or How to Use Facebook Without Actually Using the Site
I am apparently one of many whose email notification preferences Facebook has lost over the past week, which means one of two things: 1) our information is not secure on Facebook, or, more likely (according to me and other respondents here), 2) Facebook just reset our preferences in a lame attempt to direct more traffic their way. Because I don’t want my photo collection to be accidentally “lost” and am mildly offended by gimmicky attempts to get me to use their already massively-trafficked site (AND I am just creating another elaborate procrastination ruse), I’m finding replacement options for Facebook’s various key features. My goal here is not to deactivate my profile and lose all the benefits of Facebook but rather to relocate my important files (photos) and minimize my interaction with the site. In some ways a continuation of my review of Web 2.0 services, here are the top options for supplanting Facebook’s features, from most seamless to least.
- Status Updates – Twitter: Your Facebook status can be handy for keeping friends and family updated about recent activities, but services like Twitter specialize in this capability and offer far more flexibility in how it can be used and accessed. I already update my status on Facebook using Twitter via Facebook’s Twitter application and will continue to do so for those who want to track me on Facebook. As for me, I’ll stalk you on Twitter or using my chat client (below).
- Chat – Pidgin: Chatting with friends on Facebook is fun, but you do not have to actually be on Facebook to do so. Although Web 2.0 darling Meebo gets great reviews, only Pidgin has a plugin that enables you to chat with Facebook friends alongside AIM Buddies and other chat contacts. Although using Pidgin does require the installation of additional software, this program makes up for it with additional uses like email notifications and updates accessible in your status bar. You can also reply to friend requests using Pidgin, eliminating another reason to visit Facebook.
- Messaging – Email: Email is an essential form of communication, but you do not need to do any of it through my Facebook Inbox. In fact, if you (ironically) keep message notification alerts from Facebook “on,” then you can read your messages in your chosen email client and reply there, assuming you know the sender’s email address. Folks sending me mail in Facebook will be get a response from mulrah@inbox.com sent over GMail from now on.
- Link Sharing – Diigo: People love to share links on Facebook, but you don’t have to get on Facebook to follow suit. As mentioned elsewhere, Diigo is my favorite for social bookmarking, and it can automatically update to delicious, which in turn can feed Facebook without you ever visiting the site. If you want to follow what I’m bookmarking outside of Facebook, just subscribe to this page. If you’re more interested in sharing and viewing friends’ favorite news stories, then I have also recommended Google Reader.
- Photo Backup – Export Photos: If you don’t already use SmugMug, my original recommendation from a previous post for photo sharing, or another service like Flickr or its trendy alternative Zooomr, then just use the Export Photos app to download your Facebook albums to your computer for a quick backup.
- Events – Socializr & 30Boxes: Facebook’s Calendar app is useful only for setting up group events for friends who are on Facebook already, but, if you’re like me, most of your events will include invitees who are not on Facebook. Therefore, you inevitably must use another site, and I highly recommend Socializr (not eVite!). While the Birthday Calendar app is pretty useful, I have it integrated with my calendar on 30Boxes, so I can see upcoming birthdays without ever entering Facebook.
- Lifestreaming – Firefox Toolbar (or Flock) and Feed Reader: I must admit that, though quite a time waster (or is it?), I do enjoy seeing posts, status updates, and photos available on the Facebook Home page. Although I appreciate Facebook’s clever ability to select the posts included on my “News Feed” so I don’t get overwhelmed, I don’t mind not coming to Facebook to see feeds because I can separate out the feeds by type for the most appropriate client. I recommend using a feed reader like Google Reader or Bloglines* to subscribe to friends’ posted items feeds, and you can use this for notifications and status updates too. The Facebook Toolbar for Firefox (basically built into Flock) has a sidebar that streams updates from your friends’ status changes and icons you can add to your toolbar that show various notifications without you ever having to visit Facebook itself. The only thing missing is a way to see your friends’ photos without visiting Facebook. As an aside, until more people I know start using lifestreaming services like Profilactic and Friendfeed, these services are not terribly useful alternatives to Facebook.
- Reconnecting with Former Classmates – LinkedIn, sort of: I previously had recommended Classmates.com, but, despite finding a couple people there who weren’t on Facebook, none of them seem to visit the site. This is not surprising, as the lifeless interface has nothing to draw people back to it after they sign up. I’m currently experimenting with LinkedIn, which seems to have a ton of former classmates signed up, but this is more appropriate for building a professional network than reaching out to old friends to share photos, play games, etc. Facebook will probably remain “stickiest” in this area, drawing me back to the site, albeit far less than I’d been visiting previously.
Thus, these eight resources should cover nearly all of my Facebook activity, backing up my data and avoiding trafficking Facebook as much as possible. Way to stick it to them! I do not use Facebook as much as others or for the same purposes; I’m not trying to find replacements for “SuperPoke!” or “Top Friends.” Perhaps my most particular use for Facebook has been Chess Pro, and I will now be trying Red Hot Pawn, the only site that seems to have a clean interface and leans toward correspondence chess.
* After twelve hours since I tried this on Bloglines, I have yet to see a Facebook item post, but adding it to the feed reader on my phone’s Opera Mini shows all the posts perfectly. What’s up, Bloglines?
