Blue Gypsy Inc. Blog

Sometimes getting used to a new facebook layout is like changing countries while traveling.

Right now, since facebook just did another switch-a-roo there's been lots of moaning and groaning, and tips on how to "make it like it was." I too am guilty of that, when it first changed I knew something wasn't quite write, and I posted a status update grumbling.

Face it, nobody likes change.

Even traveling around the world, by its very nature was changing locations constantly. It always took some time and adjustment to get used to the money, the sites, the sounds, the accents and more. For some it can be daunting, and that's why so many people never quite get up the nerve to get off the couch and take off on that journey.

Change is difficult.

I remember living in Turkey for several months in the mid 90's. I became completely used to the Turkish accented English I'd hear spoken. I knew the cost of a loaf of bread was 1000's of lira. (just pennies to me) I'd gotten used to the Turkish bus system, one of the most efficient ways to travel Turkey, and become comfortable in the country. When it was time to move on to my next location, India, I let the uncertainty get the better of me.

Actually, I let a woman who had traveled India many times get the better of me. Her advice was along the lines of creating fear scenarios in my head. "Don't use the cheap accommodation you'll get robbed. Don't try to buy your own train ticket, pay a concierge at your hotel to go book it for you. Don't eat the local food, you'll get sick, just boiled rice and bananas...." and on and on she went. I'd been traveling in developing nations for 6 months on my own by that point, but suddenly I let this woman's crazy advice create some trepidation.

The unknown, like change, is difficult.

Once I landed in Bombay, I forced myself to discard the woman's ramblings and proceeded to dig in and get used to it. I adjusted to the rupee, the train system, the rich accents, and the sites and in no time I felt at home again.

Pushing off the fear of others is sometimes as hard as pushing off your own fear.

It's the same way with the new facebook. Everyone is so concentrated on trying to make it look like the "old" facebook that they don't realize they are missing something. I've seen many, "How to Make New Facebook look like Old Facebook" postings in the last few days. But it really doesn't. You lose some of the richness if you just simply change it to status update, you lose the spontaneous photo feeds, you lose the links, the articles people direct you to, and miss some of the social networking that's going on.

What you've gained are some of the features people complained they were missing from the old "old" facebook. If you remember back to the last round of complaints, now you get to see who your friends are friending. You get to see the groups and pages they fan, that being your friend and sharing common interests, you may want to fan too.

Sometimes we are so busy trying to keep things the way they "were" that we don't see the beauty in change.