Facebook loses the “is”
December 13, 2007
Adam is…happy, but confused. I joined the Facebook group that wanted Facebook to get rid of the “is” in their Status Updates. It felt so confining, so restricting
Well, we got what we asked for. And now…now I don’t know what to do. I feel like it’s going to take me twice as long to update this status line now. And now, after joining that Facebook group, I feel like I’ll be a traitor if I use “is” - so that just adds even more pressure to trying to be creative and come up with other verbs…
So now I’m not so sure I want it gone. Does it give me more freedom? Sure it does. Maybe too much. Now I might just have to write the “is” in myself each time. Sad day.
What does everyone else think about the loss of the Facebook “is”?
Tags: Facebook, Social-Networking
Posted in Technology ShareThis
Adam Walker Cleaveland: I am a 28 yr old 
December 13th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Tell me about it! I too now can’t seem to think of anything to put in my status that DOESN’T start with ‘is’. And it used to be that I couldn’t think of anything that DID start with it. Ahhhh, Facebook. What complications you bring to our lives!
December 13th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
you only have to use “is” if you’re a nerd and don’t use twitter.
that’s all i’m saying.
December 13th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
It’s not that you can’t use ‘is’ anymore, it’s that you have the option to use is if it fits.
December 13th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
I thought it forced a certain creativity to make it sound right with the “is”. Now I’ll have to think in a different verb tense, and I is not happy about it.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Confession: my first Facebook status update since the removal of the forced “is” starts with “is”. I guess I’m a creature of habit.
I guess this brings us back to Bill Clinton and his classic “it depends on what the definition of “is” is” statement. It always comes back to “is”.
December 14th, 2007 at 2:15 am
God, life is so hard in a pomo world…
December 14th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Geez, I go to London for a day and not only does facebook status change, but you beat me to it so now I can’t even post on it.
That said, I am pretty proud of my current status (yes, I know I have no life).
A Wee Blether
December 14th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Confession: my first Facebook status update since the removal of the forced “is” starts with “is”. I guess I’m a creature of habit.
Me, too. I felt so wrong doing that, too, after joining the “No More Is” group. I’m glad to see the change, but it does make it more challenging to think of non-is updates.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
i knew this would happen. i was against removing the is. it is a status message, afterall, which denotes current activity, right?
December 15th, 2007 at 12:11 am
i’m relieved it’s gone.
past tense.
future tense.
colons.
ellipses…
i feel all free and goofy inside ;)
December 20th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I have a facebook…dont know why…Myspace is so much easier to find people and talk with.
Facebook is just a mess…