Can Someone Explain Facebook/Twitter?

[OakLeaf]

Also, I think most of the issues with FB (malware and privacy issues) have to do with the "Facebook Platform." I have that turned off.

Without that, I can't play games, take quizzes, etc., but that I can live without.

[uk elephant]

After moving around the world numerous times (and having friends who have moved around), I find that my group of friends is a global one. I never have a very big social circle in any one place, but put together I have a large group of friends. Meeting up face to face would be prohibitively costly with the many trans atlantic flights involved. Going on facebook is a way of meeting up and chatting with friends as if we were all in the same coffee shop haning out. I've reconnected with friends from college (and earlier) who I had lost touch with over the years because of frequent moves. International phone calls were just too expensive to keep in touch with everyone. Similarly, FB lets me keep up with family who are spread across two continents and three countries. We can now chat and play games as we would do if we were living in the same neighbourhood, only we save the cost of transatlantic flights and international phone calls. For instance, I now feel like I know my brother much better than I have done in the past 15 years when we were on separate continents and spoke only briefly at Christmas when we both go home.

[Trek420]

I now feel like I know my brother much better than I have done in the past 15 years when we were on separate continents and spoke only briefly at Christmas when we both go home.

Is this the same brother to whom once you asked what's been going on lately and he said "check my Facebook page"?

What works for me; Facebook, people I know IRL but distance or time constraints don't see as often as I'd like. Great to keep in touch, post a picture from wherever I am, have gotten in touch with old school chums and I mean like elementary school and two ex's I get along with

Discussion groups. Most there don't have my real name, some I never meet. Groups like TE we have stuff in common and of course I have family on TE but the groups are strangers mostly with a focus on one issue (unless we're drifting)

I'm twitter impaired don't use it at all.

[ShubieGA]

The cool part for me has been keeping up with my goddaughter at college - she has drug me into the FB IM and cell texting generation. and the other cool part with FB IM, is one of my friends recently went through tonsil cancer treatment, and it helped her to be able to 'talk' when her voice was gone. But different strokes for different folks......enjoy however you communicate!!!

[Owlie]

I'm part of the original target demographic for Facebook, so I've spent most of the last three years with a profile. I try not to do the silly quizzes or things like that unless they look like fun. (So I have the Scrabble app.) I keep in touch with my sister who is apparently unable to use a cell phone (or keep it out of the washing machine...), my friends who I've seen maybe three times since we went to college, and find out about campus events via Facebook.

The frequent status updates...well, if you know you're going to get a reaction...The frequent ones among my friends are "OMG, midterms! I have three tests and two papers and a project due this week!" Those get sympathy and encouragement.

One of the more serious uses for FB: A guy who went to my high school and university was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive brain tumor. We didn't know each other, but we had many mutual friends. (He is a year older than me.) He's undergone several surgeries and took a turn for the worse in September. His closest friends started a group in order to keep everyone updated on how he was doing.

[OakLeaf]

Here ya go.

[KnottedYet]

Also, I think most of the issues with FB (malware and privacy issues) have to do with the "Facebook Platform." I have that turned off.

Without that, I can't play games, take quizzes, etc., but that I can live without.

Please tell me how to turn that off!

[OakLeaf]

Please tell me how to turn that off!

Settings>Privacy>Applications>Settings, and I just turned everything off on that page:

* Do not share any information about me through the Facebook API
* Don't allow friends to view my memberships on other websites through Facebook Connect.
* Don't allow Beacon websites to post stories to my profile.


And yeah, what Flybye said about deleting apps.

[SadieKate]

Knot, thanks for asking, and Oakleaf, thanks for answering. That's some good info there.

[Irulan]

10 things every facebook user should know:

http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/10/

**THIS LINK IS CURRENTLY DOWN** but should be up back soon. It is an excellent article.

[Flybye]

Also, I think most of the issues with FB (malware and privacy issues) have to do with the "Facebook Platform." I have that turned off.

Without that, I can't play games, take quizzes, etc., but that I can live without.

Also important to go into settings and delete any applications not in use.