Comments on: Request To Facebook: Broaden the “How I know you” Options

By: The Facebook “Bug.” Not Really.

The Facebook “Bug.” Not Really. — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 07:47:32 +0000

[...] to have. You don’t have to figure out the right way to say how you know the person from the very limited options. Just hit cancel. Trust me, when you go to your profile the person has been added as a [...]

By: Aisha

Aisha — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:32:54 +0000

If you pick Met Randomly, you can describe “met at a conference” or any of the other stuff you’re complaining about.

I use my maiden and married name on facebook so people can find me too. It’s really not a big deal. Some of you are REALLY picky.

By: sarahcpr » Blog Archive » How We Met

sarahcpr » Blog Archive » How We Met — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:57:10 +0000

[...] to have received a flurry of FaceBook invitations in the last week or so. Both Dave Winer and Michael Arrington have made recent posts about the “connecting” process, more specifically, this awful [...]

By: Peter Gulka

Peter Gulka — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:23:57 +0000

How about enhancing the “Family” option to include in-laws? I have my Brother-in-law and my sister-in-law on facebook. Best I can mark them as is brother and sister.

By: Jared

Jared — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 02:41:06 +0000

I don’t think many people other then you would need an investor option Mike.

By: jake

jake — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:33:07 +0000

The reality of the situation is that based on what you are asking.. there shouldn’t be any options, but a box to put whatever you want.

The current options are to save time among the college students who first started using it, as it contains the most commonly needed items. Most of the options open doors for more detail…

The rule of thumb: If you can’t find what you want on the list, click met randomly, and then type in your description.

The suggestion above about the computer inferring strength of relationship based on communication is a great idea. I would love to see an example of this.

Robert (#18) – learn how to use facebook’s group features.

By: Tamar Weinberg

Tamar Weinberg — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 14:46:19 +0000

I have another request. I want people to find me via my maiden name and my married name. Right now, it appears that I use my maiden name as my middle name on Facebook, when in fact I am only using it to enable old school friends to find me easily.

By: TechCrunch Japanese

TechCrunch Japanese — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 07:43:35 +0000

Facebook―「どういう知り合い？」の回答オプションは拡充が必要だ…

Facebookで「友達」になるとき、その相手とはどういう関係なのか、選択肢をチェックするよう求められる。ところがその選択肢が狭すぎるのだ。「彼氏/彼女です」なんてのはわれわれがブ…

By: Ben Tucker

Ben Tucker — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:44:01 +0000

FWIW- among the college crowd, this feature (which goes hand-in-hand with the “social timeline”) is nearly always skipped.

By: Nish Patel

Nish Patel — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:39:31 +0000

Agree with Mike’s suggestion to allow for more ‘adult friendly’ options. If Facebook implemented the suggestion I would give up LinkedIn and use Facebook as my only social/business networking service.

By: mfn

mfn — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:38:51 +0000

re weaverluke (30)

Good point. Computers aren’t so good at inferring from language descriptions.

There is another approach some social networks have taken to this, which is to infer the strength of relationships by monitoring user behavior. For example, two users who exchange lots of email (or forum comments, or buy/sell/share transactions) might be inferred to have a stronger connection, etc. I think there are several other systems which infer social capital from user actions but the names aren’t leaping to mind at the moment.

By: Joe Trip

Joe Trip — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:37:11 +0000

1. We met at a retirement community
2. We exchanged body fluids
3. I do not know this person, but please ask them to stop impersonating me
4. We’re more than kissing cousins — so much more…
5. If only someone could hear the VOICES IN MY HEAD!!!
6. We exchanged thumb drives — in certain body cavities.
7. We both maintain a secret Hotmail account where we store files stolen from former employers
8. I searched them in LinkedIn using the keyword “promiscuous”
9. We put both of our DNA in a Creative Commons license
10. I stalk this person from afar

By: mfn

mfn — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:32:12 +0000

re Samoa (24)…

whoa, interesting! They are quite similar!
https://lists.u...ubuntu_5.11.jpg

However the NR logo has been there for at least 2 maybe 3 years,
so it might be the other way around.

Anyway, the relevance was to illustrate an application where labelling of relationship links is important and adds value.

I’d love to get more feedback on NeighborRing actually but not hijack this thread… I will put a post in the TC Forums about it. soon..

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 09:30:07 +0000

Skip this step.

By: weaverluke

weaverluke — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 08:37:24 +0000

Surely the real problem is that we all think about and express the nature of our relationships in different ways, and computer systems aren’t yet very good at inferring similarities between these different descriptions. Which is why they straightjacket us into using a few, standardised descriptions which can never please all of the people all of the time.

By: Olly S

Olly S — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 06:08:38 +0000

I think “Childhood friend” would be a good option – I have lots of friends who I grew up with from my local area. We didn’t go to school together but our families were friends – there is no way to state this at the moment. Also “Met through a Group” with an option to select the Groups page on Facebook.

By: Drama 2.0

Drama 2.0 — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 06:01:56 +0000

1. I think we may have hooked up but I was a bit too drunk to remember.
2. We were cellmates.
3. We both lost money investing in Webvan.
4. I would like to hook up with this person.
5. We both are on the No Fly list.
6. We met in an AOL chat room back in 1997.
7. I think this person is a family member (DNA tests are pending).
8. We were both molested by the same priest.
9. We met at a violent protest against the World Bank.
10. I had an affair with this person.
11. We’re Walmart shoppers.
12. We attended the same rehab facility.
13. This person gave me their business card at a TechCrunch party.
14. We know each other from a past life.
15. I gave this person an STD.
16. I sold my 1985 Chevette to this person on eBay.

By: Spuds

Spuds — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:55:39 +0000

I hope the Facebook crew are reading this post. I agree whole heartedly with it. The options are too limiting. All the people I know on the site I have met through blogging and other forums.

By: Sam Purtill

Sam Purtill — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:23:58 +0000

Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.

By: mfn

mfn — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:13:04 +0000

Re 17: Robert, NR is completely cloaked from search engines- the site gets rebranded and included as part of different groups’ (usually nonprofits) websites. For example you’d see a link to the “YMCA resource net” and once you join you see it’s ‘powered by neighbor ring’. That’s how I got involved with it – supporting a local activist group that sells NR memberships as a fundraising tool. You’d be amazed how many extra DVDs people have kicking around that they’re willing to lend to friends – or – likely friends. You end up meeting people for practical reasons, locally.

By: Samoa

Samoa — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:33:35 +0000

@mfn (15)

Way to blatantly steal Ubuntu’s logo on your about page.

By: Peter Cooper

Peter Cooper — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:16:45 +0000

I always thought “We hooked up” meant.. “we made out/had casual sex” or similar. I used it on one or two old friends as a joke for this reason. I guess there is a lot of room for misunderstanding with these terms after all *g*

By: walkable

walkable — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:06:02 +0000

Yeah, I agree that the choosing how I know you could use more options, but I suppose the met randomly can work.

More importantly, and speaking of rankings, how is it that in Alexa, TC ranks 651 but in Compete 12,115? Is Compete worthless? My site ranks very good on Alexa amongst other sites in my genre, but is not tracked by Compete.

I think Alexa v. Compete is a more intriguing topic. I can’t for the life of me figure out why anyone in a non-tech role would visit any of my site competitors with the Compete Toolbar. Unless it is included as spyware.

By: Zaid

Zaid — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:03:35 +0000

How do I know you never took off with me. But most of my friends are pretty deliberate with it so it sure works.

Facebook just needs a i’m-a-”blogger” mode:)

By: anon

anon — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 02:48:32 +0000

How about Facebook saves my login?