Change Back Facebook

Dear Facebook,

First of all, we want to express our sincerest gratitude for what you have done for college students for the past two years. You've allowed us to make countless connections, and keep tabs on far-off friends. We thank you for that.

Having said that, we feel that you might have stumbled in the recent past. Let's take a look at what you've done that many consider steps in the wrong direction.

First, let us talk about the addition of High School Facebook. This has almost universally been recognized as a faulty move by the masses of college students. Getting your Facebook account was a rite of passage, something to be eagerly awaited. It also ensured that no one without a college email could join. Now, kids as young as 14 are getting on Facebook, and while they cannot see the college pages, the fact remains that they have been robbed of a great day: the day they receive their college email and can join Facebook for the first time.

Secondly, we want to talk about the ads and corporate sponsorships for a second. While this is nowhere near the controversial High School Facebook debacle, it does detract from the essential Facebook experience. When a student signs on, they probably do not wish to be told about the latest movie opening or a good deal on car insurance. We understand that any website operating on your scale needs to fill the coffers, but a less obtrusive way might be a good idea.

Finally, we come to the purpose of this letter: the recent facelift that Facebook has been given. This change was instituted sometime early on the morning of September 5. By noon, the change was already a hot topic, and nothing good was being said. Complaints ranged from mere annoyance to outright rage.

A serious complaint was one of security and privacy. True, the information offered in the feeds is available already, to a certain extent. However, there are several serious problems with this. For instance, the very real concern of employers perusing Facebook, doing research on prospective employees. Before, one could just un-tag themselves from a photo that they might not want the world to see, and it would look like they never had any connection to the photo. However, with the new feed system, employers can track the changes in a profile, and therefore any pictures that have been tagged or un-tagged. It is true that one can hide the individual feeds that might be less than desirable, but this creates a need to constantly check Facebook, desperately hoping not to find anything disagreeable. In short, paranoia. There was once a time where students eagerly await checking their Facebook. We are not far away from a time where students check their Facebook not to waste time or check up on friends, but rather to potentially avert a disaster for them. This is a sad state of affairs indeed.

Students also said that the new feeds cluttered up Facebook, ruining the clean look it was known for. This sharp design helped Facebook overcome the behemoth that is MySpace, with its myriad of distractions on each page. If nothing else, facing declining members is a problem in itself.

We hope this letter reaches the Facebook executive team, and they take it to heart. We love Facebook, and we look forward to years of enjoyment with it. So please, change it back.