practicehacker

Yesterday Facebook, the application that convinced a generation of soccer moms it was okay to post semi-candid pictures of themselves no matter how disturbing, bought Friendfeed, the best social application you’ve never heard of.  When I read the news I wept. No, seriously. I wept at the end of an era.

Freiendfeed makes me feel smart. Facebook makes me feel like I need a shower. Friendfeed brings out the best in users. It promotes discussions about cutting-edge topics and insights. Facebook brings out the worst in users  – many of them highly placed people who should know better – by soliciting the mundane and celebrating the average. See the difference?

I hope Facebook leaves Friendfeed alone, but I have no illusions. As it stands I’m positive that hordes of Facebook users will thunder into Friendfeed, choke it with pointless chatter, and leave it a disaster area when they move on a few weeks later.

If you find something online that’s worth keeping I hope you feel a little sad when it gets “discovered” and you know it’s about to lose its special character. That’s how you know it was worthwhile in the first place.

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