Facebook

Repa, I just saw in another post you had joined FACEBOOk, kind of surprised me.

I haven't joined yet - I've had a couple of people ask me to join just don't know if I want to. I spend WAY to much time at the computer now- all day for work, then just messing around when I get off work. I really don't know anything about FACEBOOK, don't do twitter either. How many of you all are on FACEBOOK - what do you think about it?. What do you use if for?

I think if I did join I would probably use my yahoo e-mail address instead of my primary address.

Fay

Fay, I joined only to see photos of a friend that got married this summer. Surprised me too, cause I don't trust it - only did it to see those photos. There are several people on there that are friends - Holly and Sheila that you know, and one other living in Alabama. Both my son's are on there as well. So far, I don't like it and am suspicious that a sudden very large increase in spam after registering is coming from there, even though I only made my email address visible to friends (supposedly). I have changed that to only myself, and may change the email address. I have no clue what all this stuff is about fans, farmville, gifts, etc. Looks like you have to give access to your personal information to participate, which I'm not willing to do except for a few people. I can't figure out where all the messages and links to people I don't know and could care less about are coming from, and if I read any, they don't make any sense. Don't think I'll stay there for long unless my son can make some sense of it for me. I'm going to his place in Alabama next week, so we'll see. Found out too, that if you delete your account, it really isn't deleted, just disabled and still out there. What does that mean?

I have just about everything blocked from view (I googled myself to make sure. Leaving me not signed in.) I do not participate in games or anything that has to have access to all my friends information. I joined to keep up with friends from high school and college. You have stressed too many times to protect yourself and your friends.

It is a social interaction site. But like everything on the internet you are careful what you put on it. They added a feature where you can block just about everything from everyone. I also hide and or delete friends if they tend to post things I would not want an employer seeing.

I also use it as a sign to employers that I am up on technology.

Fans--being a fan of something just means you are interested and want to keep up with what they are talking about, where they will be. You can be a fan to your favorite band or someone's organization, a magazine or a favorite show.

Farmville and gifts--I tend to stay away from them because they take your information and your friends. I have friends who have requested that their friends not participate in that activity so I protect all my friends.

There is a lot of things you can become involved with or not. If you use it as a way to stay in contact, it is a good thing. I talk occasionally with friends using the IM feature. Saves minutes on the phone. WWE might be able to explain some of the features better.

I do not post things often just cuz I don't. I have friends that post things everyday a few times a day. Employers check the site to see when you are posting, so it pays to be careful.

Take it slow. Learn as you go. Youa re intelligent, you keep this board running, I know you can figure it out with a little time and asking questions. Shoot how many times do I come on here and ask questions?

Holly,

What does the IM feature have that Windows Live Messenger doesn't have. To just keep up with friends, why is it better than e-mail and the messenger?

Fay

Repa,

I tried posting a reply to you here before I replied to Holly - don't know what happened to it.

All the different ways of communicating are getting to be a bit too much for me.

Not sure wheter I'll joing FACEBOOk or not.

Fay

Hello Fay,
My wife who didn't want to know how to turn on a computer now checks in several times a day.
Looks like we'll need a second computer now.
It's good for her as she can now keep up with friends that we like to see on the weekends.
If they don't go I might have to get up to dance (think Herman Munster dancing)


Goof

IMing on Facebook is more comfortable to me.

Makes me leery to have Messenger and Yahoo open all the time. When I am on Facebook, I can see who is online and they can see me, but I can turn it off and on. I think it is psychological, but I also feel leaving Messenger/Yahoo open leaves a way to get into my computer easier if someone wanted to hack me. Not sure why I think that, but I do not like Messenger or Yahoo. Friends have told me to use them so they can message me or talk to me. I now tell them to catch me on Facebook email me or call me.

Ok to sum up my rambling, Facebook seems safer.

I missed where you asked why I like IM over email....

I prefer email, but IMing gives you instant results instant answers to questions.. One of my friends lives 2 hours from me. We email each other but neither of us is good at getting back to each other right away. When I see her on Facebook, I can find out how she is doing and we chat a little bit about whatever and then we both go away feeling better because we connected even for a bit. Our phone bills were through the roof on minutes cuz we can talk for hours. Both of our lives are kinda crazy right now and both of us have a harder time when we do not touch base regularly. I know about the time she is on Facebook, so I make a point of checking in with her.

I prefer to IM my sister in law on Facebook because she does not answer the phone or emails. You can not tell me they all get lost, please. SO if I need to know something absolutely I see her on Facebook and we chat.

Also it is the only way my Nieces and Nephew talk to anyone. So I am the cool Aunt cuz I comment on their posts. I can caution them when it looks like they are about to be dumb and still be cool, ok I will never be cool but they like it.

Most of my family and friends are on Facebook and I keep getting reminders to join, but I am still not keen on being always "in touch"... its true what Holly says about the 'Employers' point of view about Facebook.

They like knowing that you are on Facebook or Twitter cause they think you are up to date with things, though they also use it to see if you are worthy.... dont put things out there you dont want people to see.... cause EVERYONE will see it

Other than seeing friends & family pics, I dont see much of the point to it... and with Skydrive or other photo sharing sites I get by.... I prefer messenger, Yahoo or Skype to keep in touch with those living in another country and phone or text messaging for those in the same country... lol

HI Goof,

I guess it is all ok and maybe good for some, but it gets to be a little much.

I work at the computer all day - and there are so many way to communicate with the office - phone, e-mail, messenger, company news groups, google wave, and then their own speicific applciations on their servver. When I need to go back and see about something we talked about on a project - I can't remember where to look.

At home I used 2 messsengers, e-mail, this board, and occasioanly check in on a couple of others.

Just all get to be a bit much for me.


Good to see you back here.

Fay

Sam and Holly,

I have used the Messenger (msn then windows live) and AIM for a long time. Haven't had any problem. Have them set up where I have to allow people to contact me. I guess I am more worried about FaceBook than I am about the messengers.

I don't need to have employers be able to see I am on. Once this job ends that is pretty much it for me.

Maybe I'll break down and sign up some time - but e-mail and the messengers seems to work for me for now.

Fay

I posted on Facebook that I had some skeptical friends, LOL, and asked them to post why they use Facebook. Most of them said to keep in contact with old and new friends close or far away. One said 2 of her reasons was to monitor her children and what they are doing on Facebook and also as a link to her blog.

I'll let you know if any other reasons come up.

Please don't feel like I am trying to convince anyone to join, I am just stating what I do and why. Right now it is a time filler. When I was working full time I was rarely on it.

It feels like spring in NO MN...too bad it won;t stay that way

Holly, do you see the 2 videos I put on Facebook? I see people talking to other people on my wall - is that what you call it? - and some of their stuff, but no one talks to me or even acts like I'm there (just people I've indicated as friends). Have I cut all communication off with my conservative profile settings or what? I really don't know what I'm doing on that board - now I know how my classmates feel on the message board I set up for our Class of 1958. Only a few use it because it is "too complicated!" (lol)

Holly,

I asked why people used it, so I appreciate your posts. Seems like most people say to keep up with friends - but I still don't understand why e-mail and the messengers don't work for that.

Fay

On Facebook friends post a line or two about what is going on that day. I see it as a way to find out what's going on with with each of them. It is like a quick snapshot. With people's lives getting so busy it is harder for them to do emails.

We are losing the art of communication. Rarely do we get letters in the mail or phone calls. It is not a change I am happy about, but it is what is happening in our lives.

Now Twitter there is a waste of time.

I am glad to see this post because I am also one of the few holdouts - no facebook or twitter for me!
Messenger and e-mail work plenty good enough, and I also have Skype. I encourage all friends and relatives that don't have Skype to sign up, then we can also see who is on line. This way I am accessible anytime I'm on the computer, not just if I'm on a certain site, like facebook. If I don't feel like answering, I just ignore it and I can always say that I was away from the computer.
I do belong to a (fairly tame, I think) German social site and there is always the encouragement to "find more friends", and people you don't know want to be your friends - I guess he/she who has the most friends is the winner.
I will stay away from facebook and twitter. I don't need my private life advertised in the cloud!

I have heardf Skype mentioned, but don't know anything about it.
It is all a bit too much for me.

Fay

I don't understand Skype either..care to tell us something about it?

Skype is a VoiP application - you can make phone calls over the internet. Skype started out as a computer-to-computer program and has become very sophisticated now. It also has IM capabilities, so you don't have to talk if you don't want to. I can make calls to my sister in Germany free of charge if we talk computer-to computer. If I call her landline from my computer, it is 2 cents per minute. You don't have to pay a monthly fee (you can subscribe if you want), you can pay them a deposit (I pay them $10.00) and any charges will come out of it. If both parties have a web cam, you can see each other when you talk. That's the basic Skype application.
Then there are some extras that I really like: If my sister calls me from her computer and I'm not at my computer, then my cell phone rings and I can take the call on it. I also have a Skype number I can call from my phone and get connected through it to anybody I have previously set up to reach by this number and it is all still at the VoiP price of 2cents/minute. You can also set up Voice Mail if you like. If you have Skype, you really don't need a landline any longer - I think it is the cat's meouw!
You can set it so only people in your address book can call you, or you can have anybody call you. When you get a call, it tells you who is calling, so you can take it or leave it. Way cool! Much better than anything Facebook has to offer and my privacy is maintained. If I want to post photos, I can do it at Picasa or MS Spaces and nobody can invite the rest of the world to view what I want only friends or family to see.
Disclaimer: I have no connection to Skype other than being a customer! But here it is: http://www.skype.com/
Check it out yourself. Even if you have a facebook account, Skype is neat to play with, just for finding out all the stuff you can do.
PS. I think you have to have a broadband connection; it does not work well on dial-up.

Haha, I just read their (Skype's) advertisements and it says to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!!!! LOL!

Here is a very relevant - and somewhat scary - report about modern day privacy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/technology/17privacy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Kind of scary.

Fay

Definitely scary times we live in. It is good to be careful.

Yep, that's why I am very hesitant about any of these social networks. I enjoy interacting with friends on the internet, but facebook makes me nervous. If you want to participate in games, for instance, you have to allow your personal data to be used in order to do so, hoping the rules are followed that you established in your settings.

I like the message board I set up for my high school classmates where I approve membership and all forums are closed to guest viewing, making the forums private and secure as it can be for members only from the outside world. I rarely see bots there, and when I do, they are only browsing the index. I don't see them in the forums, which was my intent, but didn't know for sure that the security precautions I took would keep the bots out until I watched were they browsed.

When you use facebook or twitter, you have to be aware of what is going on with regard to data-mining, and take the article Rike posted seriously. Don't allow access to the data you have to enter to become a user of facebook to anyone you don't know, and only provide the minimum information necessary to get on. Don't provide your full real name or your true birthdate. Those 2 pieces of information give enough of your identity away for people who know how to find out more about you, especially if you also give your location. There is no privacy on the internet.

Seems like some people are no longer wanting to use e-mail but want to keep in touch by Facebook. I recently re-connected with a college classmate thru classmates.com. But, she said she seldom uses e-mail. that she likes to use Facebook instead. But I don't think I am quite ready to sign up yet.

Fay