Insta-feedback
Tech execs get lightning response
FEEDBACK DIDN’T use to be so quick back in the day. If someone made a big decision that affected lots of people, it might take a while to hear back on what those affected people thought. Even in the world of newspapers, if a person disliked an article, it took us a couple days to get their letters and feedback. But in 2018-almost-‘19, things are different. Technology speeds up responses.
If a singer puts a new song on Facebook or Twitter, those who hear it can respond instantly. If you, Gentle Reader, dislike something in the paper, you can still write us a hand-written letter (we love hand-written letters), but you can also fire off a fast email, too. And tech executives over at Instagram (think Facebook for pictures and videos) heard from users right quick after making a recent change to their app.
Social media users are used to scrolling down on their smartphones to see what’s next: the funny meme or passive-aggressive post from your cousin who didn’t like her Christmas gift. But CNBC reported Thursday some Instagram users were made privy to a new way to scroll … horizontally! Madness, madness. And Instagram users let ‘em have it.
Here’s more from CNBC: “Like many major updates to popular technology, this one faced quick backlash from users, even if it lasted only briefly. On Twitter, #instagramupdate was the No. 1 trending hashtag in the U.S. on Thursday morning, where people complained that the new feature makes it harder to scroll past posts they don’t care about, including advertisements.”
Nothing spurs a course correction quite like a mistake being the No. 1 trending discussion online. CNBC reported things were eventually put back to normal, but we can imagine those tech executives at Friday’s morning meeting.
No matter what a certain politician told us in 2008, people don’t like change. Some people don’t like change even if they’re the ones peddling it. Every time Facebook tweaks something, how many people post threats to boycott the service, then never do?
Being a tech executive is a challenging job. Imagine having the task of constantly trying to innovate a product. You’d be like Sisyphus, pushing that rock through eternity, and never completing the task.
No thanks, Insta-book-twit-space. We’ll stick to the papers, where the biggest change might be to page layout or, if we’re really feeling bold, switching out a comic strip. And you can bet the letter writers will let us know if they approve—or, more likely, don’t.