Facebook - any good??

[Mats]

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with Facebook. I've just joined (yesterday) and so far it seems cool. I just had a quick chat with my cousin in Sweden (big time difference!); it seemed like fun. So, any other opinions, experience, etc. ?

[David]

I use Facebook to keep in touch with some old friends, ex-collegues and family members. I have about a dozen contacts but we don't often use the instant messaging facility as we were using msn messenger before Facebook started. I have also set my account to automatically import any post I make to my Blogger account.

Add me: david.666palmer&ntlworld.com (change the ampersand to an "at" of course).

[DataRyder]

[...]So, any other opinions, experience, etc. ?

I used to be a member but quit after a year or so. I didn't like being friends, pinched, poked, invited and having people write on my wall. Altogether too much housework.

Dataryder

[Mats]

So far (after 4 days!) it all seems manageable. Still, I had a peek at one of my daughter's "friends" list - she has 165 ! I can see that if you go that far, it would soon spiral out of control!

[David]

I used to be a member but quit after a year or so. I didn't like being friends, pinched, poked, invited and having people write on my wall. Altogether too much housework.

Dataryder

That stuff did get a bit silly for a while but it seems to have calmed down after I removed those "friends" who ignore my requests to stop "throwing cows" and "sending hugs/drinks" etc.

[DataRyder]

So far (after 4 days!) it all seems manageable. [...]

I worry my attempt at humour may have made me seem a little harsh.

Facebook can be fun. And I think if one is willing to invest a little time and energy, it can likely be a meaningful and rewarding experience.

- Dataryder.

[David]

I see Facebook as part of my therapy. The more time I spend communicating with virtual friends, the less time I spend communicating with imaginary friends. That's better isn't it? No? You're probably right.

I worry my attempt at humour may have made me seem a little harsh.

I have often regretted typing messages which sounded hilariously ironic in my head but became bitterly sarcastic the second I hit the "Submit" button.

[MrsBrown]

I've been on Facebook for a couple of years. Mostly what I do is play Wordscraper which is a knock-off of Scrabble. Occasionally, I'll post a picture but really, it's just to play games.

[CAM]

[...]So, any other opinions, experience, etc. ?

I used to be a member but quit after a year or so. I didn't like being friends, pinched, poked, invited and having people write on my wall. Altogether too much housework.

Dataryder

Yes, that was all quite irritating. I find that the "new facebook" has made quite a difference. I love facebook, and have found some ways to control the annoying aspects:

1. I "block" applications that I don't like (all the bouquets, kisses, gifts, invitations to join certain games, etc.). This can eliminate a lot of garbage that takes a lot of time. THen one is never bothered by that application again.
2. Give different levels of permissions to different friends. For example, I have a list of list of "new" friends who aren't allowed to post to my wall, etc, and who can see only a limited number of things on my profile. (I think this is in the profile settings and privacy settings).
3. Make sure your privacy and profile settings conceal everything you don't want searchable. This can include even your existence on facebook. My own settings allow people to find me, but do not allow anyone to do anything but ask to be my friend (fairly rare), or send me a message (also rare). They cannot see my list of friends. 4. Have a list of blocked people -- these are the people who ask to be friends but you have no clue who they are. Rare, but I just block them unless their info shows they may have some legitimate reason to connect -- e.g. professional interest, etc.-- then I ask them how I know them and put them on a "new" list.

Since the new facebook eliminated a lot of irritating requests to accept applications, I have found it to be very useful. I like the following features:

- ability to create a group (which can be as private and/or exclusive as you like) to which you can send notices of events, have discussions (as private as you like, subject to the limitations on privacy inherent to the problems of hacking on the internet and facebook, which means you don't want to say anything anywhere in writing or put any photos, etc, on the internet or anywhere else that you wouldn't want to see attributed to you on the front page of a newspaper)

- ability to post interesting YouTube videos, news stories, referrals to your blog, etc.

- I love the "Virtual bookshelf" application -- yes, people can follow what I read and what I want to read there.... I even post book reviews there -- under my real name.

- I have my "status" update set so that what I put there is automatically fed to my twitter page -- this can drive twitter readers to whatever you want to point them to... e.g. your blog entry, your website, particular news stories, YouTube videos, etc, etc. I'm really enjoying "twitter" -- I find it a very useful way to follow certain personages or news channels or issues, e.g. right now there is big-time twittering about gaza -- you don't need to sign up to twitter to follow these discussions... see, e.g., http://search.twitter.com/ where the "trending" topics are listed.

However, it's not a good idea to use facebook, twitter, etc. unless you have a very good reason for doing so, e.g. family or friend group connections, professional networking reasons, etc., or if you might get addicted (but then one can be addicted to email, blog-surfing, internet surfing, or even EJM's blog or forum!).

I try to maintain my professional "face" on facebook -- I tend to stay towards the professional or "not very personal" except in private messages, and even then will tend to move that discussion to ordinary email. The future will be aimed towards interconnected social networking... those who don't want to participate will enjoy their solitude. I'm aware that by participating in these large social networking venues, one likely voluntarily moves towards the possibility of futuristic terrors of the ilk predicted [spoiler]in "1984", "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the current "Eagle Eye" which, by the way, is quite a fun flick.[/spoiler]

Personally, I choose to make myself notorious on the internet by using my real name on facebook, twitter, YouTube, etc. (although I do not reveal my identity here and some other places... and even so, if someone did choose not to respect my privacy here, I say nothing online here that I'd be upset to see attributed to me on a front page.)

[DataRyder]

[...]"block" applications that I don't like (all the bouquets, kisses, gifts, invitations to join certain games, etc.). This can eliminate a lot of garbage that takes a lot of time. [...]

An option to block annoyances sounds good. It sounds like Facebook has made some positive changes since I was last there. Still, I don't know if I will re-enlist. Aaahaa (Angst).... will I.... ?

- Dataryder

[ejm]

Mostly what I do is play Wordscraper which is a knock-off of Scrabble. Occasionally, I'll post a picture but really, it's just to play games.

There are games?!

Then I definitely can't join Facebook.

(I'm not allowed to play games on the computer.... )

[David]

Personally, I choose to make myself notorious on the internet by using my real name on facebook, twitter, YouTube, etc. (although I do not reveal my identity here and some other places... and even so, if someone did choose not to respect my privacy here, I say nothing online here that I'd be upset to see attributed to me on a front page.)

I think that it's very important that we respect an individual's wish to remain anonymous when we know their identity, even in this small forum. In those forums when I use my real name I still fubar my email address but only to obfuscate email 'bots.

When I post to my blog or Facebook I remind myself that past, present and future employers and colleagues could read them and I'm careful never to use real names.

Actually, I'm using my real name in all forums these days because my gender and age makes me uninteresting to most of the creepier online types and I have noticed that forum member do respond differently to "David" and "ABC123".

I'm not one to accumulate a huge list of so-called friends and I frequent a few small, quiet forums. Over the last decade I have met about a dozen people in real life that I got to know online and I expect to meet more in the future.

[Barbara]

Actually, I'm using my real name in all forums these days because my gender and age makes me uninteresting to most of the creepier online types and I have noticed that forum member do respond differently to "David" and "ABC123".

I now use my real (first) name in forums too. I wish I had signed up to this forum as "Barbara" instead of as "blm" - I wished that almost from the beginning.

[Barbara]

I try to maintain my professional "face" on facebook -- I tend to stay towards the professional or "not very personal" except in private messages, and even then will tend to move that discussion to ordinary email.
...

I belong to several forums related to my work, and on those, I maintain a very professional face. I might occasionally crack a joke, but I always maintain a strict "not at all personal" face.

On facebook, even though some of my facebook friends are also professional friends, I don't particularly try to maintain a professional face. But I do keep mindful that present and future employers and colleagues can read my Facebook entries.

[ejm]

I wish I had signed up to this forum as "Barbara" instead of as "blm" - I wished that almost from the beginning.

I have started to use my real (first) name in most forums as well. Remind me to look into the administration area here to see if it's possible to change someone's user name. (There SHOULD be a way!!)*

Actually, I'm using my real name in all forums these days because my gender and age makes me uninteresting to most of the creepier online types and I have noticed that forum member do respond differently to "David" and "ABC123".

I've started to sign my real (first) name at the end of most forum posts and comments. I too have found that people are more likely to respond to queries if there is an actual name rather than a nickname.



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*edit: There is a way!! Please read the following: changing your user name