Warning: Random ponderings without very much conclusion ahead…
I have been doing lots of pondering about the evolution of Facebook and social media in general recently. It seems that every day new announcements are coming out about the next change or “feature” in Google+ / Facebook / Twitter . Its partially fuelled by Facebook’s developers conference that happening at the moment. But it is going to be an interesting few weeks / months to see how it all plays out.
I’m also finding it interesting to “see” my own reaction to it and how I react and make decisions and judgements – specifically why to I trust Google with so much of my data? Why do I not trust Facebook?
I am still working it out. Im not completely falling for the whole “don’t be evil” that is apparently one of Google’s principles. But I do have a feeling of trust towards Google. That just isn’t there for Facebook. For a long time I wasn’t on Facebook – mainly because everyone else was and were telling me how great it was! I’m wondering now about what would be different if I hadn’t joined…
Looking at the two companies – I can see a lot of benefits in what Google does, Gmail, Docs, Search, Android and now Google+ . Facebook has been a brilliant way to keep in contact with friends … I’m not discounting that value – it has been really good to keep in contact with friends – but I am wondering what else it has done? Take away my friends and interactions then what’s left? Or is that the point Facebook is “just” that so me being its product isn’t a problem? Or is Facebook just an early version of Google ? Its certainly evolving fast and adding new features – there was a time when Google was search – in 5 years time will people be using Facebook for a varied a part of their working and personal lives as I currently do with Google products and services?
Change is coming – the social media and other web based worlds are evolving in to forms that we cant yet see – in fact I wonder if they will even achieve their form – maybe constant evolution will be their form – an amorphous, shifting, evolving form that I will never be able to look in its eye and say “ah so that’s what you were becoming”
I cant shift the feeling that I don’t “like” Facebook .. and I still don’t know why
I do trust Google .. and I still don’t know why
But I have learnt, and re-learnt, over the years to trust my gut. My brain is a wonderful thing – I don’t know how it works, I don’t know what information its processing to help me make decisions,  I just know that sometimes I need to go with that feeling it provides to my gut …
Facebook – its been great – but I think im going to be around less often. I will only still be around because of the simple fact that your product is so rare and unique (Hello 228 Friends!) 
Two connected but not really connected ponderings … :
SocialWeb is the “new” Web – I think I need to spend less time “catching up” and more time “doing” both in the real word and the web one. Both are important to me, both have value but for different reasons. I need a better balance between the real and the digital, the consumption and the creation.
Social is a conversation, its company, its a smile, a knowing nod, its that shared story that brings back smiles and far-off gazes as we are taken back to that happy place the memory rests in our wonderful, unique, irreplaceable, brains.