Bridget Nordquist

It has taken over the college world … Facebook, that is! It’s simply undeniable. Needless to say, then, the majority of us are conscious to the recent hullabaloo surrounding the online giant. As a Facebook user myself, I simply want to take a few paragraphs to remind us all what Facebook should be about – fun and entertainment!Indeed, the site’s creators, Mark Zuckerberg and friends, started Facebook as a “social utility.” In other words, they wanted it to be a fun way to meet people and stay in touch. It worked beautifully! Cringing at embarrassing photos added by friends and plastering “walls” with inside jokes was fun. The site proved wildly successful, beyond the dreams even of the creators. However, this success bred overzealous ambition. Seemingly, you couldn’t log on to Facebook without finding some new feature. Suddenly you could change your status by the second, write notes, and create a profile badge-whatever that means.Then Zuckerberg treated us to the News Feed. Facebookers and bloggers alike went slightly insane. The protest was heard through blogs, wall postings, Facebook groups, and even the advent of savefacebook.com. The creators soon repented and apologized in writing. Zuckerberg even acknowledged, “We agree, stalking isn’t cool.” That certainly clears the confusion.Pesonally, I think the whole episode represented a wake-up call for everyone. The creators learned that, at some point, you can go too far. They claimed to have solved the problem, but privacy regulations can only go so far. If someone wants access to my profile, they’re going to get it.As for Facebook users who were suddenly freaked out about stalking-wake up! People could have easily accessed your profiles and pictures at any time. There are national stories daily about potential employers, bosses and authority figures using Facebook to investigate people. It may not be ethical, but it’s certainly easy. In all cases, if Facebook loses its fun factor, it’s worthless. Being annoyed because of pointless new features or fearing stalkers is not fun for users. The site’s creators need get back to the essentials that we fell in love with- pictures, the wall, and basic info. At the same time, if you are afraid of using Facebook or don’t find it entertaining anymore-don’t log on. But if you still enjoy Facebook, like many of us do, have a good time on it. After all, that is the whole point.