Sunday 16 January 2011

Embrace change

Recently I've been commenting quite a bit on Facebook about the new profile layout. This new design was introduced towards the end of last year but was optional, allowing you to keep the existing profile design if you prefered, which I did. This week however, I received notification from Facebook informing me that Democracy was no longer an option, and I would be upgraded to the new profile in the next few days, to offer me "more ways to show and tell [my] story".

I have a few issues with this. Firstly, I'm not Hans Christian Andersen. Secondly, one of my main reasons for using Facebook – other than to keep in touch with friends all over the world – is to help to publicise my illustration work and try to generate more traffic to my blog, website and Twitter account. My Facebook profile currently features links to all of these, plus my Facebook page dedicated to my illustration work, underneath my profile picture at the top of my profile. The new profile removes this information, so that it's hidden away out of sight. This makes me sad. All of which has led me to comment a few times about my dislike for The Change, which did make me sound a bit like a menopausal woman (Thanks for that, Tom!).

I would like to point out that my comments have been slightly tongue-in-cheek. I'm not some technology-fearing Luddite, smashing my iPod with a rock, using my laptop as a frisbee and howling at the moon! Facebook is a free service and as such I can't really complain too much. If somebody gave me a free cake, I couldn't really turn around and have a go at them because I didn't like the way the icing looked.

Anyway, to try and draw a line under all of this, I decided to create an image of myself based on President Obama's campaign poster...



Embrace change! Carpe diem! Zigga zig ah!

4 comments:

  1. This is a great image, Paul!

    Btw there are ways to make your blog/website appear on the top of Facebook by putting your website/blog link in your job description title or favourite quote or university etc etc. Not ideal, but at least people will still be able to see it... That's about my level of sophistication on Facebook but I'm sure there are very clever ways of getting around it too!

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  2. See, there ARE hacks available - we are saved!

    PS. I'm not a Luddite either, but I do howl at the moon...

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  3. That's because you got bit by a dog!

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