It’s no surprise to me that Facebook has mimicked MySpace in creating a diet version of their website.  Facebook Lite is now live, offering Facebook users an experience without all of the bells and whistles their regular Facebook has.  Facebook maintains that this is an effort to allow access to their website from slow internet connections and the fact that they’ve been testing the website in India makes that claim sound pretty accurate.  However, the lite version does more than just load at a faster speed.  Facebook became famous partly because of the absence of clutter.  This appeals to many people who just want to stay in touch with friends and not play Mafia Wars and Farmville.  I’ve heard a lot of people reluctant to join Facebook, or even use it because it seemed too complicated and they had just gotten comfortable with MySpace.  For loyal Twitter users who refuse to use the likes of Facebook and MySpace again, it could draw them back. 

But back to the whole premise of Facebook Lite.  Yes, I have the Facebook app on my iPhone; however, if I am sent an email stating someone commented on my status, I often just click the link which takes me directly to that comment so that I don’t have to go on a wild goose chase searching for the damn thing.  I like this feature, but Facebook bogs down my iPhone and sometimes even kills the browser altogether.  Trying to navigate through settings can be a nightmare.  The same thing goes for MySpace.  However, I am able to access the non-mobile version of Twitter without killing myself in the process.  I do hope that both MySpace and Facebook start sending their notification emails with links to the Lite and mobile versions so that I may choose which one I want to go to.  MySpace makes it damn near impossible to log into the regular web version from my phone, constantly telling me I need to log in over and over again.  Facebook has refused to log me in at times as well, but at least Facebook will take me to the comment whereas MySpace sends me directly to the page where I need to choose between the regular version and the mobile version, thus negating the purpose of clicking the link in the first place. 

I’m a regular user of Facebook and I don’t have any plans to switch to Facebook Lite, but I like it as an option for those who aren’t social media savvy and for those who have slow connections.  I may even decide to use it on my iPhone but the new version of the Facebook App has proved to be a big upgrade.  If they include the link on their notification emails, I’m sure I’ll be back.

Also, I just created a new page, so add me on Facebook.

Time Magazine had previously labeled Tagged “The World’s Most Annoying Website” for its intrusive and deceptive email scam claiming your friends have sent you photos, or have posted photos of you on this unpopular website, Tagged.  I refuse to even link the website.  However, once you sign up you’re easily deceived into spamming your entire contact list with an email stating you sent them photos on Tagged, requesting them to register on the site to see the photos you never even uploaded so that the cycle continues.

A new class action lawsuit filed last week (Thank you for the heads up, Mr.  Malley) against Tagged by Miriam Slater and Sara Golden.  The lawsuit alleges that Tagged “in executing a massive email solicitation campaign to register new members, failed to disclose to consumers that it was using its members’ email address books to propagate yet more solicitation messages to appear as if they were personal communications from the consumers whose email contacts it had pilfered, and Defendant’s messages included false statements that the senders were seeking to contact or share photographs with the recipients.”  Last month the New York Attorney General also stated he planned to sue Tagged for “deceptive email marketing and invasion of privacy.”

I am pretty sure I signed up for this website in the past.    I am usually very careful about the emails I select and have in the past been duped into sending social networking emails to my entire contact list which includes everything from potential employers to my great Aunt Sandy.  Suffice to say, I’ve never uploaded any photos to Tagged and I never plan on it.  That site is the devil!

I’m not sure if I should expect more out of Harvard graduates and Tagged founders, Greg Tseng and Johann Schleier-Smith or if this exactly the kind of scam that would come out of an Ivy League school.  I think every website and email host should have the “recall message” option like Microsoft Outlook does.  It would have saved me a lot of trouble in the past!

Nevertheless, if I get a new email from “you” inviting me to see photos on Tagged, not only will I pull out my Homey the Clown sock and bop you over the head with it (’cause Homey don’t play that), I will also start sending you Huggies Network emails like someone so kindly registered me for.  Thanks for the free diaper.  Really.