Sally pointed out this blog, which features strange maps and their function. I must admit I find it fascinating. This map, in particular, is a startling reminder that reality differs greatly from our perceptions thereof; this map, on the other hand, fills me with empathy for the designers. I’m actually working on a similar map for a conference program at the moment, so I can honestly say, given the design problem (too much text, too little room), the designers could have done worse.

Facebook has a feature that allows you to give virtual gifts to your friends. Most of these cost $1 and are pretty generic and benign–a guitar, a birthday cake, or, once, a piece of paper.

On occasion, a company will sponsor a gift, which will be free but probably pretty obviously branded. For the release of Indy 4, for example, there was a free fedora with the Indiana Jones logo attached. I support that sort of thing–actually, being a poor, broke grad assistant, those are the gifts I’m most likely to give.

Today’s free gift is a bottlecap with a mountain sketched on it. I don’t think I would have known or cared what it actually was had it not been for the attached sponsorship: Coors Light.

Here’s the thing: Facebook’s original audience was college students, and I suspect that the majority of users are of age. But an increasing number of high schoolers are using it. I realize I’m in the minority in that I’m not particularly fond of alcohol… but does it really mean that such companies should start to *sponsor* free gifts? I mean, one of the only banned types of clothing in my school district growing up was t-shirts advertising drug and alcohol use. Is it unfair to ask Facebook to have similar standards–to attach some sort of age confirmation software to certain gifts?

Again, I realize I’m in the minority on this, and really, it’s a very small issue. I just figure that teens get enough of these messages elsewhere. Do we really need this on Facebook too?