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By Vegasbab, March 4, 2009 10:42 pm

I’m currently annoyed with trying to update my Facebook Fan Page via the new design. I’m sure part of it’s user error (it always is ), but here are my initial thoughts about the redesign:

Eh. Not Excited Yet:

1. It puts the wall front and center. Note, you can have non-fans default elsewhere. I think you can have fans default elsewhere too, but thus far, that option isn’t working for me. Unless you’re a Prom King brand, your wall doesn’t get much action. Why make the fact that no one has written on your wall for days or months so prominent?
2. It puts the wall front and center. Aka it also puts the updates you’ve made to your page front and center. Same reasoning as #1. Will brands feel the need to update their page more?
3. Pages now have status updates. Like regular profile page updates, these show up in your fans’ news feed. If you’re thinking SPAM, we’re on the same page. Will this encourage/force brands to update more? Will twitter make their app work for fan pages so you can tie your twitter updates to your Facebook status? Will this help twitter gain additional popularity?
4. Page status updates now show up in fans’ news feed. Again, are you really interested in what a brand has to say over what your friends have to say? How many users will be more selective over which brands they become a fan of? How many users will tweak their settings to have Page updates not show in their news feed?
5. You can’t move all your boxes like you used to. In the old design, all your boxes were movable. This meant that you could put your fan box at the bottom if you wanted. With the new design, similar to regular profile pages, some boxes are not movable. Trust me, no one cares when my brand was founded.
6. Some tabs aren’t movable. The Wall and Info tab are always #1 and #2. Does anyone really care about info? No. They want pictures and the fun stuff. The stuff you created via FBML (aka facebook’s version of HTML).
7. Insights remained the same. I wish they would make it easier to see the metrics by month or week vs. only comparing and showing day to day metrics.

Things I’m Excited About:

1. Like regular profiles, you can break your page into tabs. This makes it easier and faster for a user to navigate. No more scrolling to find pictures in a tiny box. Now, pictures, videos and events all have separate tabs.
2. Status updates now show in fans’ news feed. If used well, this is awesome. Previously, no one knew if you updated your page, added an event, pictures, video, etc. unless they visited your page or you sent out an update. Seriously, how often do you visit the pages you’re a fan of? Yea, that’s what I thought. And those updates? I know for a fact you don’t read them immediately and you certainly don’t act on them. Hopefully, this will help fan pages become more valuable for brands and utilized more by fans.
3. Facebook is starting to help and cater to brands. They are continuing to find better ways to integrate and welcome brands into their world.

After the bugs are fixed and all fan pages switch to the new look, we’ll see where this takes us. How much would you like to bet that this change pisses users off and groups are formed in protest like last time

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By Vegasbab, March 3, 2009 2:35 pm

Yep, sometimes I’m a lemming too. I’m not the biggest fan of chain letters, but since I did the Album Cover one, I figured I’d do this one as well. This “game” caused such a stir that it made the WSJ and NY Times to name a few.

So… 25 Random Things about me:

1. I love Tootsie Rolls. I’m convinced it stems from my days of swimming lessons. After each lesson you got a Tootsie Roll as a reward.
2. I’ll eat the same thing over and over again until I get completely sick of it. Then I won’t eat it for months.
3. My dad and I are very much alike. It’s scary. Instead of saying, “I’ve turned into my mother” when I grow up, I’ll be saying, “Ugh. I’ve turned into my dad.”
4. I LOVE basketball. Especially watching it live.
5. When I was younger I could dunk a basketball. Seriously. I wanted to do it before my brother could.
6. If you didn’t guess from #5, I’m extremely competitive. Not 100% sure where it comes from.
7. I have a crazy memory. I can repeat back whole conversations I’ve had years later.
8. I suck at opening up. I keep everything bottled up inside.
9. I only set any alarm to odd numbers excluding 5. Don’t know why, but I’ve never broken the superstition.
10. I have a really short torso. So much so, that most bras don’t fit me. It drives me crazy.
11. I have to have red numbers on my alarm clock. Since few alarm clocks come with red numbers these days, I’ve had the same one for years.
12. Every Sunday during football season my Dad and I bet the day’s games. I still use the method that I used when I was five.
13. I hate following the crowd and flashy designer labels. I think being flashy is incredibly tacky and the reason I’ll never have a Coach purse, a Louis Vuitton belt or a Tiffany necklace.
14. I’m Irish. I have a wicked quick temper. Your best bet is to let me simmer for a few minutes. I’ll be back to happy-go-lucky by then. Otherwise, you might have to call the cops to save you from my beating
15. I want to retire to St. Thomas and spend my days surfing, water skiing and swimming. Throw in some umbrella drinks and it will be my little slice of heaven.
16. When I rub your back, I always write a message with my nails. Don’t try to figure it out, it’s always in code.
17. As a present for my brother’s first birthday, I got my ears pierced. It was my gift to him. I was very proud of it.
18. It took me over two weeks to write this. It’s the longest I’ve ever spent on a post. I blame it on #8.
19. In elementary school I had detention every day. For real. I choose it over not chewing gum. My fifth grade teacher finally suggested I try chewing paper instead. I declined and sat my ass in detention every day.
20. I’m stubborn. I believe #19 attests to that. Don’t ever tell me, “no”, what I can and can’t do or how I should feel. My stubbornness will kick in.
21. I have circle scars on both my knees from falling on the pool deck when I was younger. I was chasing a boy I didn’t even realize I had hurt myself until I looked down while riding my bike home. Both knees were gushing blood.
22. I go by my middle name. You’ll never discover my original first name.
23. University of Miami was my back up college. I was convinced I wanted to go some place cold. I changed my mind after spending two weeks skiing in Vermont. I’m glad my dad “forced” me to apply to a Florida school “just in case”.
24. I’m a sucker for random, useless trivia.
25. When everyone else was dancing on their dad’s feet, I was water skiing on them. We’d get up at the crack of dawn and go. He taught me a good amount of “parlor” ski tricks and how to barefoot.

Comments (1)

By Vegasbab, March 3, 2009 4:28 am

I like Facebook’s newest meme much more than the 25 Random Things one.

Admittedly, this is my second album cover. I did my first one at work on a whim and didn’t save nor can remember what the band or album name was. The picture was of an Asian woman being choked from behind

The Wikipedia article behind Rival Lovers can be found here and the quote here.

Here’s how to make yours:

1. Go to Wikipedia. Hit random. The first random article you get is the name of your band
2. Go to Random Quotations. The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.
3. Go to Flickr. Click “explore the last seven days“.
4. Put it all together and post.