Among Friends

[Tinkrbl44]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Patti143 wrote:

You should delete your FB account immediately.  If social media is causing you this much angst, you are not the type of person who should be using it.  Get a life outside your computer and calm yourself.

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I really disagree with this.  Why should she give up Facebook entirely just for the sake of a few people?

She's already started deleting friends.  That's all it takes.

And I didn't see anything to indicate that she needs to "get a life".  She's simply asking a question.

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I agree.  Facebook is what we make it.  If we take the time to keep up with all the settings and be careful what we share and who our "friends" are, it's a positive experience.

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It's a VERY  positive (and profitable) experience for the owners of the website, since they make a TON of money with all the information they get from you and sell to hundreds of marketing companies.    

It's funny (and surprising) that very few people ever question why it's free .....

[NYC Susan]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Patti143 wrote:

You should delete your FB account immediately.  If social media is causing you this much angst, you are not the type of person who should be using it.  Get a life outside your computer and calm yourself.

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I really disagree with this.  Why should she give up Facebook entirely just for the sake of a few people?

She's already started deleting friends.  That's all it takes.

And I didn't see anything to indicate that she needs to "get a life".  She's simply asking a question.

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I agree.  Facebook is what we make it.  If we take the time to keep up with all the settings and be careful what we share and who our "friends" are, it's a positive experience.

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Absolutely!  I couldn't agree more  I tell people all the time that Facebook can be exactly what they want it to be.  All it takes is choosing friends and settings with care. 

My Facebook friends are my real-life friends and family, and it's been wonderful for us because we are scattered all over the world.  I've reconnected with friends from high school and college, and it's been fun to reminisce and catch up.

It's not for everyone.  I get that.  But a lot of the complaints I hear are from people who don't really understand how it works and all of the options that are available.  And it's not a requirement to be on Facebook 24/7, document every detail of every day, or post photos of every meal!  None of my friends do any of that.  People don't seem to understand that they are in control of what they see.  If friends are posting silly or annoying things, then the problem is the friends - not Facebook!

[NYC Susan]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Patti143 wrote:

You should delete your FB account immediately.  If social media is causing you this much angst, you are not the type of person who should be using it.  Get a life outside your computer and calm yourself.

---

I really disagree with this.  Why should she give up Facebook entirely just for the sake of a few people?

She's already started deleting friends.  That's all it takes.

And I didn't see anything to indicate that she needs to "get a life".  She's simply asking a question.

---

I agree.  Facebook is what we make it.  If we take the time to keep up with all the settings and be careful what we share and who our "friends" are, it's a positive experience.

---

It's a VERY  positive (and profitable) experience for the owners of the website, since they make a TON of money with all the information they get from you and sell to hundreds of marketing companies.    

It's funny (and surprising) that very few people ever question why it's free .....

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It's free because there are ads.  Sponsors are clearly marked.  I never questioned why it's free because I think it's obvious.  Lots of websites are free, and most of them also have advertising.  Not a big deal, IMO.  (The QVC forums are free, too, so I don't see how that's any different.)

Whatever marketing efforts are going on hasn't had any kind of impact on me.  I've been on Facebook for years, and have never received anything unsolicited other than the junk mail I was receiving before.  I did not give Facebook my address, age, location, phone number, or much of anything.  And it's certainly possible to use a fake name and throwaway email address too.  But signing up does not require very much info at all - pretty much just what you want to provide.  I have not had one single problem since I signed up in 2008.  

I don't care if someone is taking note of the kinds of things I like.  Grocery store cards do the same thing, search engines do the same thing, just using the internet does the same thing.  I can easily ignore the few discreet ads that I see on Facebook if that keeps it free.  IMO it's more than worth it.

[Moonchilde]

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@NYC Susan wrote:

---

@Patti143 wrote:

You should delete your FB account immediately.  If social media is causing you this much angst, you are not the type of person who should be using it.  Get a life outside your computer and calm yourself.

---

I really disagree with this.  Why should she give up Facebook entirely just for the sake of a few people?

She's already started deleting friends.  That's all it takes.

And I didn't see anything to indicate that she needs to "get a life".  She's simply asking a question.

---

I agree.  Facebook is what we make it.  If we take the time to keep up with all the settings and be careful what we share and who our "friends" are, it's a positive experience.

---

It's a VERY  positive (and profitable) experience for the owners of the website, since they make a TON of money with all the information they get from you and sell to hundreds of marketing companies.    

It's funny (and surprising) that very few people ever question why it's free .....

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It's free because there are ads.  Sponsors are clearly marked.  I never questioned why it's free because I think it's obvious.  Lots of websites are free, and most of them also have advertising.  Not a big deal, IMO.  (The QVC forums are free, too, so I don't see how that's any different.)

Whatever marketing efforts are going on hasn't had any kind of impact on me.  I've been on Facebook for years, and have never received anything unsolicited other than the junk mail I was receiving before.  I did not give Facebook my address, age, location, phone number, or much of anything.  And it's certainly possible to use a fake name and throwaway email address too.  But signing up does not require very much info at all - pretty much just what you want to provide.  I have not had one single problem since I signed up in 2008.  

I don't care if someone is taking note of the kinds of things I like.  Grocery store cards do the same thing, search engines do the same thing, just using the internet does the same thing.  I can easily ignore the few discreet ads that I see on Facebook if that keeps it free.  IMO it's more than worth it.

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There's a lot of misinformation and scaremongering out there from people who run across some bogus "article" or other about FB, send it to their entire Friends list, and the whole things is a lie - but it gets perpetuated among the less experienced.

FB is perhaps not for sissies - you have to know what you're doing and take the time and make the effort to set it up. It might be best for people who can't or won't put in some time & effort to do it right, to pass on FB.

Every "free" website anywhere on the internet gathers info of one kind or another, for a variety of purposes. It's the price of being on the internet and having a good experience.

FB gets "the" rap for being the boogeyman in this regard, but it's no worse than any other popular, high traffic site.

[NYC Susan]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@dooBdoo wrote:

---

@NYC Susan wrote:

---

@Patti143 wrote:

You should delete your FB account immediately.  If social media is causing you this much angst, you are not the type of person who should be using it.  Get a life outside your computer and calm yourself.

---

I really disagree with this.  Why should she give up Facebook entirely just for the sake of a few people?

She's already started deleting friends.  That's all it takes.

And I didn't see anything to indicate that she needs to "get a life".  She's simply asking a question.

---

I agree.  Facebook is what we make it.  If we take the time to keep up with all the settings and be careful what we share and who our "friends" are, it's a positive experience.

---

It's a VERY  positive (and profitable) experience for the owners of the website, since they make a TON of money with all the information they get from you and sell to hundreds of marketing companies.    

It's funny (and surprising) that very few people ever question why it's free .....

---

It's free because there are ads.  Sponsors are clearly marked.  I never questioned why it's free because I think it's obvious.  Lots of websites are free, and most of them also have advertising.  Not a big deal, IMO.  (The QVC forums are free, too, so I don't see how that's any different.)

Whatever marketing efforts are going on hasn't had any kind of impact on me.  I've been on Facebook for years, and have never received anything unsolicited other than the junk mail I was receiving before.  I did not give Facebook my address, age, location, phone number, or much of anything.  And it's certainly possible to use a fake name and throwaway email address too.  But signing up does not require very much info at all - pretty much just what you want to provide.  I have not had one single problem since I signed up in 2008.  

I don't care if someone is taking note of the kinds of things I like.  Grocery store cards do the same thing, search engines do the same thing, just using the internet does the same thing.  I can easily ignore the few discreet ads that I see on Facebook if that keeps it free.  IMO it's more than worth it.

---

There's a lot of misinformation and scaremongering out there from people who run across some bogus "article" or other about FB, send it to their entire Friends list, and the whole things is a lie - but it gets perpetuated among the less experienced.

FB is perhaps not for sissies - you have to know what you're doing and take the time and make the effort to set it up. It might be best for people who can't or won't put in some time & effort to do it right, to pass on FB.

Every "free" website anywhere on the internet gathers info of one kind or another, for a variety of purposes. It's the price of being on the internet and having a good experience.

FB gets "the" rap for being the boogeyman in this regard, but it's no worse than any other popular, high traffic site.

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Well said!

I've also found that most people who trash Facebook really have no idea how it works. (I'm not referring to Tinkrbl44, just people in general).  And lots of people use it without educating themselves even the tiniest bit.  They would prefer to blame FB rather than the fact that their friends list (chosen by them!) includes people who post things they're not interested in.  And they prefer to blame FB for their privacy settings when it's completely in their power to change them.  Facebook offers a lot of ways to customize what it is, and it's certainly not Facebook's fault if people ignore that.

As I think I said above (can't remember now and I'm having laptop issues), if someone is seeing post after post that they think is silly, self-serving, or annoying, then it's time to take another look at who they've chosen as friends.  Facebook didn't choose those people, and Facebook is certainly not responsible for the intelligence or shallowness of those we have chosen as our FB friends.  It's not Facebook posting those things - It's the friends each of us have chosen.  Setting it up correctly in the first place and tweaking as time goes by is definitely the way to go!