There is such a thing as too many status updates on Facebook

I use Facebook. Sometimes, I even enjoy it. Sort of. For one thing, it's an easy way for people to keep friends and relatives informed about major events in their lives. And minor events too, for that matter. Assuming, that is, that the event in question has actually, you know, occurred.

For example, some people let us know, via Facebook, when they have finished reading a book, and whether they enjoyed it. If the friend who posts such information is someone whose opinion you respect, that could prompt you to pick up a great book you might not otherwise read.

But I'm baffled by the fact that some people feel compelled to provide what Facebook calls "status updates" on activities that are still underway. Yesterday, a Facebook friend shared information on Facebook that he had posted on Goodreads, a book-related web site. The Facebook post said this guy -  let's call him John Doe - had "made progress with a book on Goodreads." The post displayed the title of the book and its cover, noted which page the reader was on and listed the total number of pages in the book.

I assume John Doe is withholding final judgment on the book until he finishes reading it, seeing as he's only two-thirds of the way through. That might have been a good reason to withhold the progress report as well. But then, we are talking about Facebook, where no thing is too small, and no movement too incremental, to keep it from the rest of the world.