I don’t know how much longer I’ll have the old-ish Facebook layout, but I’m reading and hearing bad reactions to the new design. It feels like Facebook changes its look (and mind?) every few months. By the time we users are comfortable with a new look and navigation, it seems they come out with a new one. (And occasionally there’s something like the confusion between “News Feed” and “Live Feed” which for millions of users still isn’t really resolved.)
While it may take me a little longer to find people and apps in the days and weeks following a redesign, the sudden and frequent changes can be especially disorienting for many people who have come to rely on Facebook for contact and support while they’re limited in what they can do – homebound during illness, unable to respond quickly to change, etc. Online communication and community has become a life raft for millions of people, and Facebook’s practice of frequent – and poorly announced, if at all – changes is a serious issue.
I hope that Facebook’s leaders will actively and seriously review their practices in light of users who may have temporary or permanent physical or cognitive limitations, ones that enable the these persons to be very alive and valuable members of society, able to make valuable contributions to the online community, but need stable, consistent, familiar physical and online environments. These people, their families and their friends would then be able to remain active members of the Facebook community.
From a public service and accessibility standpoint, implementing an option to keep using an older Facebook design would be a significant service to these people, and from a business standpoint would help advertisers trying to reach this audience, including families and other caregivers. Otherwise, much of this audience will be lost.
What do young adults think about the Catholic Church in the media – its roles and responsibilities and how it is portrayed by media producers? Compare their statements with Vatican documents about the Catholic Church in the media.
Credits: Produced and directed by Rachael Pope. Original music created by Eric Allen. Thanks to Jacob Popcak and Sarah Hartung for taking the time to be interviewed. Special thanks to Michelle Proffit for her advice and assistance along the way.
Since January 30, 1948, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications has been acting as the Catholic Church’s link to the media world. It is the Council’s job to address questions that deal with social communications, and show how to use these means to spread the message of salvation to humanity.
Click on the arrow below to view an historical timeline aobut the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
“Your Catholic Broadband Network” – CatholicTV.com – is a leader in bringing Catholic television programming to online and now mobile media. From their website to an iPhone app, online players and presence on Twitter and Facebook, this ministry is going to the people, wherever they are.
About CatholicTV: CatholicTV provides family-friendly, religious, news, and educational programming 24 hours daily. Founded over 50 years ago, CatholicTV is available in selected areas on cable in the United States and Canada, via Sky Angel and online via a live stream anytime, everywhere at the station’s web site www.CatholicTV.com. Father Robert Reed, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, is the Director of CatholicTV. Click here to paste this into your browser to find out how to watch CatholicTV where you live: www.CatholicTV.org/schedule/where-to-watch.aspx
