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Just what the world needs -- another social networking site

Facebook is FAR superior to Myspace. (myspace is only good for booty calls anyways.)

I actually find Facebook useful as an alternative to email. It's going to be so much easier to keep in touch with friends now after graduation and it's an easier way to organize gatherings. I'm no addict tho. You know...the ones that update their status every 2 minutes.
 
I have friends all over this world, and surely I'd lose contact with them if it wasn't for FaceBook. FB is a great tool if used the right way. I rarely get the annoying "app" news updates and quiz results from friends. All that news is blocked from coming in, so I don't see the problems with FaceBook that have been mentioned.
 
Burning Radio said:
Facebook is FAR superior to Myspace. (myspace is only good for booty calls anyways.)

I actually find Facebook useful as an alternative to email. It's going to be so much easier to keep in touch with friends now after graduation and it's an easier way to organize gatherings. I'm no addict tho. You know...the ones that update their status every 2 minutes.
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Only good for booty calls?

/me creates account with MySpace
 
Burning Radio said:
Facebook is FAR superior to Myspace. (myspace is only good for booty calls anyways.)

I actually find Facebook useful as an alternative to email. It's going to be so much easier to keep in touch with friends now after graduation and it's an easier way to organize gatherings. I'm no addict tho. You know...the ones that update their status every 2 minutes.
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Same here, and what I like about that method is as friends have changed their emails countless times over the years (along with phone numbers and occasionally addresses), their Facebook page remains. A friend of mine from Malaysia has had a really busy few years and without Facebook I wouldn't have been able to stay in touch with her.

But of course it can be abused and a billions apps are released to determin what type of Jedi you are and daft stuff like that. That said I like the Top 5- app :eek:
 
macDonalds said:
Ning I just read about it from the CNN homepage.

When is this freaking bubble going to burst!?!

I'm going to be a hypocrite here because I'm part of this Internet age where I'd rather type than talk, but for the love of chocolate ice cream - we need to go out and socialize! We need to stop hiding behind our computers with these social networking sites. All of our "friends" are going to be virtual! All of our "friends" are going to be videos, pictures and text on a screen!

Stop the madness! Put your computer to sleep right now and pick up the phone and dial a friend!
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OH THE FRICKIN' IRONY!!!! :D Hilarious!
 
Eanair said:
I dislike social networking sites, actually. I have no accounts with any of them.
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Neither do I, for now.

macDonalds said:
I broke down and joined Facebook. I use it to fill my voyeuristic craving. However, I never broadcast anything. I have like two pictures up of me. I don't want the world to know what I'm doing and when I'm doing it but apparently that gives great satisfaction to others.
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I may do this as well as my daughter is going to college in August.
 
I resisted it for a while and eventually got a twitter account. I rather like it. :eek: It suits my short attention span just right...

...I just did my hair. I have a headache. I love Reuben sandwiches. It's windy out. PUPPIES!
 
Just my 2 cents. Long time MySpace user and I agree with most that majority of everything on there is junk. I use social sites to stay connected with "real" friends [i.e. people I know], family, network with coworkers, etc. If you have folks that are overseas or across the country...sometimes it's just easier that way IMO.
As an aside, and again its just my opinion:
Facebook = grad school
MySpace = jr. high
Take it from me...I just made the switch and it was almost and euphoric as Windows to MAC...almost....
 
Abstract said:
I have friends all over this world, and surely I'd lose contact with them if it wasn't for FaceBook. FB is a great tool if used the right way. I rarely get the annoying "app" news updates and quiz results from friends. All that news is blocked from coming in, so I don't see the problems with FaceBook that have been mentioned.
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Yes.

I was just having this conversation with a friend earlier this morning. We are facebook's first generation of users, and as such, most people do not understand the amazing social power this website has. Using FB effectively is like using Windows effectively: if you know how to avoid all the BS, what you're left with is an amazing and powerful tool with limitless possibilities.

When I think about my parent's generation (I'm 22), I think about all the times my Mom has talked about old friends from HS and college who she randomly thinks of for whatever reason, but is no longer in touch with. Her parents probably said the same things. For the first time, however, we have a chance to keep in touch with all the people we meet. Life is a series of human interractions, and what better way to record people and events in your life then a social networking site like FB? With every friend you add, you get a new person to keep in touch with for life. If you think about that on the broad scale, it's very exciting!

When reading all of these posts (above quoted post excluded), I couldn't help but think of the classic Internet saying "You're doing it wrong!". No one is forcing you to post status updates. No one is forcing you to take the silly tests and join every random group your friends want you in. No one is making you reply to the wall post from that creepy dude that just wants to be loved! To me, the benefits of FB far outweigh the disadvantages. Instead of thinking about how complicated and exposed your life is with Facebook, think about how much richer FB could make your life in the near and distant future!
 
^ OK, dude. :p I tried facebook, hated it and had little use for it and deleted my account. Different strokes for different folks.
 
iBlue said:
^ OK, dude. :p I tried facebook, hated it and had little use for it and deleted my account. Different strokes for different folks.
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Laugh all you want hun, but I really think I'm on to something here. I don't know about any of you, but I worry about not being able to maintain relationships with my friends who are now spread around the country. With FB, we can do that super-easily now. All I'm doing is predicting what's going to happen when our generation (the first generation of FB users) grows up. Looking at how popular it is today, I don't think my prediction is quite as silly as you make it out to be.

It really seems quite surprising to me that we're all such active participants on this message board (and probably others), but no one can quite manage to see the importance of social networking in the present and the future. I'd think these things would go hand in hand. The only difference is that FB deals mostly with real life friends.
 
barr08 said:
Laugh all you want hun, but I really think I'm on to something here. I don't know about any of you, but I worry about not being able to maintain relationships with my friends who are now spread around the country. With FB, we can do that super-easily now. All I'm doing is predicting what's going to happen when our generation (the first generation of FB users) grows up. Looking at how popular it is today, I don't think my prediction is quite as silly as you make it out to be.

It really seems quite surprising to me that we're all such active participants on this message board (and probably others), but no one can quite manage to see the importance of social networking in the present and the future. I'd think these things would go hand in hand. The only difference is that FB deals mostly with real life friends.
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You are onto something, it was just such an off the wall and contemplative post that I had to poke at it just a little.

Don't mistake my joking around and not enjoying facebook myself for not understanding, I do, it's just not for me at this point in time.
 
I avoid social networking sites (though my former band didn't - ech!) because I'm afraid of the implications it could have on my social life in general. People always talk about how great Facebook is because they can keep in touch with old friends they would have long lost if they hadn't used the service. There's a reason I don't keep in touch with old friends - they don't mean enough to me to call them.

I think that Facebook builds superficial friendships. Sure, you might send the occasional message to someone long forgotten, but does it really matter? Unless you actually meet up again, I don't think so. The only thing it has done in this case is made stalking easier.

It worries me how the world is becoming more virtual. Second Life is a good example of how ridiculous it is getting. I see my friends that use Facebook and they are getting more closed off. Instead of meeting up with people and having a nice conversation, they send messages over the internet and get no real social interaction. I think it's quite sad.

P-Worm
 
iBlue said:
You are onto something, it was just such an off the wall and contemplative post that I had to poke at it just a little.

Don't mistake my joking around and not enjoying facebook myself for not understanding, I do, it's just not for me at this point in time.
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Yeah, I actually give that "Facebook is the New Messiah" speech to everyone who will listen. Sometimes I wish I could feel so passionate about something that's a little more important, but then I forget all about that and go check the news feed.

P-Worm said:
I think that Facebook builds superficial friendships. Sure, you might send the occasional message to someone long forgotten, but does it really matter? Unless you actually meet up again, I don't think so. The only thing it has done in this case is made stalking easier.
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This is a good point. I suppose you have to weigh a superficial, one-message-a-year relationship against no relationship at all. The only advantage to the superficial relationship that I can see is that it increases the chance of meeting up with that person again, and when that happens, at least you'll have something to talk about ("Oh, you listed The Golden Girls on your TV shows?! I love The Golden Girls!", etc.)
 
P-Worm said:
I avoid social networking sites (though my former band didn't - ech!) because I'm afraid of the implications it could have on my social life in general. People always talk about how great Facebook is because they can keep in touch with old friends they would have long lost if they hadn't used the service. There's a reason I don't keep in touch with old friends - they don't mean enough to me to call them.

I think that Facebook builds superficial friendships. Sure, you might send the occasional message to someone long forgotten, but does it really matter? Unless you actually meet up again, I don't think so. The only thing it has done in this case is made stalking easier.

It worries me how the world is becoming more virtual. Second Life is a good example of how ridiculous it is getting. I see my friends that use Facebook and they are getting more closed off. Instead of meeting up with people and having a nice conversation, they send messages over the internet and get no real social interaction. I think it's quite sad.

P-Worm
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I play on second life I don't use it to socialize though I just use it to alleviate the boredom on rainy days.
 
P-Worm said:
I avoid social networking sites (though my former band didn't - ech!) because I'm afraid of the implications it could have on my social life in general. People always talk about how great Facebook is because they can keep in touch with old friends they would have long lost if they hadn't used the service. There's a reason I don't keep in touch with old friends - they don't mean enough to me to call them.

I think that Facebook builds superficial friendships. Sure, you might send the occasional message to someone long forgotten, but does it really matter? Unless you actually meet up again, I don't think so. The only thing it has done in this case is made stalking easier.

It worries me how the world is becoming more virtual. Second Life is a good example of how ridiculous it is getting. I see my friends that use Facebook and they are getting more closed off. Instead of meeting up with people and having a nice conversation, they send messages over the internet and get no real social interaction. I think it's quite sad.

P-Worm
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Although we don't share the same view on this topic I think your comments are well said. I completely agree however with your notion that some people take things too seriously and have gone off the deep end. People who completely rely on FB, Second Life, MySpace, PS3 chat, message boards, Twitter, etc. for their social interactions should attempt at least to seek alternative "real world" connections. :rolleyes:
 
I have a MySpace Music account for my "band". The "band" is really nothing more than a hobby/"bedroom studio" project, though; I use MySpace to collaborate/network with other musicians. I do have an old personal MS account, which sits entirely unused with no friends and certainly no tricked-out, Bling-filled layout.

My wife has caught the Facebook bug and gets into Pop Quiz contests with her sister and others on a regular basis. She's bugged me to get on, but I really couldn't care less, for pretty much the same reason P-Worm stated. Many "long lost" acquaintances are best left "long lost".

Twitter... well, I find it even more banal and narcissistic than Facebook. Seriously, do we really need to know when Chris Crocker is taking a Number Two? :p The only good thing I've seen about it is the potential for a local business using it to give timely updates about sales or specials. I once read an article about a mobile taco stand in California tweeting its location to its fans.
 
nobunaga209 said:
People who completely rely on FB, Second Life, MySpace, PS3 chat, message boards, Twitter, etc. for their social interactions should attempt at least to seek alternative "real world" connections. :rolleyes:
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I think we can all agree that legitimate human interaction is preferable to various online methods. But you make it sound like these people would be social butterflies if the online option did not exist - an assumption that sounds crazy when you actually verbalize it. Even without the option of online only communication, these people would probably not be seeking "alternative 'real world' connections" anyways. So it's another case of something vs. nothing.
 
I used to have a MySpace before 14 years were allowed; then I quit and join Facebook when they allowed only students.

Now it's for everyone and I'm thinking I'm going to call it quits, but unfortunately a lot of my friends (yes they exist in real life as well) are on Facebook and that's a reliable way to contact them.
 
barr08 said:
I think we can all agree that legitimate human interaction is preferable to various online methods. But you make it sound like these people would be social butterflies if the online option did not exist - an assumption that sounds crazy when you actually verbalize it. Even without the option of online only communication, these people would probably not be seeking "alternative 'real world' connections" anyways. So it's another case of something vs. nothing.
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Although, I think there are cases where that would be true, I don't think I agree 100%. I think that there are a lot of people that choose to socialize over the net because it's an easy way to fill (though not completely) the social void in their life. I believe that everyone has a 'hunger' to socialize, so to speak. If the net wasn't around, I believe many of these people would force themselves to go out and make friends so that they could be socially fed.

I've experienced this very personally in my life. There was a time where I was feeling rather lonely and it wasn't until I made the decision to get out there and just talk to people that the loneliness started to fade. I think to myself that if I had chosen to set up a facebook account and make friends that way, that I wouldn't have developed many of the social skills that I have gained from my experiences talking to others.

Of course, I'm no sociologist. Right now, all I have is a bunch of theories about the effect social networking is having on people. Are teenagers that are growing up on the internet going to be missing vital skills that will help them in the work force because they never were forced to just get out there and make friends? I'm not sure and I look forward to the eventual studies that will inevitably come out based on this topic.

P-Worm
 
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