A new axis?

Like any self-respecting consumer of free internet content and applications, I am exercising my inborn right to complain about them. In this instance, it's the revamped Facebook format. Leaving aside the chunkier look and feel, I miss the granular timeline. I mean, if I didn't want my cousins--and, inevitably, my Mom--knowing that I Kidnap'd a pal or threw a thong at my husband via Superpoke, I would have blown off their invitations. After that, does it really matter that they (much less Mom) know when?

But thinking about "when" makes me realize how much the question of timing has come to matter in 2009. Ten and fifteen years ago, the web experience was more one-way. Or if it was two-way, it was more structured (e.g. e-commerce). But "social media" is predicated on two or more people interacting, and timing is fundamental to that: Reading an answer before the question never makes sense, no matter how hard they tried on Jeopardy. And so I have to wonder if this shift--or even the Next New Next New Thing will revolve around the axis of time.

Content is still crucial, no question. But reflexively thinking of web applications in terms of time may not be the worst habit a programmer ever acquires.