“Ang Pinaka PASAWAY na Facebook User” Review

Translation: “The Most Annoying Type of Facebook Users”

Facebook going mainstream here in the Philippines is certainly something to buzz about. It has taken over Friendster as the main social networking site in less than a year. And requests for “view me” has now become “add me” – a minuscule proof that Facebook is in – Friendster is out… or that’s what I think.

A local TV episode attempts to feature what’s “IN”, which is none other than Facebook, but what I believe it should at least be well-researched. Then again, I ended up watching an episode which is just a rip-off of an online article.

Last night, I sat down with Goldilocks fudge brownies on the lap after turning on the TV tuned in to QTV’s Ang Pinaka – a countdown on anything and everything under the sun. “Ah – so this was what my YM-mate meant with his status message referring to QTVs Facebook episode” was what I thought. “This is interesting but it better be well-documented.”

They had an episode titled -  “The Top Ten – Ang Pinaka Pasaway na Facebook User” which translates to (forgive my translation, I am not keen to Tagalog since I’m so Bisaya).

“The Top Ten Most Annoying Type of Facebook Users”

October 18, 2009
Get the lowdown on the biggest, the baddest, the coolest, and the best in the country’s favorite weekly countdown, Ang Pinaka! This week we’re counting down the Top Ten Ang Pinaka: Pasaway na Facebook Users.

Facebook is like a big online party where you connect with friends and other cool, interesting people. On the other hand, there are those Facebook junkies who effortlessly get into your nerves just by posting some of the most irritating status updates in that 160-character window. Who are these pesky Facebook pasaways who change status updates almost every hour? Are you one of them?

Joining our host, Rovilson Fernandez are guest panelistas: TV Host, Valerie Tan, Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle Super Section columnist, James Gabrillo, and TV Host/DJ, Andi Manzano.

Find out the Top 10 Ang Pinaka: Pasaway na Facebook Users this Sunday, 6:00 PM on Q Channel 11.

Based on CNN’s article?

This was generally based on CNN’s own list of  The 12 most annoying types of Facebookers.

1. The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore
2. The Self-Promoter
3. The Friend-Padder
4. The Town Crier
5. The TMIer
6. The Bad Grammarian
7. The Sympathy-Baiter
8. The Lurker
9. The Crank
10. The Paparazzo
11. The Obscurist
12. The Chronic Inviter

Except that in their episode they dropped two – The Town Crier and The Lurker.

But I found it slightly disturbing that even their article at WMN.ph is also based on CNN’s article, just twisted a bit (rewritten?). I mean, cmown, media people. If your episodes are simple based on online articles then I might as well just browse and read the article for a good 5 minutes than spend 30 on your episode.

Where’s originality??

From WMN

From CNN

On the 160-character window?

No. Facebook does not have just a 160 character window. This is true for SMS updates but not from the website itself. From “What’s the maximum length of a Facebook status update?” – it says that a Facebook status update is limited to 420 characters (including spaces). On reddit it says, depending on which alphabet the subscriber has configured in the handset, this leads to the maximum individual Short Message sizes of 160 7-bit characters, 140 8-bit characters, or 70 16-bit characters (including spaces).

On Self-promoters

Social channels like Facebook is not only a venue for staying connected with friends and family but recently, it is also a venue for brands, companies and individuals to promote themselves hence the onset of self-promoters.

On TMI-ers

With their recommendation of letting people who share too much info use Twitter instead, I don’t think that’s nice. People use Facebook because their friends are there. And besides, it’s their page and their little input box of “What’s in your mind?”. They can update any status they want to.

On Friend-Padding

Yes, nobody has that much friends but if you  are a marketer, you know the benefits of such target amount of friends on your list.

Last note

If you do not want these kinds of friends on your list, why do you subscribe to their feeds? There’s always the HIDE option.

On youtube, I found just one excerpt of the episode.