I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook events. I think they are useful for some things and should have no part in other events. I think the biggest problem I have with them is that I will get a Facebook invitation to lets say a cookout but the cookout isn't for another 2 months. So I read the description and the guest list and decide to RSVP that I'm going. But the only problem is I'll forget pretty much within the next week about this event. 2 months fly by and I miss the cook out. I know that whoever is throwing the event needs to get the invitation out to people with enough time to have them schedule off work and make sure they are available but I think that Facebook should do a better job at reminding. I don't get on Facebook on my computer very often. I know that the computer version of Facebook usually has a list of your events on the top right but Facebook mobile has nothing. I have to actively search for my events which isn't going to happen most of the time. I need some sort of alert. If they alerted me that the event was in the next 3 days it would be perfect because I do like the Facebook event capability because I never have everyone's address or phone number to get ahold of them.
The events that I think Facebook should have nothing to do with are more traditional, formal events. For example my family has our reunion every summer in July for longer than I can remember. This year some of the younger family members were in charge of the reunion. They sent out a Facebook invitation. NO. This annoys me for several reasons. First being that they have every single family members address and phone number. The invitations haven't magically been arriving every year in the mail for my whole life so some one has all the information. Another reason is that some people in my family don't have Facebook. My grandparents don't have it and neither does my mom. So they had to hear about the reunion from others that are on Facebook. It just seemed lazy and impersonal. I'm sure it was easier but I think for an event including your whole family you should take the extra time to send them all something in the mail. It would also help avoid a lot of confusion that went on this summer.
I would have to agree. Although Facebook events are nice to get the word out quickly about an event, if the event is far in advance, I never remember it! Google Calendar sends you out reminders about when you have events or things to do, and you can control when the reminder comes. Granted, I am not a programmer, and I have never created a website, but how hard could it be to add something similar to that? Facebook is really missing out by not having something similar to that. Personally, I think they should pair up with Google Calendar so that you could have Facebook events go straight to Google Calendar. Maybe I'm just lazy, but that would be amazing!
ReplyDeleteAlso, with your family reunion, it does seem a little lazy. Particularly if this is a tradition with your family and you guys always send out invitations in the mail, people are probably expecting that. If they sent out both, that probably would have been acceptable. Reaching everyone in the way they wanted to be reached. Plus, I'm still a little old-fashioned and think that sending something via the mail is a little more personal, particularly with family.