One of the Unshelved guys (really, do I need to know who they are? they make a funny cartoon and I read it. and I bought 2 shirts, what more do you want?) blogged about giving up on Facebook, and I agree. But I believe that we should give up on everything that announces "some assembly required."
I only use what's ready. I don't want to create any part of the Internet. And I don't want to increase your wealth by adding my personal info to your social networking site.
Call me any farm animal you want to the Internet's Little Red Hen. But I am going to eat that bread. It doesn't matter how much work you do, you need me to consume it. The Internet is not a finite resource like wheat or bread. It relies on users to be successful.
When your site's services are done to the point where all I need to do is type or click, then I will be there. But don't make me poke or lick or sniff or dance to earn linden dollars or build or anything. Make it so I do something once and I'm done. Maybe it's ten years of using search engines, but that's all I have the patience for. Type. Enter. Right click. Save as. That's as much as the Internet gets out of me.
I know this means it's possible that eventually one company will rule the entire Internet, but if I'm that important that all "not yet ready" players will fail without my help, then they deserve to fail.
Build it and I will use it. Don't invite me to the pool party then hand me a shovel and expect me to dig. But when it's ready, call me and I'll bring beer.
And guess what? If I were the dog or cat in that Little Red Hen story, I'm waiting till that hen eats all that bread, then I'm eating her.
