Social Networking is a strange thing, isn't it?

Slayer-Fan123 · Post by **Slayer-Fan123** » Sat Dec 14, 2013 9:29 am

I thought I would be a person to never get a Facebook, and I didn't. My friends had created one for me though, so I decided to take it over before they did anything bad with my name. Since I decided being able to comment on Blabbermouth was a good thing, I lurked around to find my friends and decided to actually start friending them.

It's strange how things work. You see interactions between people that you might not have seen in years, or you find out that someone you know is incredibly annoying by posting 10 times within an hour. You get people complaining about personal stuff you never had guessed was going on. Then you have mutual friends of people trying to friend you, even if they don't know you. THEN you have people that you know nothing about that are still trying to friend you anyway; almost feels like a spambot in a way.

I have yet to actually make a post on there, so to speak. Mostly I just post funny pictures I had found in the past or present, and occasionally make commentary on other's posts.
I also found there is a sort of unwritten rules on there too, but that's a different story.

So yeah, I'm late to this whole social networking thing, and I'm finding it to be a very strange world. I cannot tell if I'm comfortable with it or not yet though.

Cyberstrike nTo · Post by **Cyberstrike nTo** » Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:14 pm

I tried Facebook and since I didn't have a cell phone at the time it really annoyed me to no end that I would constantly get a message saying for better security use your cell phone, and when I did get a cell phone and then I had to change the number because I was getting voice mail for someone else I couldn't find out how to change it. My account was suspended because another person with my name in another state (and I don't think it was ID theif since I have a common name) wanted it or maybe some one didn't like my political views. I created another account and was banned because that was apprently a no-no on Facebook. And the only way I can reinstated is too scan my state ID card/driver's linence and upload that to FB's secure servers to prove that I'm the creator of that page.

Since I have no desire to do that, there is no way I'm going to deal with Facebook.

Twitter is fun every once in a while for brain farting and promoting various causes I believe in but I don't use it that much anymore. I find140 characters get used up to much at various usernames and hashtags then actually posting anything.

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 10:52 am

Its the way some people use SM that boggles me. There are people out there whom post some incredibly personal stuff in detail I'd really wish they didn't. One of my girlfriend's friends is on FB all the time, and routinely essays about the goings on her life in a pop-pyshcological way. She writes in such a style that you'd think all the people in her life are the worst kind of oddballs and scumbags, prone to bitchiness and all kinds of mental behaviour. Yet when you meet her, you quickly find the reverse is true.

When I was on FB, I made the mistake of accepting a friend request from an old schoolfriend whom was going through some troubles with his ex and getting access to his children. Along with his usual shouty posts about BEER and FOOTBALL, there were some charming posts about what a ***** **** ********* **** *** of a ******* ****** ***** his ex was.

All the while I'm boggling at this stuff thinking, do you not realise this a public forum and EVERYONE including your employer can see this stuff?

Speaking of employers, mine is preparing to contact FB with a view to sueing someone for libel about a FB page they've put up which puts the boot into a number of people at my work as well as the company itself.

Basically, its like being in a crowded and rowdy pub with everyone mooing and bleating away about the minutiae of their lives.

Funny pictures is a more sensible option.

Addl · Post by **Addl** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 4:51 am

Never tried it.

You cannot find me on any facebook, xing, stayfriends, twitter, youtube, stepstones, ... or whereever.

I have a lot of customer contact, especially in china, and do not want any customer, HR or headhunter to find me.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 3:27 pm

I've just joined it (well, two months ago). I think Facebook is ace. I'm not using it for games, just getting in touch with old friends and that. Also, modern smartphones sync well with it. So instant messaging on Facebook is linked directly to my text app on the phone.

Now that is cool, I reckon

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:07 pm

With people having covered some of the negatives (though I find some folks obsessions with their children and constantly banging on about how brilliant/special they are strangely hypnotic and I do wonder if folks realise the extent to which they come over as being deeply insecure over whether their kids are in fact a bit crap) here a happy Facebook story as counterbalance:

Last year (well, actually it'll be two years in January... WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO TIME?!) an old teacher of mine from first school was murdered, another old friend I'd not see in twenty years was able to use Facebook to put together a public memorial attended by about 500 ex-pupils from all over the years in less than a week just entirely off her own bat. In ye olde days that'd be basically impossible (even putting adverts in the paper to announce a date would take about the same amount of time, and that's without getting responses so you have an idea of numbers or reaching people outside the are the local paper is published in and so on).

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:27 am

People have different ways of using it. It can be a wonderful tool at times. When we had the big earthquake/tsunami over here, communication was sketchy, but one message on facebook and family and friends knew I was ok.

Addl · Post by **Addl** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 11:11 am

Auntie Slag wrote:I've just joined it (well, two months ago). I think Facebook is ace. I'm not using it for games, just getting in touch with old friends and that. Also, modern smartphones sync well with it. So instant messaging on Facebook is linked directly to my text app on the phone.

Now that is cool, I reckon

This is what I mean and does not apply to me:

People I lost contact with is always due to mutual disinterest in the end. People who are interest in me or vica versa keep contact anyway, thus i do not desire more cobtact, as i even now cannot distribute the amount of time to people as they are worth to me.

I spend roughly 10h each work day on phone and email, thus stopped private emails and SMS to nearl zero and have no desire to link my smartphone to another message provider and receiving even more messages.

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:55 pm

It varies from country to country.

I'm slowly itching to just close up my account on FB, call it a day, free up around 2 hours each day of pointless surfing and not f*cking turn green from jealousy if a friend of mine in Greece has some pictures from her holidays with some beefed up guys. That would be bliss incarnated.

On the other hand, I've got so many "networks" of people that I will, inadvertently, lose because I'm in another country. My friends from the army, my friends from work who do not own a telephone contract with free international calls, and so on.

So no, while a more personal aspect of myself wants to just say f*ck it and never bother, a more social and practical aspect of my every day can't turn it off.

Yay. And to think that 100 years ago my grandfather migrated to another country like me, and kept up with his folks [my great grandparents] via MAIL.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 9:04 pm

Addl wrote:This is what I mean and does not apply to me:

People I lost contact with is always due to mutual disinterest in the end. People who are interest in me or vica versa keep contact anyway, thus i do not desire more cobtact, as i even now cannot distribute the amount of time to people as they are worth to me.

I spend roughly 10h each work day on phone and email, thus stopped private emails and SMS to nearl zero and have no desire to link my smartphone to another message provider and receiving even more messages.

That's a fallacy a lot of people have about Facebook (and other social media places, natch) though, the assumption you have to put up with every single person you ever met. You don't have to accept friend requests from or spend so much as a second of your life contemplating the thoughts of anyone you don't want to.

It's just a more convenient way of staying in touch with the people you do want to stay in touch with. It's much quicker sharing family pics or sorting out nights on the town than e-mailing/texting everyone in turn, it's basically just a big TFA style forum where you're the super mod really.

Addl · Post by **Addl** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 12:38 am

Sure, but once you open this box of pandora, i guess it is hard to close. Someone at work foind my madatory and automatic generated profile on the company sovial network, and like an avalanche i have gotten "join my network" requests the past weeks as it seems now the "friends" of " friends" see, whom he joind as a new contact.
Funny thing is, my profile is desolate.. only name, no pic or onfo of me as i never followed the update rewuest of the system.

I rather be not visible, than availabe and having to deal with this

@Knightdramon
For me this also applies, since i am german, but living in china the pasr 2 years.
Yes my contacts in germany have sufferd, nut once i am back it will be finw, as my friends aan me never practiced this sending of photos or even using a chat programm.
You call and meet. Noone is intereested in details of the life of others.

Maybe it is my age... ~40