Web application that sucks example? Facebook

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I have just read an interesting article Top 10 reasons why you should quit Facebook. There are a lot of complaints about privacy, unethical behavior, technical incompetence etc. which are definitely relevant and significant, but the truly gem there is located at the end of the text as the no. 1 reason: “the application itself sucks”. Yes, it badly does.

I created my Facebook profile because of an online marketing campaign in my work and since the first moment I wondered why so many people use a love such a terrible web application as Facebook?

It has really horrible user interface (UI), for instance:

  • Non-intuitive navigation – the most items are somewhere else than you
    would expect and it takes time to locate anything
  • More ways of reaching the functionality – You can choose more ways of
    accessing certain functionality, which is not good itself. The worse is there
    are different options depending on the way you navigated (for example reading
    external RSS feed into Notes).
  • Important features missing – Why we can not edit the post in we make a
    typo? No editing, just delete and re-paste once more … with another
    typo maybe? :)
  • Bugs – Even the core features have bugs. If you use cut&paste to fill
    the wall post and have longer text, you get wrong alignment. The only way to
    keep it correct? Retype!
  • Options hell – The ton of different settings seems to be designed only to
    annoy the user to be kept at the default.
  • Low availability – I wouldn’t declare myself as a heavy Facebook user,
    but even though I regularly get “Page is currently not available, try later”
    message or load of the page just dies and the content remains disabled in
    grey and the only way is to reload the page – even the links on the page do not work
    anymore?!

That reminds me of another “UI comparison” that hits the nail – Regular TV remote vs. Apple remote.

Steve’s razor

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Found an interesting article discussing the same strategy/process behind original Apple Mac in 1984 and today with iPhone/iPad. One of the original Mac developers describes Steve Job’s success formula. Check at least IMO most inspiring chapters “Fearless leader” and “Steve’s razor”.

Tasty beverage

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Found two new tasty non-alcoholic beverages during last which deserve to be mentioned to the world.

First Belvoir Ginger Ale is the second best Gigner Ale I’ve ever tasted. The first place is questionable as it was something called “Ginger soda” in a indian-vegie restaurant in India town in Kuala Lumpur, something that almost created a flame when I breathed out. Anyway Belvoir (unlike wide-spread run of the mill from Coca Cola/Pepsi) features delicate ginger taste, is not ultra-sweet and last but not least it is strong. Check it out at Pause cafe.

The other notable drinking regime improvement of this week came from SodaStream soda machine I have received. It was packed with two syrup flavors for the soda and yet again … tasty, without a ton of sugar and in this case much cheaper than PET bottled sodas. You also save the Earth with it!