Random Thoughts

If you’ve read my blog before you know I’ve been a pretty big fan and defender of Facebook. When they rolled out their big changes earlier this year I more or less told people to deal with it; but to be honest I understood why they complained. It was a full interface change and people didn’t immediately see the benefits. However, I was pretty surprised to see complaints and grumblings about Facebook adding a username. This is not an update that changes how you browse Facebook or adds any new information. It’s change that you more or less see once on your end and then it makes how you find people and how people find you easier.

Here is the main reason for the username: it’s a pain in the ass to give someone your facebook profile link. Where on Twitter it’s, “check me out- twitter.com/jcasabona” on Facebook it was “facebook.com/proflie.php?id=20034562.” You tell me which is easier. So now, you add a username and it’s, “check me out- facebook.com/jcasabona.” Simple. And there is an argument that people will make up stupid usernames and it won’t be as easy to find them, but that’s only their loss. And the username isn’t enabling people to be dishonest about their name. If they want to give a fake name, they’ll give it.

The real issue is that people are ready to criticize Facebook for every change they make now instead of thinking the added feature or UI update through. If they think other services aren’t going to make changes, they are wrong. Web Apps evolve and change based on the current state of the Internet and how most users user their app. All I ask as a web developer, nay- as a user!- is that before you jump on the Facebook hate bandwagon you ask, “Why did they do this?”

We’ve all done it. When I think something is a big deal, I want others to think it’s a big deal, so I sensationalize the situation. I exaggerate it to make it seem better or worse than it really is. It’s human nature. However, when you’re a major news network, you should be more careful about these things. But most major news networks want people to think their way instead of just giving them the news. I’ve written about Bias in the News before but this is different. This is something we’ve seen with Bird Flu, West Nile Virus, Mad Cow Disease, and most recently, the swine flu ‘pandemic’.

Let me start by saying this: people dying is no joke. I’m not taking the situation lightly. However, according to CNN, there are 90 confirmed cases of swine flu world wide. Mexico estimates 152 deaths from swine flu. Even if we take a more liberal estimate and say 400 cases, that’s still 400 out of 6 Billion people. That’s 1 in every 15 Million people. Is that really a pandemic?

Let’s put this in perspective. According to Wikipedia, Every year 34,290 people in the United States ALONE die from Pancreatic Cancer. That is 93 people a day in the U.S. alone. Why isn’t that a pandemic? Because we’ve known about it for a while? 17,941 died from alcohol related collisions in 2006. That’s 49 people a day in the U.S. alone, and that is 100% preventable. Do you get my point?

The Black Death was a pandemic. It wiped out half the world. There was no cure. Small Pox was a pandemic. It ravaged the world until a vaccine was created. Swine Flu, in my opinion, is the just the flavor of the week. Scientists are working on a vaccine and not ever case is fatal. It’s irresponsible for news networks to call it a pandemic. Educate people on it, yes. But don’t create panic where there is not.