The Future Of Facebook, And Why We Care

Facebook is something different to everyone, but for the bulk of users it isn't just a place to grow imaginary gardens.  Some people are invested in Facebook, and plan to stick around for the long haul.  It's a way to check on people that you don't want in your day to day life.  It's a way to keep a web presence, and a popular place that anyone truly looking for you will check.  That's a mighty big draw to people who miss people from their past.  For some it is a living memorial for people who have passed away.  Visitors can see videos and pictures of loved ones, and it's worth a few pesky game invites to have that layered access for millions of people.

But what does the future hold?  I'd like to think that with the data storage capability in the world, some universal place will become where we register to be found or to find.  Our likes, thoughts and major life events can be recorded.  For the first time in human history, we can including video, pictures and voice clips in our legacy.  We are so shortsighted when we consider social networking sites, not understanding what we can grow with a little planning.  I'm not implying Facebook is the eternal recording of our generation.  I'm saying we need one and I'm surprised more people haven't focused on that.  Imagine being able to go back and read John Lennon's teenage thoughts, or Helen Keller's reflections on what passed through her mind on any given day.  Our data isn't just good for marketing exploitation, it could be useful for hundreds of years to come.

The future of Facebook isn't clear yet.  It still has the potential to be really great, or really not.  It may take a few refining steps before we have a place that we can be recorded for all time.  Still, it's full of potential and I hope we see more than Farmville when millions of people come together and contribute to something this big.  But then, if that is what we show is of interest, I guess that's a statement in itself.