training wheels for eventually getting your own defended page. It seems that the opposite is truthful.

Modest operations and organization like the one above take some sort of rudimentary website first merely cannot or will not maintain it. They switch to Facebook with the "check us out on Facebook" plea, and end up there for skilful. Because the clan is on Facebook, the admins have an excuse to be on Facebook all mean solar day making sure someone did not unfriend them. Oh, horrors!

Let me summarize: Facebook Pages replacing real web pages is not a good trend, period.

Although I am certain some old high schoolhouse pals managed to hook up here and there. Then what?

About John C. Dvorak

John C. Dvorak

John C. Dvorak is a columnist for PCMag.com and the co-host of the twice weekly podcast, the No Agenda Evidence. His piece of work is licensed around the earth. Previously a columnist for Forbes, PC/Calculating, Computer Shopper, MacUser, Barrons, the DEC Professional equally well as other newspapers and magazines. Onetime editor and consulting editor for InfoWorld, he as well appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, SF Examiner, and the Vancouver Dominicus. He was on the start-up team for C/Net as well equally ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV) he hosted Silicon Spin for four years doing 1000 alive and live-to-tape Television shows. His Internet prove Cranky Geeks was considered a …