Just like children

Facebook has finally decided to deprive its users of the right to choose their profile type, imposing their new timeline indiscriminately. Curiously enough they did it in August, which is well known as the Portuguese politicians’ favourite timing for unpopular announcements. The reasons behind this are far too obvious: in the peak of Summer the country slumbers into some kind of sabbatical hibernation, refraining any hypothetical complaints.

Being an international organisation, it is likely that Facebook’s choice of timing has nothing to do with that. Nevertheless, they both announced changes that gave birth to strong protests. One (important) difference is that it is somewhat difficult to accuse Facebook of having shrouded harmful intentions: it’s of their utmost interest to keep their clients happy.

Then why won’t they wield to our every whim? Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple, believed that people do not know what they want until you show it to them, just as they would be unable to recognise a product’s innovative geniality unless you impose it to them. Believe it or not, this apparent despise for its clients opinions has made Apple one of the most successful companies in the world, having in their stash some of the most acclaimed products of the technological market.

Does that mean we are but ignorant lambs that should remain silent and cooperative, while others pick what is best for us? This line of thought, seemingly reasonable in the context of technological devices, dangerously resembles dictatorial totalitarianism in the case of politics. We must find a balance in between.


Filipe Baptista de Morais

PS: This text, as will be the case of some to follow, was originally written in Portuguese and then translated into English before publishment. That may account for some awkwardness you might feel when reading it. The rest is simply due to lack of skills from the writer's part.