Facebook - friend or foe?

BigD · #**351** (**permalink**) 15-07-2010, 11:30

Glad to hear Facebook works for you. For that to be the best bit, the rest must be very lame indeed.

Why must it be a freeforall whenever you interact online ?

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It's only the people are too dreadfully interesting and important that need to worry about concealing their top-secret information.

That is as facile an arguement as the "I have done nothing wrong, and so have nothing to hide".

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It's 2010 people. Embrace or get left behind.

Not sure what you mean by this. Get left behind ? I don't think so. Personal life trend positive, professional life trend positive. All without sharing details of how nobody cares for my pet hamster. Let me know if I miss anything that I really care about - though I think it unlikely.

BigD

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Originally Posted by fraser

For me the best bit about facebook is that no-one goes on there to complain (for 35 pages worth of posts) about how lame other forms of social media are.

I've given status updates such as "I'm in Spitalfields Market" which I'm sure you'll all agree is painfully dull and boring. Of course, it's not dull or boring if you also happen to be in that area which is exactly what happened to me. Spitalfields market was followed by the consumption of too many pints of stella with an old friend who I wouldnt have met up with otherwise. Dull and boring turns out to be a relative term.

If you're worried about "privacy", then don't post information about yourself anywhere online. If it's online, it's essentially free-for-all. Of course, only dull and boring people are on facebook, so they've nothing to worry about. It's only the people are too dreadfully interesting and important that need to worry about concealing their top-secret information.

I recall a conversation at CERN many, many years ago between a group of people debating whether they would get an email account or not.

It's 2010 people. Embrace or get left behind.

Swiss Cheddar II · #**352** (**permalink**) 15-07-2010, 13:05

I have not logged into my facebook account for a couple of years. The endless poking and messages from people i have not spoken to since the 90's just did my head in.

I did get a inactivity email from facebook recently informing me that i have 695 pending friend requests. If i accepted them all i would have over 1000 'friends'..........great.

cheers
SC II

La Lucy · #**353** (**permalink**) 27-10-2010, 21:27

You may like it or not, but it seems that social media are here to stay, and that they have changed the way we communicate.

YouTube - Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)

Grum · #**354** (**permalink**) 30-10-2010, 20:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by La Lucy

You may like it or not, but it seems that social media are here to stay, and that they have changed the way we communicate.

YouTube - Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)

Thanks for that Lucy. Very interesting, and I can think of a several companies who could benefit from taking notice. I am reminded of the hassle involved when trying to order stuff from HP - Lunch at the Hewlett-Packard Cafeteria

Over the past few months I've noticed various fashion companies including their Facebook address in advertisements.

On the other side of the coin here's a bit from an interview with Clay Shirky a few months ago on the subject of The Times paywall business model:

Quote:

If you are reading this article on a printed copy of the Guardian, what you have in your hand will, just 15 years from now, look as archaic as a Western Union telegram does today. In less than 50 years, according to Clay Shirky, it won't exist at all. The reason, he says, is very simple, and very obvious: if you are 25 or younger, you're probably already reading this on your computer screen. "And to put it in one bleak sentence, no medium has ever survived the indifference of 25-year-olds."

Reastygraben · #**355** (**permalink**) 26-01-2011, 16:31

A Long Island woman allegedly mowed down her cousin twice with a minivan after a Facebook-fueled catfight over a man -- leaving the victim helpless in the middle of a busy road on a freezing night: Facebook feud turns deadly - NYPOST.com

Cyrus · #**356** (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 12:39

I just got a friend request from a cat.

Grum · #**357** (**permalink**) 11-03-2011, 13:12

Something I noticed last summer was that large companies are using Facebook to promote their products. Adverts for designer clothing aimed at the younger audience typically include a www.ourcompany.com/Facebook page.

And I see that Jolly is putting it to good use as well.

Cyrus · #**358** (**permalink**) 11-03-2011, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grum

Something I noticed last summer was that large companies are using Facebook to promote their products. Adverts for designer clothing aimed at the younger audience typically include a www.ourcompany.com/Facebook page.

And I see that Jolly is putting it to good use as well.

I got myself a fan page too, it's useful for organising events and such. It's really pretty easy to get one. If you have a facebook account you can make yourself and alter ego/product page/fan page easily. If you're quick you can still get a nice facebook URL too, but I think you have to have a certain ammount of followers, like 20 or so.

BigD · #**359** (**permalink**) 11-03-2011, 13:39

If you are a business then it makes sense to explore such (free) avenues to increase your exposure and communicate with your customers. As I don't feel the need for FB in my life, it is one area of advertising to which I am immune

BigD

Nic80 · #**360** (**permalink**) 11-03-2011, 15:56

I find facebook exceedingly useful for keeping up with family and friends. Seeing photos of my nieces and chatting briefly with loved ones is much easier than corresponding via email.
It proved its worth today, its been impossible for me to contact some friends in Japan, but via facebook chat we could confirm that they and their families are safe and sound. It may be annoying but it looks like it (or future incarnations of it) are here to stay.