Monday 21st October 2013, Global
So I think it’s official. The mighty giant that is facebook is experiencing technical issues which is not allowing users to write status updates or like posts.
I noticed the issue this morning and immediately (will you ever forgive me) blamed my PC. I decided however that telling the world about my take on love and that I felt the Tom Cruise ‘You complete me’ line possibly led people to feel less than whole could wait.
After a couple of hours of productive work, and house cleaning I decided to write another facebook post. Nope! Still nothing happening. It was at this point that I decided to move to the iPad and write a status update from there. Again, nada.
It was then time to hit Guru Google and see just what was going on. My first search led to a couple of forums. Most dating back to September 2010, however further investigation threw up some message threads where people as far flung and the Philippines and Europe were reporting problems.
I then came across a site that appeared to be in California and they had breaking news on the story:
I decided then to check out one of my trusted sources for all things technical and web related, Mashable, and sure enough, the story had just broken there too, although they also had scant information to go on despite the fact that several hours had now elapsed since the problem first occured:
Of course, deprived of being able to talk about this on facebook, I took to LinkedIn and Twitter to share the news. I also decided that it would be fun to re-experience Life BF . . . . . Before Facebook.
I admit, it was an odd sensation because I realised how accustomed I’ve become to having my little #FacebookBreaks in between jobs, clients or tasks. I’ve grown used to being able to have a quick whizz through the newsfeed and see what my friends, both real and virtual have been up to.
I am sure that facebook are working hard behind the scenes to re-establish service and business as usual. In the meantime, I invite the regular facebook users amongst you to notice how it feels to lose the connection.
What was your first reaction upon noticing that you couldn’t post your latest update? Did you experience, as one friend put it, some ‘separation anxiety?’
Did you move from device to device, furiously inputting your updates in the hope that one of them would ‘work’ and allow a lone post to get through?
Did you miss seeing what your friends and contacts where up to, and the fact that you couldn’t share your latest thought or insight?
Did you think that you had done something wrong and the unseen administrators at facebook had blocked you?
Despite what people might say about facebook and social media in general, I for one feel that it plays an important part in connecting people. Yes, yes, I know, nothing beats that real face to face, skin on skin connection, however facebook and it’s counterparts still play an important human connection role for me. I talk regularly with friends and relatives abroad who I Life BF I would only contact once in a bluemoon if that, and more likely a quick phone call at Christmas to wish them the best for the festive season and the year ahead.
Now I am in integral part of their lives. I look at and comment on their photo albums (not much different to what used to happen at family gatherings as I was growing up). I get involved in their conversations. I meet, and often become friends with their friends.
So facebook, I probably haven’t said it in a while, but I appreciate you. I thank you for building this platform that keeps me connected to my friends, family and clients. I thank you for the massive servers and zillions of lines of code that keep the whole thing working and turning, and I thank you for letting us use this wonderful innovation for free.
Get well soon!
Marilyn Devonish xxx
Marilyn Devonish is an observer and commentator on life and a TranceFormational Change Agent, working behind the scenes to change and transform lives one mindset at a time.
Web: www.tranceformationsTM.com