FaceBook’s regional networks are rubbish
So, for a while now I’ve been using FaceBook. I’m enjoying the site and I’ve got back in contact with a good few people I used to know in school, so that’s all good. What’s not so good is the way that their regional networks.
FaceBook has the concept of networks. You can be a member of many work/school/college related websites, but only one regional network. For most people being a member of one regional network makes sense - you tend to live in the same place that you work. However, if you’re a university student you quite conceivably might live in a vastly different place during term time than holiday time, and quite happily feel that you “belong” in both places.
So it is for me. I currently live and work in London, but in a couple of weeks time I’m going to be moving to Bedford, a town outside of London, and then commute in every day. In doing so I feel that I really will belong in both networks. Because of the way FaceBook works though, I’ll have to choose.
So, yesterday I decided to go and have a look at the Bedford network. I popped along to the page that lets me change my regional network and typed in “Bedford”. A dropdown appeared and I selected “Bedford UK” from it and told FaceBook that I would like to join that network. The next thing I knew, I’d been added to the Leicester network! Sacre Bleu! So, I tried again. Once again I found myself in the Leicester network.
Realising that I probably wasn’t going to actually make it onto a Bedford network, even though I was being told that one existed, I decided to cut my losses and go back to the London network. At this point I discovered that I couldn’t because FaceBook has chosen to implement a completely arbitrary limit on the number of times you can change your regional network to twice in 60 days! So, now I’m stuck with “living” in Leicester for two months. Bloody hell.
I’m furious about this for two reasons. Firstly, I was not told that I wouldn’t be able to change my regional network a third time before I attempted to change it to Bedford the second time. When you’re going to restrict what a user is going to do, you need to tell them about it first so that they can make an informed decision. Secondly, I didn’t actually change my regional network twice - the second time I attempted to change it I was left on the same network as I was already on!
I’ve asked FaceBook to update my regional network so that I am once again part of London. In the mean time, I’m fuming. Bah.
September 8th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
FWIW, I live in Leicester and it’s rubbish. So is its FaceBook network.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
That happens to me aswell yesterday! I sent them 4 mail now in 24 hours asking to please restore to my right network but i didn’t get any answers!
How lond did it take for you to be restored?
September 28th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
@Nick: I used to live in Leicester, and it’s not all that bad. Hold on, I’m not meant to say that, am I? Of course Leicester is rubbish - everything is!
@David: It took 26 hours for them to respond and put things right in the end.
November 14th, 2007 at 6:31 am
hi
You can only change regional networks twice every 60 days. You will not be able to join a different regional network until Jan 06, 2008
It isn’t changeing network
how can i do ?
December 20th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Let alone the privacy implications…
February 4th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Well it is nice that they put it right. I’m in the same boat.
There is more bad news though,
they do not warn you when you change networks but you find out when it is too late:
When you leave a regional network you lose membership to groups you joined in that network.
Fair enough perhaps, but no pop\up warning to let you know.
Wait it gets worse. You are also out of any groups you created, and lose your administrative priveledges.
THAT BLOWS!
February 25th, 2008 at 12:09 am
yup, this is irritating me as well
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 am
same thing happened to me!!!! thats bull!! i started out in the Wausau, WI network, and i wanted to ADD Appleton, WI. well, i didn’t know it would CHANGE me to Appleton, so when i tried to change it back it wouldn’t let me!! i e-mailed them asking them to fix it, so who knows.
Its also bull that you have to be in a person’s network or already be their “friend” in order to see their profile.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
The networks thing also bothers me. When I was a high school student I joined my high school’s network. I then deleted it, but I now wish I kept it. It sucks that I can’t add the network anymore because I originally did add it when I was a high schooler. The thing that bothers me the most though is not being able to join multiple regional networks. Like you said, people associate themselves with multiple places. I associate myself with New York but I go to school in California and I’m here almost all year. I’d like to associate myself with both places.
June 29th, 2008 at 2:31 am
“You can only change your regional network twice every 60 days”
Well, you know what Facebook HQ? Fuck you! Fuck you all! What kind of bull statement is that… can only change your regional network twice every 60 days?! I change whenever I choose to! I don’t need your fucking bull implementations telling me what I can do! I choose what I do not you or anyone else!
July 21st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Just published a “rubbish” social network site for Herts Beds & Bucks it’s early days but you can make your own network in there… and it has more options than face book which really is rubbish, take a peek and be first to get the site really active.
http://gr8network.co.uk
August 31st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I do not believe this