Gah! Facebook!

[Chi Cygni]

Until now I successfully avoided creating an account. I don't like facebook or twitter or any other time consuming social media blah blah. But what to do, my colleagues and friends all invite me left and right. Explain to them that I don't have it or create an account for the holy peace? To me detailing all ascpects of my life out there is something too exhibitionist. Brrr!!!! Or shall I be a rude pre-facebook dinosaur and ignore those invitations? I have a feeling if I create an account it will only take what little time I have left for myself in the evening. Shudder. Help!

[red_phoenix]

I know how you feel. I do have a Twitter account that I do not use. I did have a Facebook account way back when that I cancelled after a couple of months. I'm just not sure I trust their security.

Having said all that however, so many companies have Facebook accounts that if you want to enter contests or get info about anything it seems you have to visit their Facebook account to do so. I can see that I may have to open a Facebook account sometime in the future, not because I want to but because I have to just to try and keep up. Not really sure I like that feeling at all.

I like my privacy.

Can anyone else see the irony in having this discussion on an online forum?

[David Munch]

I opened a FB account for two reasons:
• Invitations to social gatherings.
• Remembering names of people (Which I'm horribly bad at)

FB helps me with both, and that is merely all I use it for (Well, apart from posting a funny picture once in a while.), since I don't see other uses for it. But it *does* make things easier when arranging social gatherings, since you can easily see how many is coming, and when/where. It is the de-facto standard for official invitations in my social network, simply because everybody uses it.

To the OP; don't be afraid, FB doesn't bite even though it is a unfocused gigantic something-something. You can turn off email requests for everything but party invitations (Which I also recommend doing ASAP).

[steven522]

I view FB as the "new" AOL. It's something out there to make it easy for people who have no idea what they are doing to get a presence online. Mass consumerism in the digital age. The reason most businesses push FB access and links is that pretty much every smartphone, tablet, computer and microwave oven built now has FB access built in and requires no brainpower on the side of the user to be able to access it.

[steven522]

Originally Posted by Chi Cygni

Or shall I be a rude pre-facebook dinosaur and ignore those invitations?

A second reply specifically for this: Look at the person like they have lost their mind and ask, "You're STILL on Facebook?"

[Chi Cygni]

Originally Posted by red_pheonix

I know how you feel. I do have a Twitter account that I do not use. I did have a Facebook account way back when that I cancelled after a couple of months. I'm just not sure I trust their security.

Having said all that however, so many companies have Facebook accounts that if you want to enter contests or get info about anything it seems you have to visit their Facebook account to do so. I can see that I may have to open a Facebook account sometime in the future, not because I want to but because I have to just to try and keep up. Not really sure I like that feeling at all.

I like my privacy.

Can anyone else see the irony in having this discussion on an online forum?

At least we have some privacy on MR and are not airing things little bubba's first poo for everyone to see. Meh.
I saw once decalgirl offers discount if you "like" them but that didn't lure me either.

Originally Posted by David Munch

To the OP; don't be afraid, FB doesn't bite even though it is a unfocused gigantic something-something. You can turn off email requests for everything but party invitations (Which I also recommend doing ASAP).

It doesn't? Methinks it has teeth like your avatar! Seriously, I had a look today at registration page. Cannot bring myself to do it.

Originally Posted by steven522

A second reply specifically for this: Look at the person like they have lost their mind and ask, "You're STILL on Facebook?"

that is great!

[red_phoenix]

Originally Posted by Chi Cygni

At least we have some privacy on MR and are not airing things little bubba's first poo for everyone to see. Meh.
I saw once decalgirl offers discount if you "like" them but that didn't lure me either.



It doesn't? Methinks it has teeth like your avatar! Seriously, I had a look today at registration page. Cannot bring myself to do it.



that is great!

I agree about the privacy on MR...otherwise I wouldn't be a member.

I also agree about the company discounts. So far they haven't been enough to get me to commit to FB.

[sakura-panda]

I use Facebook to keep up with local community events and business specials. All of my Facebook likes are local to me -- I have visited every one of them in person (or at least met face to face the people that run them). I don't have any friends.

I take that back -- I had three people find me through mutual "likes" and I accepted them, but I don't post anything. I also have not filled in any information about myself beyond name, email, and cell phone number.

[FizzyWater]

I signed up for Facebook to look up other people. I've never added any person information except the minimum required to set up the account (and I "friended" a handful of folks so I could read their pages).

This actually came in handy when a friend's daughter went missing in June. I was able to keep up without having to call or email my friend every day.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I signed up for Facebook to look up other people. I've never added any person information except the minimum required to set up the account (and I "friended" a handful of folks so I could read their pages).

This actually came in handy when a friend's daughter went missing in June. I was able to keep up without having to call or email my friend every day.

Precisely the way I use it. I occasionally comment on somebody else's post, and I even more rarely post a picture or an article that I like. But I never post about what I'm doing, where I'm going, what I'm feeling. I just read about everybody ELSE. It keeps me connected to my younger nieces and nevvies.

[StoryEnthusiast]

I'm happy when FB removed my account because they did not like my using only my initials in the name. I also refused to add a mobile phone number. So, I'm now free of FB connection.

[badgoodDeb]

They keep asking for a phone number, but I keep ignoring the question. Hasn't been a problem yet. But yeah, I did put my real name. Oh well.

[graycyn]

My family talked me into it, and honestly, I'm kind of sorry I opened a Facebook account. Mine is pretty anonymous, and I just have immediate family and a few cousins as friends.

But the irksome part is, now family sends me stupid messages via Facebook, rather than via email as I prefer. It is OK for staying in touch with family, but I find it more aggravating than not. I'd be tempted to close the account, but I'm sure my family would be aggravated by that. I definitely don't trust Facebook's security.

Anyway, I mostly ignore it these days. And I'm thinking I may not bother to post there anymore. I figure if the family can irk me by sending Facebook messages, I can irk them right back by sending my news as email.

I don't sign in and out of the account much, I have a desktop widget so I can see the feed from the family and a few other places of interest. And/or I check the Android app.

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by steven522

I view FB as the "new" AOL. It's something out there to make it easy for people who have no idea what they are doing to get a presence online. Mass consumerism in the digital age. The reason most businesses push FB access and links is that pretty much every smartphone, tablet, computer and microwave oven built now has FB access built in and requires no brainpower on the side of the user to be able to access it.

Exactly that.
Conclusion: by avoiding it you successfully keep a lot of people off your back you wish never to be found by.

[cromag]

I signed up initially to keep an eye on my high school aged kids. Now that they're both in out-of-state colleges it's a way to keep up with their daily activities. I never post on their pages, and only very, very rarely have I "liked" anything they've posted -- no kid needs that.