Time Suckage
The other day I did something that I may live to regret.
I joined Facebook. Is "joined" even the right word? I signed up for Facebook? I registered at Facebook? I made a lifelong commitment to Facebook? Facebook and I are joined in domestic partnership?
Semantics are the least of my issues with Facebook.
For instance. Why is it called "making friends" when someone contacts you?
I just don't get it. Am I wrong or are there two reasons to be on Facebook ("to be on"??? That can't be right)?
1) Communicating with people who are already your friends. In which case, the "invitation to be a friend" to someone who is already your friend is redundant and lame. Couldn't you just call them, or meet them at Starbucks or something?
2) Stalking people you don't know. And that's just creepy. Even if we all use the internet primarily for google-stalking, there's something inherently uncomfortable about announcing publicly, by virtue of the fact that you have "joined" Facebook, that you are going to try to learn things about people without them knowing that you are going to learn things about them.
Here's my other question:
So I've joined Facebook.
I've got some "friends."
Now what?
I joined Facebook. Is "joined" even the right word? I signed up for Facebook? I registered at Facebook? I made a lifelong commitment to Facebook? Facebook and I are joined in domestic partnership?
Semantics are the least of my issues with Facebook.
For instance. Why is it called "making friends" when someone contacts you?
I just don't get it. Am I wrong or are there two reasons to be on Facebook ("to be on"??? That can't be right)?
1) Communicating with people who are already your friends. In which case, the "invitation to be a friend" to someone who is already your friend is redundant and lame. Couldn't you just call them, or meet them at Starbucks or something?
2) Stalking people you don't know. And that's just creepy. Even if we all use the internet primarily for google-stalking, there's something inherently uncomfortable about announcing publicly, by virtue of the fact that you have "joined" Facebook, that you are going to try to learn things about people without them knowing that you are going to learn things about them.
Here's my other question:
So I've joined Facebook.
I've got some "friends."
Now what?
OMG. I love you and your post. Love. Love. Love.
I have a FB account. I use it for AG. My name is not correct. My Amherst connection is not there. Some of my internet friends know about it and some do not.
The whole thing is dumb because I have a blog. I don't blog for validation and need. Thus, what else is left? Certainly not FB.
FB is so evil.
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The only reason I have those accounts is so that I can see the screen when it says, "You have 0 friends." I think that is the most hysterical thing I've ever seen in my life.
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I dunno. I play Scrabble there. But the other stuff? I don't get it.
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There's a third reason: to find old friends you aren't currently in touch with. That's what I use it for. Just today someone I haven't seen since 10th grade "friended" me (yeah, I know, but that's the right verb). I've enjoyed catching up with people I haven't seen in a long time. Last week a FB friend I haven't seen in 15 years was in town and we got together for a talk, and it was like we'd seen each other last week. We probably wouldn't have sought each other out to get back in touch, but since we were both on Facebook, we did. Basically, it's a really low-maintenance way to keep up with people you know (or used to know).
Have you added education and employment data to your profile? Once you do that, you can just click through from your own profile to browse your alma maters and employers (limit by year if it's a large school or employer). Of course, you don't have to add personal data to be able to search that way.
What's interesting to me is that when I look through a bunch of people I went to school with, there are some I knew pretty well in high school or college but have no interest in being Facebook friends with; then there are others I didn't know well, but like keeping up with on Facebook. Weird.
Oh, do be sure to go into your account and check your privacy settings. The default might give the general public more access to your public than you'd like (although they did tighten it up recently).
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and now you creep.
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Ha! I joined Facebook a few months ago. I haven't even been back on until yesterday when 2 friends of mine "friended" me on facebook. It does seem stupid, doesn't it?
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I use my facebook account in three ways: 1) to find out in a non-stalker way what my former students are doing (they friend me, I don't search them)
2) to share photos with friends & family (since most are on fb)
3) to stay up to date with the shenanigans of our 7 teenaged nieces & nephews. wildly helpful if occasionally misleading.
I heavily rely on "limited profile" for most "friends," as well.
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