[helenora]

what are your opinions on this thing called FB?

I'm so tired of it and have been thinking of deleting my account since long time ago, but since some of my contacts are using fb quite often , I check my messages using FB.

People in some countries unfortunately don't like using e-mail they are just on fb.

 

[Huilunsoittaja]

There are people there that I keep in contact with only through Facebook. I like its private messaging system for that reason. Otherwise, I HATE facebook. People really show their true colors there, of bitterness and self-righteousness. Maybe I just hate people? :lol: Well, that's not too shocking I guess. Facebook is what you put into it, so clearly people are putting a lot of horrid stuff there. If everyone was kind of considerate, then it would be a wonderful place.

I still use Facebook for my creative writing endeavors because it's a safe and reliable place to store my stories. I use the Notes section for that.

I'm pretty sure Facebook algorithms are against me because I post "unpopular" stuff, i.e. things that don't get a lot of likes, so they dismiss my stuff from my friend's feeds. And then people don't know what I'm up to when I do have something big to say. Like, almost none of my friends from college knew I went to a Music Festival last month, it's sad. I posted like 20 things about it, and yet they still didn't know. You would think at least one of those posts would have reached them, no? Likewise, I don't know what's up with 90% of my old friends from college now. Because 90% of my facebook wall is political arguments, advertisements, and pictures and videos of random stuff from popular pages that has nothing to do with my friends. I read an article a few weeks ago that Facebook was going to fix this and try to make the site more friend-oriented instead of just pop culture spreading around. I'm waiting for that to start happening....

 

[Couchie]

Its original purpose of keeping family and friends up to date on life has given way to advertisements, low quality political debate, armchair activism, and saccharine life quotes. I use it to keep in contact with my network via private messaging and events but otherwise avoid it like the plague.

 

[Xaltotun]

I've never used it and I don't see that happening. It's a considerable price to pay: I don't keep in touch with people. But I am willing to pay that price.

 

[Dr Johnson]

I'm in touch with everyone I want to be in touch with.

From the little I have seen of Facebook I wouldn't touch it with the longest of barge poles.

 

[Ingélou]

I love Facebook. Thankfully, I am less addicted than when I first went on. But it has changed my life.

There are four things to recommend it: enhanced opportunities for friending - photos - a storehouse for musical or informational links - and private messages.

Through Friends Reunited, I was able to find out the married names of some of the 'girls in my year' and made contact with one of them. She invited me to join Facebook and then I was able to track down some more school friends, for both our benefits. I am now in touch with twelve school friends that I'd lost touch with when I left York at seventeen because my father had got a new job. I felt torn up by the roots at the time and now I am connected again.

I only have 42 friends, and half are family & family dogs. But I have been able to share photos from school and create a family archive in a convenient way. Also, I write a diary of musical events, by downloading the posters from the performers' site. I enjoy sharing information from the National Trust, Norwich Baroque & Visit Scotland.

I love the messaging service. I can use private messages to my husband to store links in a way that is much more visible and accessible than email files. Also, I can see if my fiddle teacher (say) has seen my letter - it's the best way of cancelling the lesson, if I have to through illness, and rescheduling another, since he's completely inaccessible by phone; or my sister can sound out the possibility of visiting Mum before she goes off to work. It's so handy.

The ads don't bother me because we use Facebook Purity. But actually they wouldn't anyway. I just ignore them, like those video ads that pop up at the start of YouTube videos.

Facebook keeps my scattered family & friends in touch. I don't go overboard in posting ridiculous or private details, and there are only about three people on my friends' list that I don't truly know - they were friends of friends - but we are united through love of dance, playing the violin, and going to the same school.

What's not to like?

 

[Manxfeeder]

I like Facebook generally. It's how I keep up with people I know or used to know. Unfortunately, I have so many "friends" from so many areas- some are very religious, some are atheists, some are liberals, some are conservatives - that I can't post very much without offending one of them, so I don't post very much.

 

[Ingélou]

I like Facebook generally. It's how I keep up with people I know or used to know. Unfortunately, I have so many "friends" from so many areas- some are very religious, some are atheists, some are liberals, some are conservatives - that I can't post very much without offending one of them, so I don't post very much.

I know what you mean. I keep off politics and religion (except for wishing people Happy Christmas etc) and stick to matters of music, friendship, health news, and humour.

I post quite a lot...

 

[Guest]

Barge pole here too.

 

[aleazk]

I use it everyday, particularly the private message system. Some picture of something, some silly joke, meme, etc. I never engage in discussions about politics, or any kind of argument. Well, I rarely post anything.

 

[Huilunsoittaja]

I only have 42 friends, and half are family & family dogs.

That's the key to using Facebook well, a small community. I currently have about 750... perhaps I should clean up a little? I'm a bit of a hoarder, I rarely unfriend anyone and prefer others to make that decision for me.

 

[Strange Magic]

I find that email suffices for me to communicate with the so-called "outside, real world" that the Glaruns have me embedded in. They want me to use Facebook, but I continue to resist them....

 

[Headphone Hermit]

I only have 42 friends

What's not to like?

I tried to use NoseBook but after two years or so I gave up because it made me feel really disconnected - I just didn't find what people posted was interesting

42 Friends .... that was about 10 times the number of 'friends' I had ..... I'm not called 'Hermit' by chance

 

[Headphone Hermit]

That's the key to using Facebook well, a small community. I currently have about 750... .

Wah!!!! 750 is what you regard as a small community??? I don't think I have that many acquaintances, let alone 'friends'. This thread is making me feel really lonely

 

[Guest]

750 is a medium-sized city.

 

[Xenakiboy]

I prefer to go without FB but like Huilunsoittaja said, the messaging system has its merits but it's a short list.
I have deleted several Facebook accounts through college and have settled on a tiny one with only a few friends that I'm unable to contact otherwise, also only one post on that account (to show you what I mean).
Though it does also make it easier to contact musicians that don't have a website, I can go months without going on FB.

 

[Huilunsoittaja]

Wah!!!! 750 is what you regard as a small community??? I don't think I have that many acquaintances, let alone 'friends'. This thread is making me feel really lonely

No, Ingelou's number. I heard somewhere a human can only have a good community with something like maximum 100-120 before it becomes impossible to keep up with everyone. I'd say right now, I'm keeping somewhat in touch with maybe 15 of that 750 people haha! But I could talk to some old friends I haven't spoken to in 6 months, that would be good.

Being a student, and a music student at that, I gain friends on facebook all the time. It's just savvy from a business perspective. We may definitely cross paths again one day. That's why I hoard my friends.

 

[Bulldog]

I don't use Facebook, but my wife is on it frequently. She's very social and has tons of good friends who are also on Facebook.

 

[Ingélou]

No, Ingelou's number. I heard somewhere a human can only have a good community with something like maximum 100-120 before it becomes impossible to keep up with everyone. I'd say right now, I'm keeping somewhat in touch with maybe 15 of that 750 people haha! But I could talk to some old friends I haven't spoken to in 6 months, that would be good.

Being a student, and a music student at that, I gain friends on facebook all the time. It's just savvy from a business perspective. We may definitely cross paths again one day. That's why I hoard my friends.

My fiddle teacher also has about 750 friends. It's true that most of the ones who post on his page are the 'same old crew', but the contacts seem to be very useful for a musician. He doesn't have an agent and arranges a lot of gigs for himself through internet contacts and passes on the ones he can't use, and other people on his grapevine suggest names. They are mostly HIP baroque players and they seem very supportive of each other. 750 is a big village, or the size of a high school with a sixth form, where you know people's faces even if you don't know their names.

If you love music, FB can be useful, just as this site can be. Two of my recent friends are musicians I know from a pub session I go to, and I can post music links of tunes we might want to include, and vice versa.

I think it's a useful place for a musician to visit, like a weekend cottage that sometimes you don't visit for a month or two, when you're busy in the city. But you can sell the cottage, and you can deactivate the account, if it's all getting too much trouble. Horses for courses.

 

[Morimur]

Deleted my account not long ago. Just another useless distraction.