Facebook

[OakLeaf]

I do wonder how many others have found themselves in a similar predicament.

I've had periods of time when I used video games as a "drug" to numb me up emotionally. I totally get where you're coming from. If giving up FB is what you need to do for yourself, good for you for recognizing that.

[Aggie_Ama]

No games, one group which is my mountain bike team. I refused for a long time but find it is the best way to keep up with who wants to ride or whatever. I have my privacy settings set super high because I agree FB doesn't respect it. I only check in if I am at my gym since they gave me a free membership. It ironically has strengthened several of my biking friendships. I guess it may be that many of them are young and have been using it since college, I graduated a year or so before it launched. I didn't get an account until November when I got a biking sponsor. It is handy but I find my Blackberry is causing me to use it more. Work blocks it because some people couldn't control their usage.

[Catrin]

No games, no groups - I check it once-twice a day but rarely spend more than 10 minutes on it if that long. It LOOKS like I am on there longer as I generally leave the tab open with it when my browser is open. I use it to post little cycling updates or links that I like - I won't get any more personal than that.

I spend FAR more time on TE - and I really need to pull back on that at work

[kjay]

No Facebook here. They have no respect for the users' privacy.

If you use it and you don't pay for it, YOU are the product being sold.


Veronica

Do you have an example or two? Just curious.

[OakLeaf]

Do you have an example or two? Just curious.

Facebook? Twitter? Google? Yahoo, even? Store loyalty cards?

And if TE isn't data mining us, they're missing a big opportunity ... obviously they take informal notice of what we say here and use it to increase their bottom line, as they should.

[kjay]

Facebook? Twitter? Google? Yahoo, even? Store loyalty cards?

And if TE isn't data mining us, they're missing a big opportunity ... obviously they take informal notice of what we say here and use it to increase their bottom line, as they should.

Guess I don't understand how data mining is necessarily disadvantageous. Any examples of that? Thanks.

[shootingstar]

Data mining in the social media context is getting into personal details about ourselves. Unless I've misunderstood Oakleaf's point.

Already we're showered with spam junk in other electronic ways.

[emily_in_nc]

I just signed up for FB about two weeks ago after resisting for years. It finally got to the point that so many links were on FB that I couldn't get to that I gave in. A lot of these have to do with our condo in Belize -- FB is huge down there as cell phone minutes are very pricey compared to in the states, so people tend to email and FB more than call or text. So many businesses post specials and information via FB only that you almost have to be on.

I have only allowed 7 friends so far, and all those are real friends except for a semi-crazy aunt I have who I didn't really want to be watching me. Before I signed up, I researched how to set my privacy settings super high so that only friends can see anything I do, I can't be found through google or FB searches, and I even managed to block my aunt specifically from reading my status updates or seeing new photos I post. I just don't want to share everything with her!

Most of my friends who are on FB used it to reconnect with high school or college friends, but I really haven't wanted it for that at all. One of my friends is my best friend from HS, but she would be my friend with or without FB. I mostly signed up to connect with businesses, as I mentioned, and to see vacation photos from a few special friends.

So far, other than the first couple days when I was getting it set up, I've only spent 10-15 minutes per day on it, and that I can easily handle.

Now Twitter...another story!

[malkin]

I opened a FB acct to get pictures from my daughter and to check in now and then with my nieces and a few other people.

I use a name that no one at work will recognize, as these are parts of my life that need to be separate. I don't respond to friend requests.

[Veronica]

facebook knows a lot of personal information about you and there is no law that keeps them from sharing that info with anyone and their dog.

Veronica

[jobob]

No Facebook here. They have no respect for the users' privacy.

If you use it and you don't pay for it, YOU are the product being sold.

facebook knows a lot of personal information about you and there is no law that keeps them from sharing that info with anyone and their dog.

Like what, V? Apart from what I choose to post about myself, what else does facebook know about me?

Kjay has very politely asked for specifics. I am asking as well.

- Jo.

[snapdragen]

Facebook has nothing about me but my name. I did not enter my address, phone number, city, employer. I've also got the privacy settings pretty much locked down, and I check the regularly. Dear Mr Zuckerberg seems to make changes on a whim.

FB was invaluable to me when my Dad was dying. A friend up in Washington sent me messages regularly, helping me cope while I played "the strong one" for the family (she had lost her Dad a couple of years ago). Other friends posted prayers, wishes or just hello, we love you notes. It meant a lot to me.

Like anything else, FB is what you make it. If you post every intimate detail of your life, the world will know it. Same goes for posting on TE......

[jobob]

It was great to hear from DirtDiva on fb a few hours after the Christchurch earthquake and know that she was OK.

Oh dear, is that Mark Zuckerberg sitting on my toilet ...?

[shootingstar]

There is a twitter page somewhere but that's all it's used for..to auto-post some blog article references. Not used to engage in dialogue with folks.

I know it's under-used. But it's just another distraction to me, away from face to face people who are close to me.

After 3 wks., one of my sisters finally emailed me tonight. I think she's been too busy with her babies and working, etc. No, she's not computer illiterate. She does use her Blackberry, etc. Life just overtakes some folks' schedules.

I always find it interesting how much people do write by email in families whereas in my family, we're fundamentally lazy. Phone is the preferred method. I'm the gabber in family in emails, etc. (No one else in my family blogs.)

I haven't even arranged to Skype with any family member, except my dearie and I'm not pushing them hard when some are juggling other priority things. We're aren't Luddites, it's just hard to express some complex family situations in text vs. verbally. Facebook? Oh, forget it. Just getting emails is an achievement in my family and that's not all family members. Not everyone has a computer.

[jobob]

Not everyone has a computer.

It might be safe to assume that most people who participate in this forum do.