Yawn… Facebook this and Facebook that. Ever wonder why so many people use it? Because it is talked about and because most people (not you of course) are ’sheeple’ and have to follow the masses for fear of being an outcast.

A prime example of how being talked about simply makes things important is the recent trouble with Oink and the raids. Even though the powers at be wanted to shut it down and help close off some more P2P kiddzz they have instead pointed the spot light on the whole thing and spawned a number of groups setting up replacements and thus actually growing the P2P ‘issue’ that the big cigar smokers don’t like.

Well Facebook is suffering from the same. They started off with an excellent idea and platform. It was dormant for a while then all of a sudden it starts getting mentioned next to myspace in news items. The next thing you know everywhere is talking about Facebook, we all get those ‘mr miggins has invited you to join Facebook’ emails and we decide that if we don’t join up we will miss out on the latest thing that everything and their pet lizard are talking about. Similar things happened with Second Life and Bebo, but as the media has gone quiet the sheeple have left them alone. When was the last time you spared a thought for either of those?

Now we are left with Facebook heading the way of myspace. They are releasing new systems left right and upwards while trying to suck up money, hype themselves in the press, set up advertising deals and generally steam towards their exit strategy.

We felt it was all starting to go wrong when they opened up the site to the search engines in order that all the users will be indexed unless they opt out. It should have been the other way around. The old Facebook would have set up the feature but asked users to opt-in / turn the feature on. Hell, if we go back a little further, has everyone already forgotten about the riots that almost took place when Facebook changed the site and opened up all the private data filled mini feeds to the world. They are still there now, but not much mention.

So really Facebook are starting to be less about their users and more about the future money options as they progress. This is no doubt because of the upcoming IPO that they will have to go through with next year. Again the hype machine will roll, people will buy stocks and we will be deeper into this web bubble 2.0 than we are already (Fecking $700+ stock on Google? Crazy!).

Facebook, if you really believe in your ’service’ then work on that for the good of the users. If you believe in the ‘cash’ and want to do a big belly flop off the shark then carry on down the current road. Many of us are jumping off already.

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