While the vast majority of Facebook users are up in arms about the new layout, I’m finding it to be a pleasant upgrade.  All of the portions of the site that I use are now in the same general area.  Previously, I would have to venture all over the place to get where I needed to go.  I like the fact that notifications for posts, friend requests and messages have been separated into 3 small icons in the top-left corner.  There’s easier access to your groups and applications now that they’ve been posted on the main page.  I’m also finding portions of the site that I never used before because they’ve been uncovered by the new layout.  Twitter integration is still horribly slow, but can you really blame them for making it difficult for you to use a competitor’s product?  Overall, it’s a faster, cleaner interface.

All that I’ve been seeing are complaints for the last 2 weeks about the site, but no one can seem to elaborate on what their issue is with the new Facebook.  From where I sit, the only explanation that makes sense is that it is different from the last version.  Having a strong background in technology and working in the field that I do, you are forced to embrace change.  If you can’t find the benefits of an upgrade and learn to adapt to new technology, you become as obsolete as the last version of the product you were working with.

The masses seem to fear change when it comes to technology.  If something is in a different place or a certain function is not exactly as it was the day before, it automatically “sucks”.  Change means having to learn something new and most people refuse to take the time to do so, even if the end result will benefit them.  I originally thought that the fear of technology itself was partly to blame for the fear of change in technology.  However, disgust in new versions of things seems to span generational gaps.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to upgrading my user base to Windows 7 and Office 2007.  My phone will be ringing off the hook!!

It’s no secret that record stores have disappeared and the ones that are left probably don’t have much time. While digital distribution and music downloading (legally of course) is something I’m a big proponent of, it’s just not always the right solution for me. If I want to buy a song, or preview an album, or even just get information on a band, iTunes is the only place I turn at this point. However, if I want to buy an album (the whole thing, not just one or two songs), I’m still buying the CD. I need to have something tangible if I’m going to commit to music on that level. I want to see the way the artwork and packaging are designed, I want to see what the CD actually looks like. Of course, it only comes out of the packaging once, goes into my computer and becomes a series of ethereal ones and zeroes like everything else, but that doesn’t mean I want to simply download it.

The disappearance of music stores creates another type of problem for me in that most of what I listen to seems to fall through the cracks. It’s primarily bands that are not big enough to be carried by a big chain store and not special enough for a speciality shop. The most recent example is the new Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine album. After calling half a dozen music stores in the city, I found one store that had it – Main Street Music in Manayunk. Upon going there to pick it up, I was told they had one copy – used. Meaning that someone bought it, ripped it, and sold it within 2 weeks of its release. This may happen a lot, but I don’t know that it helps stores stay in business. I’m fairly certain I don’t agree with it. Sure, there’s a chance that someone just didn’t like the album and had a chance to divest themselves of it, but I’ll never know.

All I do know is that I intend to keep supporting the CD format until the bitter end, in approximately 3 years 5 days and 11 minutes.