IA Failures in Social
Networking
Andrew Boyd
facibus@gmail.com
@facibus

social networking
platforms
• this is where the big tag cloud
diagram would go
• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

let’s talk...
• some definitional stuff
• let’s pick on Facebook
• let’s pick on Twitter
• let’s talk about a social contract

some definitional stuff
• people do stuff (execute tasks) with
things (in this case, social networking
platforms)
• IA is about finding the stuff and using
the stuff.
• if you can't find the stuff, you can't use
the stuff... and if you can't use the
stuff, you can't use the stuff.

let’s pick on Facebook
• Task: plan an event
• Task: find a friend
• The good bits: it may be stupid, but at
least it’s big

let’s pick on Facebook
• Task: plan an event
• Task: find a friend
• The good bits: it may be stupid, but at
least it’s big

let’s pick on Facebook
Task: plan an event
• go to facebook.com and look for the Events
menu
• click on Home, then realise you were already
on Home. Feel foolish.
• click on Profile. Scroll up and down. Swear.
• Notice the fixed toolbar at the bottom of the
page. Feel foolish. Swear.
• Mouse over until you note that the tooltip for
the calendar icon is Events.

let’s pick on Facebook
Task: plan an event 2
• locate + Create an Event icon. Click on it.
• look at 23 element form for event creation.
Think.
• call the event “My Birthday Party”
• examine mandatory event types and swear
when you note that one of them is Party >
Birthday Party
• click on Create Event icon (another one?)
• bored yet? I know I am :)

let’s pick on Facebook
Task: plan an event 3
• fill out the second page of form stuff
• send out the invites
• wait a month or two until it’s time to check
who is coming
• forget that you have to click on the Event
icon in the toolbar down the bottom of the
page. Swear.
• find your event and check acceptances
• swear that you will use eventbrite next time

let’s fix Facebook
• Navigation fixes
• Notification fixes
• The good bits: it may be a little stupid,
but at least it’s big

let’s fix Facebook
• Navigation fixes
• Notification fixes

let’s pick on Twitter
• sometimes, it works - sometimes, it
doesn’t
•

let’s pick on Twitter
• spam spam spam spam spam spam
spam spam spam spam spam spam
spam spam spam spam spam spam
spam spam spam spam spam spam
spam spam spam spam spam spam
spam spam spam spam spam spam
spam spam spam spam spam spam

let’s pick on Twitter
• task: find something on an ephemeral
platform used for non-ephemeral
information
• task: refollow on an iPhone
• the good bits: TGFTAPI

let’s fix Twitter
• availability and spam issues: what do
you think?

The social contract for
social networking
• there is a social contract implied in
our use of social networking tools.
• we add value to their share price, and
in return, they add value to our lives.
We need to take this contract
seriously so the SNP providers do, too.

Whadda ya gonna do?
• Talk about it - blog, tweet, discuss
• It’s OK to complain when things get
bad
• I’m @facibus, @facibus@gmail.com