The appeal of facebook

[animalius]

Just saw this news.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57568081-71/dad-pays-14-year-old-daughter-$200-to-quit-facebook/

I don't have a facebook account. Actually, I have no account for any of the social networking sites. I just never got into them. I had a facebook account once, but that was a long time ago and after leaving it idle for a long time I deleted the account.

What's the appeal of facebook? Please understand that I don't think there's anything wrong with using facebook. I do not have a holier than thou attitude about this. It's just my preference not to use social networking websites. I just want to understand how companies like facebook became so successful.

[JOHN B]

I hate Facebook, ...I have an account, only because people I am in contact with do. But I rarely visit the site more than once a week. I hate how everything i do, or say, or "like", gets blurted to everyone! The privacy settings are too screwy, and change too often. :/

[freefall]

^Most people use Facebook for virtual popularity contest.
Most people use it to put pictures and photos, some for sharing purpose, some for popularity purpose
Some people spend their time playing the games.
Some people just add and follow people they do not know and will never know and will never approach to know.

I'd reckon less than half Facebookers actually use Facebook to the highest and most appropriate use: connecting (real connecting, not just "Hi," "Hi.") with people using their appropriate status updates and shares.

[umjreon88]

I don't hate Facebook, neither do I find it extremely appealing. It's just a way of keeping up with friends and family when they are so far away from me. Or should I say, I'm far from them as most of them are in Singapore...

Facebook seems to be the number 1 and first thing people go to when they've lost their phones to contact, lol...

[Harke the Boeotarch]

I also hate failbook. I've forgotten my password about a year ago but still get linked to all kinds of people who I'm sure are not in the least bit interested in talking to me, yet are presented as if they were.

[G-Lexington]

I have 1200 people feeding me straight lines, and I very often give smart-ass responses. And a few deluded souls go so far as to "like" my responses, or say "Lex, you're so funny". What's not to like, really?

One random thing that's happened to me on FB. One person who befriended me is a MtF transsexual. She was having a really terrible time of it, and one day, she posted (rather hypothetically) "Who is this strange person in the mirror?" I responded (non-smart-assy for once, "A fun and interesting woman. Perhaps you should befriend her." She responded that that had "made her week". In fact, a friend of hers wrote to me some time later to tell me that this woman was near the end of her rope, as family members and friends deserted her for "not being the guy we knew". But my comment, as simple as it was, gave her a lot of encouragement, and really did help get her through a tough spot.

Further, because of this, a few MtFs that this woman had befriend on FB as a bit of a support network also befriended me. So now I have a rather surprising number of MtF transsexuals in my friend list.

Lex

[secondmonkey]

^Most people use Facebook for virtual popularity contest.

Facebook, and all the copies, are meant for teenage girls who can't put down their cell phone long enough to charge it. I think it's both funny and really sad the way so many people blindly share their entire life with strangers. They may have privacy settings but a lot of people don't know how to use them or never even think they should. So many morons are "friends" with hundreds or thousands of people they don't know. The only thing I use facebook for is looking up info on people I don't know, like a hookup. These idiots have no idea that I know just about everything about them and have seen every picture taken of them in the last 5 years.

I was at a super bowl party a few days ago with about 12 people. The power went out (on TV) and suddenly at least 10 of them were talking to each other on facebook with their phones. I just shook my head and asked "what the hell is wrong with you people!" You're all in the same house!!

[Orlandude]

I don't hate Facebook, I simply find it a waste of time. I have an account but probably haven't used it for 2 years. In my part of the world, people seem to be over it....like a fad whose time has come and gone. Same with Twitter. I don't think there is anything wrong with FB or Twitter, if that's your thing.

[Orlandude]

.......I was at a super bowl party a few days ago with about 12 people. The power went out (on TV) and suddenly at least 10 of them were talking to each other on facebook with their phones. I just shook my head and asked "what the hell is wrong with you people!" You're all in the same house!!

I was in one of the local bars the other day and thought the same thing!! I would bet half the guys in the bar were on the phone!!! Why do people even bother going out if all they're going to do is sit on the phone all night??

[Apollo]

Facebook, and all the copies, are meant for teenage girls who can't put down their cell phone long enough to charge it. I think it's both funny and really sad the way so many people blindly share their entire life with strangers. They may have privacy settings but a lot of people don't know how to use them or never even think they should. So many morons are "friends" with hundreds or thousands of people they don't know. The only thing I use facebook for is looking up info on people I don't know, like a hookup. These idiots have no idea that I know just about everything about them and have seen every picture taken of them in the last 5 years.

I was at a super bowl party a few days ago with about 12 people. The power went out (on TV) and suddenly at least 10 of them were talking to each other on facebook with their phones. I just shook my head and asked "what the hell is wrong with you people!" You're all in the same house!!

Man you're a judgey person. Might wanna ask what is wrong with you. While you were judging them, they were enjoying talking to friends about the debacle.

[FuryOfFirestorm]

I have all my FB settings cranked to MAX and I only use it to keep in touch with close friends and family. Therefore, I don't post anything that I don't want my grandmother to see.

[secondmonkey]

Man you're a judgey person. Might wanna ask what is wrong with you. While you were judging them, they were enjoying talking to friends about the debacle.

They weren't "talking to friends". They were typing on stupid little phone keyboards to people they were in the same fucking room with! Did they suddenly lose their voices?

[fetaby]

It's appeal is that it provides people with something to "do" while on the internet. They feel engaged, like they are accomplishing something.

[Apollo]

They weren't "talking to friends". They were typing on stupid little phone keyboards to people they were in the same fucking room with! Did they suddenly lose their voices?

Yeeeeah, my last statement stands.

[secondmonkey]

Yeeeeah, my last statement stands.

Obviously you're part of the problem. What is the point of leaving the house if all you're going to do is sit there and look at a screen and type? If you're at a party, in person, with other, real people, then TALK TO THEM...with your fucking mouth!

[Rolyo85]

Lol, are we facebook-bashing again? The previous thread went too low on Page 1 for you guys?

I love facebook. I have never had a farm, a bakery, a restaurant, or whatever weird games exist on it, but I love the environment it creates, the communication I have with friends - including people I live far away from AND those I see every day, all together and meeting each other through me, - I love the discussions, pictures, everything.

I can not, for the life of me, understand the hate for FB on this site.

[AstareGod]

I finally deleted my account a few days ago. I joined when I started college in 2005, back when only people with a .edu email address could sign up. That was way before timeline, photos, apps, and status updates.

Facebook has certainly grown and changed a lot. I used it mostly to post photos and status updates and to keep up with friends. The experience started going downhill for me when they introduced apps. All of a sudden I was getting invites for Mafia Wars and Farmville - things I had absolutely zero interest in. I'm generally very open to change; I loved when they introduced Timeline, and had no problems when they changed privacy settings here or there. Eventually, though, I noticed that I didn't keep in touch with friends as much; it's far too easy to go to their Facebook page to find out what's going on in their life, removing the necessity to call them and actually talk to them to find out how their life is going.

The final straw for me were the threats I was hearing that posting anything to Facebook gave certain content rights to Facebook. While I realize they have to store and display the images and other postings, I wasn't fully aware how far those rights extended. I just wanted to share my life but maintain copyright on things I post online. Eventually the little things got to me, like sponsored stories, and the annoying Facebook chat that kept turning itself on even after I turned it off multiple times. Using it became very annoying for me, and I decided to finally call it quits and pull the plug.

I maintain my own website and have built a few social networking features into it. That's where I now maintain things like status updates and photos. The great thing is I can control how much content is stored, who it is shared with, and how long it remains on the site. All that is up to me, not to some other company making seemingly arbitrary decisions.

While Facebook provides an excellent way for people to keep in touch with each other that probably wasn't as easy or popular before it became public to non-college students, it's had the opposite impact on me. I'm hoping that now, finally giving it up, will actually bring me closer to the few actual close friends I have.

[secondmonkey]

I can not, for the life of me, understand the hate for FB on this site.

The problem I have with facebook are all the morons who need to update their status every time they take a dump, and spend entirely too much time thinking they have a life online while neglecting the real world.

On top of that, do you realize how many people have been fired because of something their boss found on facebook? How many people have been mortified after grandma signed up for facebook and found out what they really did on spring break? How many people have been robbed after they post pictures and status on facebook? How many relationships have ended because somebody saw a private picture they shouldn't have on facebook? How many kids have KILLED THEMSELVES after being bullied on facebook?

[fetaby]

The problem I have with facebook are all the morons who need to update their status every time they take a dump, and spend entirely too much time thinking they have a life online while neglecting the real world.

On top of that, do you realize how many people have been fired because of something their boss found on facebook? How many people have been mortified after grandma signed up for facebook and found out what they really did on spring break? How many people have been robbed after they post pictures and status on facebook? How many relationships have ended because somebody saw a private picture they shouldn't have on facebook? How many kids have KILLED THEMSELVES after being bullied on facebook?

But the same things could and did occur on sites prior to FB's popularity.

If anything, I'd say that FB is a good mirror to "the people". If this is the information age, then humanity needs a place to cut their teeth.

I'd say you have more of a problem with humanity than facebook. GIGO.

[xbuzzerx]

Facebook is a way to always be able to contact old friends, relatives and coworkers without getting bent about phone number and e-mail address changes every couple of years.

That would basically be the bottom line on why it's good.

[cgymike]

Hi Fetaby

[fetaby]

Hi Fetaby

Hi Cgymike

[cgymike]

^Like this

mmm...what's next after the kiss...

[freefall]

It's appeal is that it provides people with something to "do" while on the internet. They feel engaged, like they are accomplishing something.

1. Agreed.
2. Hi, Josh :waves:

[Kien]

The problem I have with facebook are all the morons who need to update their status every time they take a dump, and spend entirely too much time thinking they have a life online while neglecting the real world.

So "having a life online" via facebook is bad, but "having a life online" on jub isn't? You should be bashing the whole internet instead.

Anyways, I wouldn't say I find facebook 'appealing.' Do I like it? Yeah. But it's just another means of communication and is much more effective for group communications as well.

[secondmonkey]

So "having a life online" via facebook is bad, but "having a life online" on jub isn't? You should be bashing the whole internet instead.

No, the internet is not bad. Pointless over-socializing on it is. I don't come here and chat when I should be talking to people in the real world. I don't stop what I'm doing when I'm out every 10 minutes and update everybody on what I'm doing. And I don't post personal information/pictures here.

(though yes, there are a few that probably come here and do just that)

[G-Lexington]

Hi Cgymike

You didn't say hi to me.

(posts cryptic passive-aggressive status on facebook, kills self)

Lex

[Adrock-JD]

Our "Like" is much better

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[LeicsDom]

Just saw this news.

I don't have a facebook account. Actually, I have no account for any of the social networking sites. I just never got into them. I had a facebook account once, but that was a long time ago and after leaving it idle for a long time I deleted the account.

What's the appeal of facebook? Please understand that I don't think there's anything wrong with using facebook. I do not have a holier than thou attitude about this. It's just my preference not to use social networking websites. I just want to understand how companies like facebook became so successful.

And yet you are on JUB

I agree with you about Facebook, tho.
In the past you would sit in a bar or coffee show and chat about people, places, events with your friends. Now you have the same conversations but for all the world to see.
That aisde I am very very wary about the amount of personal informaation you inadvertantly put online. There are stories of people burgling houses that they have targetted on facebook, twitter etc. Again there are always stories in the media of people caught out by bosses, taxmen etc over things posted on social media sites

[LeicsDom]

It's just a way of keeping up with friends and family when they are so far away from me.

So what is wrong with an email and a pic on a regular basis?

[LeicsDom]

I can not, for the life of me, understand the hate for FB on this site.

It is not just this site. My neighbour is on FB all the time. Literally. The moment she gets in from work she is closetted in her spare room with the PC. She sends me so much shit that she collects from it

[LeicsDom]

But the same things could and did occur on sites prior to FB's popularity.

Indeed.

On all social networking sites there are those who will be akin to the local bullies who gather on the street corner with nothing to do. They will try and intimidate every passer by until they find a weak one who they will destroy solely because they can.

[LeicsDom]

Facebook is a way to always be able to contact old friends, relatives and coworkers without getting bent about phone number and e-mail address changes every couple of years.

If someone moves/changes their number etc without telling me then I take that as a hint that they don't want to be contacted

[Rolyo85]

You don't only have close friends. You also have people you went to college with and would like to casually keep in touch with. They definitely don't keep you informed about changes in address and such.

Also, I think that if you let ANY site swallow your life and replace reality for you, that's really your own failing and not the site's fault. The whole "without fb we'd be chatting in real life" argument rings very hollow to me.

[Rolyo85]

As a side note, a lot of people have told me they inform themselves on gay issues through my timeline So I provide public service as well on FB.

[xbuzzerx]

No, the internet is not bad. Pointless over-socializing on it is. I don't come here and chat when I should be talking to people in the real world. I don't stop what I'm doing when I'm out every 10 minutes and update everybody on what I'm doing. And I don't post personal information/pictures here.

(though yes, there are a few that probably come here and do just that)

a) Not everyone uses facebook that way-- I'd say the minority do

b) If that's your main gripe with it then I don't know why you're bashing Facebook instead of Twitter as the Main Evil.