Amused or Annoyed by Facebook Places?
29 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
by kaydencecreative in Branding, Community, Facebook, Promotion, Public Relations, Social Media
Users amused, annoyed by Facebook Places
September 03, 2010|By Stephanie Goldberg, Special to CNN
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Some users say Facebook Places enhances their mobile experience on the networking site, while others are less enthusiastic.
It’s been two weeks since Facebook users took to blogs and message boards to voice their concerns about Places, a location-based service that allows people to check in to gathering spots via the social network.
After firsthand experience with Places, some users still worry that the service could compromise their privacy. But others are finding that when used with caution, the new feature can be useful and is enhancing their experience on the site.
Eric Rummel of Los Angeles, California, who used to post his location in his status updates, said Places is an easier, fun way to tell his friends what he is up to. But Rummel understands why some people are leery of posting their whereabouts on the site.
“People think it’s about stalking and this and that, but only my friends can look at my page. If you’re selective of who your friends are, it’s definitely a plus to have Places,” he told CNN.
“It’s a great way to get to know your city,” he said, adding that last week, he checked in to a little-known Caribbean restaurant his friends seemed really excited to learn about.
Rummel said that just to be safe, he probably won’t make checking in to his own home a habit, but he did add its location to Facebook.
“It was one of my first posts,” he said. “I was just playing with it and wanted to see if they had my home location. I don’t think I would do it all the time, though.”
If Facebook users “check in” to a restaurant or other hangout, their whereabouts immediately pop up on their page and in their friends’ news feeds. Users who prefer not to disclose their locations can disable the feature, or set it so others aren’t able to check in for them.
Nathan Bolos of Greensboro, North Carolina, didn’t have any privacy concerns when he started using Places to check in at his college, work, restaurants, movie theaters and his own home. His sister, on the other hand, is not a fan of the new feature.
“I checked in at my sister’s house. She didn’t really like it,” he said. “It showed a map of the area and how to get to her house. She has small children, so she wasn’t really happy about it. She made me take it down.”
And that’s not the only time Places has revealed more information than Bolos intended. After he and his new love interest both checked in to the same place, their friends put two and two together and realized the pair had begun dating. Though, he said, they weren’t consciously trying to keep their relationship a secret.
