Response to Facebook High Res Photos

Travis Balinas:  Facebook is already a popular way to share photo with your 'friends,' but the quality leaves a little something to be desired, to say the least. Well, that's all about to change, as the company has announced that it'll be rolling out high resolution photo uploading to all of its users over the coming weeks. Users will be able to upload and store photos that are eight times larger than what the service now allows (720 pixels). At the same time, the photo viewer will be upgraded to have a lightbox feel -- black background -- for better viewing. Great news, no doubt, for those of us who just couldn't stand another low res shot of someone's baby doing something silly

Response:

I agree that facebook has made great leaps in giving society the opportunity to stay connected with "friends" that you might have normally forgotten about.  It is an opportunity to send more than just a yearly holiday card or a phone call.  But in many ways facebook has made society that much less connected with each other.  There is something more meaningful behind a post card or phone call. It means that someone who cared took the time out of their day to think about you and make contact, rather than quickly commenting on an unnecessary picture of you.  I suppose facebook’s usefulness depends on the user’s intentions; to stay connected with distant family and friends, or to show all your friends the pictures you took together last night.  With the new application of high resolution photos, that even more contact is lost.  Why go out of your way to check up on your friends and family when you can see for yourself through high resolution facebook photos?  For most, it is only a picture of someone’s baby doing something silly anyway.  The avid user might enjoy this more precise way to stay updated, but the user who relies on facebook to maintain relationships loses an obligation to reach out and contact that “friend” in the real world.  I for one don’t want to see the internet world, completely replace the real world.  It may be only high resolution photos now, but who knows what will be next.