Facebook Responds to User Complaints of Font Shrinkage, via Twitter
by Amar Toor on November 4, 2010 at 09:30 AM
FILED UNDER: socialnetworking, facebook, twitter,
"Thanks for the feedback on the font size. We're listening and sharing it with our teams here," reads a tweet on Facebook's Twitter account. It's unclear why Facebook would choose to address user concerns on rival Twitter's platform, rather than its own. But doing so at least guarantees that people won't have to whip out their magnifying glasses to read it.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Sure, Facebook can be a lot of fun. It's a great way to reconnect with lost friends and to keep up with people on the fringes of your social circle. And as far as workday distractions go, there's nothing better.
It's hardly a perfect service, though. Minor aggravations add up fast and can drive you nuts. We've combed through the annoyances to find the ten annoyances that bug people the most.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Constant interface changes
Why it's annoying: Granted, innovation is necessary to avoid becoming stale, but sometimes you're better off leaving well enough alone. Facebook has radically overhauled its front page so many times that it's hard to keep count. Just as the anger dies down over one design, the site changes things again -- and confusion sets in. What's the difference between "News feed" and "Live feed"? And why can't Facebook remember which I prefer?
Possible solution: Sadly, there's not much you can do about this -- except wait for the next face-lift.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Inappropriate automated friend suggestions
Why it's annoying: Friend suggestions can be handy, but when Facebook tries to push an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend on you, it's kind of awkward. Similarly, if you've had a major falling-out with someone who has mutual friends, you're bound to see their face pop up in the 'suggestion' field at some point. It makes a clean break that much harder to get.
Possible solution: The little "x" to the right will make the suggestion go away forever. To prevent further frustration, you might want to also click "see all" and weed out any other offending names.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Never-ending game invitations
Why it's annoying: 'Farmville' and 'Mafia Wars' might be fun, but if you don't want to play them, the constant invites are infuriating. Many Facebook games are like Ponzi schemes; the way to succeed is to get more people playing. And once you've managed to filter out one game, another pops up.
Possible solution: It's not too hard to hide the requests and invitations for these games. Just click "Block this application" when you get the first invite. Then, hover over the updates that are clogging your news feed, and click "Hide" when the word appears.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Political fights
Why it's annoying: Between cable news and talk radio, it's hard enough to hide the squabbling between the left and the right. So when political debates fire up on Facebook, it's particularly annoying. All you want to do is see friends' pictures and learn what they're up to -- not eavesdrop on a debate over healthcare reform.
Possible solution: If you've got a friend who picks such fights in their status updates, you might be best off hiding them. You can still check in on them whenever you'd like, but you won't have opinions shoved down your throat.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Imported updates from Twitter
Why it's annoying: Tweets have their own language and shorthand, and if you're not familiar with the 140-character-or-less updates, it might look like someone had a hand spasm while typing. Facebook and Twitter are two entirely different services -- and forcing the two together feels like a poorly arranged marriage.
Possible solution: Once again, you're kind of stuck. Your best bet is to either embrace the language of the tweet -- or learn to selectively ignore posts.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: No 'Dislike' button
Why it's annoying: A friend proudly mentions in a status update that she got a promotion. That's an easy thing to like. But what about when they announce they've been laid off? In its relentless drive to be cheery, Facebook hasn't given us the choice to quickly commiserate or disagree with someone.
Possible solution: There's an active lobbying effort to get Facebook to add a 'Dislike' button, with over 553,000 people members of a group specifically asking for one. Hopefully, the powers that be will listen to the protests.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: People who 'friend' you too fast
Why it's annoying: Sometimes it's a person you've gone out with one time. Sometimes it's a coworker you only speak with occasionally. But odds are you've been 'friended' by someone you'd rather not have on your list. Technically, ignoring the request is an option, but that can create some real world tensions.
Possible solution: Your privacy settings can make this problem an easy one to conquer. You can block specific people from seeing status updates, photos and more by choosing 'custom' and black-listing them. Then, hide their updates from your news feed.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Stealth tagging
Why it's annoying: We all have horrifying childhood pictures or shots we wouldn't want to share with the world. Invariably, though, friends will post them as a joke of sorts and tag you. All of a sudden, that prom picture of you with acne, coke-bottle glasses, and a really bad perm is out there for everyone to see.
Possible solution: You can untag yourself, which prevents others from putting your name to the picture -- but in some cases, that's closing the barn door after the horse has run away.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Obvious celebrity marketing ploys
Why it's annoying: Celebrities love Facebook -- or so it would seem. But all too often, it's someone writing on their behalf (and often poorly). That doesn't stop avid fans from falling over themselves to 'like' every comment and chime in as part of the 'amen' chorus.
Possible solution: Unless you're sure it's actually the celebrity doing the updates, you'd often do better to just avoid the pages. After all, is it really that critical that you declare yourself as a fan?
Tags: facebook, fonts, FontSize, layout, NewsFeeds, size, SocialNetworking, top, twitter
- source: Forbes






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Comments
29
Subscribe to commentsEvNov 5th 2010 6:16AM
It was easy enough to fix by holding the crtl button down and rotating my mouse button up to enlarge the font. No big deal.
WayneNov 5th 2010 5:55PM
@(Unverified) And just how is a lowly common mortal supposed to know to do that? And why make ME fix something THEY screwed up?!!
VaughnDec 6th 2010 10:29PM
@Ev
VaughnDec 6th 2010 10:32PM
@Ev thanks.....i have been on computers for years......didnt know that....lol worked for me and my aging eyes :)
DarlaSNov 5th 2010 7:13AM
I hate the smaller Font
NoniNov 5th 2010 7:33AM
I haven't minded any of the changes up until now. Font is so small, I can't read it!!
VermonterNov 5th 2010 8:28AM
If you hit "control" and the plus sign "+" you can make the FB font larger and easier to read.
GregNov 5th 2010 9:38AM
I hate that they started putting ads right in the middle of the updates section.
kimNov 5th 2010 10:19AM
@(Unverified) I know! What's worse is that no matter how many times you close them and mark them as uninteresting, repetitive, offensive, etc. they still keep coming. What's the point of giving them feedback if they don't do something about it?
storme480Nov 5th 2010 9:17AM
OK....So WHAT WILL get DONE About IT????
LibbyNov 5th 2010 9:05AM
Thank goodness it isn't just me! I thought I was just going blind!
Nick BirkettNov 5th 2010 9:48AM
Yeah, wtf??? The font looks retarded, plain and boring, and I have to zoom in 25% just so I don't get a headache from squinting. Way to go FB. There's another tally in the annoying things about you.
Mouse
kimNov 5th 2010 10:19AM
My eyes are bad enough as it is. They didn't even give a warning, or a reason. What would that reason be, anyway? To piss people off? They do stupid stuff sometimes. I know they want to make everybody happy, but they should set up a way for users to vote when creating something new. That way, they can at least make the majority happy.
mdrewry1Nov 5th 2010 11:30AM
Dear Facebook Users: I don't recall having to pay any $$ for using FB, yet we gladly accept all the benefits it brings to each of us. I say, lodge your grievances in a nice way. Our society as a whole is far too angry - about everything. The attitude of entitlement ruins us all.
klamathbunchNov 5th 2010 9:49PM
@(Unverified) Good point, very true! It would have been nice if they would have just announced it so I didn't spend an hour trying to figure out what I had done wrong.
CINDINov 5th 2010 10:49AM
I HAVE TYRED AND TRYED FOR THE LAST 2 WEEK'S TO GET SOMEONE FROM FACE BOOK TO FIX MY PEOBLEM, AND NO ONE HAS COME TO HELPE ME, I CANNOT DELETE ANY THING AND NOW I CAN'T GET TO MY MESSAGES, WHAT WITH THIS?? I AM AT MY WIT'S END AND REALY AM THINKING ABOUT GETTIN OFF THE SITE, UNLESS SOME ONE HELPS ME, PLEASE!
TABNov 5th 2010 1:11PM
At age 71, I find it very, very hard to read. It doesn't help that I also have glaucoma. Guess I can never respond to other people now. And I refuse to mess up my controls on all my sites by using the wheel on my mouse to correct a problem on just one site. They can forget me; I can always just bow out and quit it. Easier that way.
Thresia
sonia.romero60Nov 5th 2010 2:35PM
@(Unverified)
sonia romeroNov 5th 2010 2:36PM
I need glasses and even with them need the regular print, too hard with the smaller print
MarcNov 5th 2010 7:37PM
Facebook makes whatever changes they want to make whenever they want -- mostly bad ones. This is so the users don't get that upset at the fact they are still selling private information they constantly promise not to. I guess Zuckerberg isn't rich enough.