Tech Tuesday: Facebook messaging system is not liked
BY Robert Evatt
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
12/25/12 at 3:04 AM
Facebook's announcement of a new messaging fee just serves as a reminder of how annoying the messaging system can be on the social networking website.
The new tweak now requires people who aren't friends with someone on Facebook to pay $1 to make sure the message actually shows up in their main inbox.
From what I've seen, most users have reacted with disgust at the possibility that complete strangers could pay to spam their inbox.
I'm also disgusted, but for completely different reasons.
First off, don't worry about spam. Spammers deal with email blasts in the millions, meaning it would be financially impossible for them to flood your inbox with ads for Viagra.
The bigger problem is the hidden "other" folder within the inbox. Every time a non-friend messages you, it gets sent there. Unfortunately, it's so well hidden you probably don't even know it exists.
When I learned of the folder and checked it, I discovered two messages from family friends asking me how my mom was doing. Other people have discovered plenty of other useful things as well, including a few job offers. Often, Facebook is the only way people will know how to contact you.
You should absolutely check your "other" folder, since odds are you'll have something useful you missed. To get there, click the message icon, then "see all" in the drop-down menu, then "other" on the mail page.
A Google phone?
According to rumor, Google is working on a top secret project - a phone.
Given the hundreds of phones released that run Google's Android operating system, it might be a little hard to see why that's interesting.
Yet most Android phones have been heavily modified by their individual manufacturers. Sure, you might get something based on the latest version of Android, yet the overall quality of the phone experience is dictated by the individual manufacturers. Even the "Nexus" phones, those smartphones released with the guidance of Google Inc. and running completely unmodified versions of Android, are ultimately manufactured by partner companies.
This rumored phone would be made completely in-house by Google, thanks in part to Google's recent acquisition of Motorola. It would be a physical manifestation of Google's idea of the perfect smartphone, top to bottom.
Would it truly be the best Android, or even the best smartphone, ever? The Nexus phones were good but imperfect, although it's possible to lay the blame on compromises made with the various partner manufacturers. Any niggling flaws, or solid positives, would be undeniably due to Google.
Maybe it's time to see what Google's truly capable of.
Original Print Headline: Get the message? It might be 'hidden'
Associated Images:
Messages in Facebook from people not on your friends list might not show up in the usual queue. JASON ALDEN / Bloomberg
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