Why oh why can't social networks make more things optional?
Since I’ve been giving Google grief for pushing Google+ onto users whether they want it or not, I suppose I should give Facebook similar treatment for now forcing its users to adopt the new timeline feature (via BGR):
Last year we introduced timeline, a new kind of profile that lets you highlight the photos, posts and life events that help you tell your story. Over the next few weeks, everyone will get timeline. When you get timeline, you’ll have 7 days to preview what’s there now. This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it.
Well, gee, guys, thanks for giving me the option to remove pictures that someone tagged of me throwing up buffalo wings at a Super Bowl party from my timeline. Because that’s really not part of my story that I want to tell people.
Look, I know that I don’t have to use Facebook, that I can always move my stuff to another network or off the Internet in general or that Facebook was super-nice to give me a whole week to remove all the embarrassing pictures of me dressed in a pink Tom Brady jersey from popping up on my main profile page. But I guess my main argument is this: Why not just give us a choice on whether to accept Timline? If it’s really as swell as you think it is, why not let your users opt into it instead of being forced to take part in it like Google+? Facebook got to where it is today because it let users customize their experiences on the site. Why not stick with that basic philosophy when it comes to Timeline?
