Author Topic: Spacebook  (Read 8603 times)

Fireman

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Spacebook
« on: February 21, 2014, 10:09:19 AM »
Several months ago, I decided that Facebook took more than it gave and I deleted my account.  Until recently, I had not looked back but lately, I find myself wanting to sign up for an account again. 

Pros: 
 - communicate with friends and family members who live great distances from me
 - keep up with things going on in my field

Cons:
 - it's full of nonsense
 - it's easy to waste a lot of time

I'm not sure if I have a question or not, just thinking out loud and looking for opinion.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 10:14:25 AM »
I love it. I think it's a great communication tool.

personally I don't find it interesting enough to waste large chunks of time on. I waste a LOT more time on cooking/home improvement blogs, and this forum :)

lackofstache

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2014, 10:54:03 AM »
I've never deleted my account, but I've come close. I have, however, hidden a lot of the people that I have to be "friends" with & deleted many of those I don't. Keeps it simple w/ loads less distraction.

rockstache

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2014, 01:21:54 PM »
I love it too, especially for how it keeps me up to date with photos and daily happenings of my long distance loved ones.

I don't use it for work at all, and have never accepted a friend request from a coworker. Previous coworkers are fair game. When people ask me about it, I just let them know that's the policy. Most people nod in agreement and say something like, "I wish I had done that from the beginning."

Having said that, I don't post much, and I do clean out my friends periodically, deleting people I don't really know or actively maintain a friendship with.

TreeTired

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2014, 01:35:02 PM »
I guess overall I like it because I am on there a lot.   My "excuse" was that I was doing some work as a TV/movie extra and all of the casting agents use facebook so I had to monitor facebook closely to find opportunities... yeah, sure right.. lol,  but the part I really find unpleasant are all the people who "overshare" and post about every little detail of their life and their emotional trials and tribulations.   Lots of single women in their 40s, way too much drama concerning relationships,  things that would be better kept private.

Eric

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2014, 01:57:36 PM »
It's full of nonsense should be in the "pro" section I think.  It's a wonderful collection of the best of random internet crap.

nereo

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2014, 02:03:31 PM »
Again - I'll give a contrarian opinion...

I'm in the ~0.1% of Americans between 18-35 who do not have a Facebook account.  I've been periodically bombarded with statements like "it's so hard to get ahold of you [because you aren't on Facebook]" or "you didn't hear about the party?  I posted it on Facebook."  My fiancée, brother, sister, and essentially all of my friends are on Facebook

Some conclusions I've drawn:
1) people who *actually* want to get ahold of me still manage to do so via email, phone, or in person. 
2) from the "outside-looking-in" it does seem to be a phenominal waste of time. 
3) Facebook has had a very poor record of protecting the hoards of data they mine from each of its customers.  To some this isn't an issue, but to me it is.  On three seperate occasions so far they've been warned by the DOJ.
4) A lot of social "drama' seems to start with "OMG, I can't believe she posted that!..."

I still seem to function in society, I still have friends (who are all on facebook) and I don't feel like I'm really missing out.

basd

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2014, 12:26:27 AM »
I'm in the ~0.1% of Americans between 18-35 who do not have a Facebook account. 

Some conclusions I've drawn:
1) people who *actually* want to get ahold of me still manage to do so via email, phone, or in person. 
2) from the "outside-looking-in" it does seem to be a phenominal waste of time. 

I still seem to function in society, I still have friends (who are all on facebook) and I don't feel like I'm really missing out.
Same here, with the difference that I'm not American. Especially the first two points you mention go for me as well.

Never saw the need to sign up, really.

frugal-one

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2014, 05:54:38 AM »
Being in IT, it was horrible to contemplate deleting my account- but I finally did it.
Been FB free for two months and really am so glad I took the leap.

Can't tell you how many times I have heard from customers - "Wish I could do that!"
Ahh..you can...the internet will still be there.  LOL

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2014, 06:53:12 AM »
the part I really find unpleasant are all the people who "overshare" and post about every little detail of their life and their emotional trials and tribulations.   Lots of single women in their 40s, way too much drama concerning relationships,  things that would be better kept private.

ugh, this. I feel really embarrassed for some people and the amount of dirty laundry/emo whining they air on facebook. like, you know people can read this, right? I REALLY need to weed out my friends list :)

wtjbatman

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2014, 01:03:50 PM »
I use it for networking and keeping in touch with old friends/coworkers/classmates that I otherwise might lose track of or lose the ability to get a hold of easily.

rubybeth

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2014, 01:28:25 PM »
I've never deleted my account, but I've come close. I have, however, hidden a lot of the people that I have to be "friends" with & deleted many of those I don't. Keeps it simple w/ loads less distraction.

Yeah, I go through and unfriend, hide or 'acquaintance status' anyone who is obnoxious and I see no real use in being connected to, and generally feel that 300 'friends' is all I can handle. I love seeing (most) family updates, though, and it's been good to be connected to former grad school classmates since we work in the same field. My DH's FB, OTOH, looks like such a mess to me... he has probably triple the connections I do, and never sees truly useful friend/family updates. It's more like a bookshelf of everyone he's ever met, even if there's no use in still keeping the connection. Drives me a bit batty to see his feed, since I don't know anyone in it. Don't even get me started on couples who share the same Facebook account...

Sunflower

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2014, 05:16:43 PM »
I deleted my account almost 18 months ago....every once in a while I miss it because I was part of some very active thoughtful groups that did add value to my life but mostly I'm really glad I don't have an account anymore. :-)

doyouknowwhy

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2014, 05:44:24 PM »
I don't use it at all

MustacheWantaBe

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2014, 07:26:31 PM »
Several months ago, I decided that Facebook took more than it gave and I deleted my account.  Until recently, I had not looked back but lately, I find myself wanting to sign up for an account again. 

Pros: 
 - communicate with friends and family members who live great distances from me
 - keep up with things going on in my field

Cons:
 - it's full of nonsense
 - it's easy to waste a lot of time

I'm not sure if I have a question or not, just thinking out loud and looking for opinion.
I have NEVER had a Facebook account. Why do I need to know what everyone is doing every minute of the day. Sometimes being private is better then everyone knowing what you are doing. My wife is constantly looking at it, morning, noon and night, it drives me crazy. There are a million things you could be doing instead of staring into your phone, like BIKING, WALKING, READING A BOOK, LEARNING SOMETHING NEW, etc...., Thanks

lithy

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #15 on: February 24, 2014, 07:30:13 PM »
Your account is never deleted.  Just a heads up.  ;)

Zikoris

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2014, 07:35:14 PM »
I'm a big fan of Facebook - it lets me stay in touch with family and friends all over the place. I like to see what's going on in people's lives that I don't see or talk to very often. I love looking at travel photos.

As far as privacy, it's pretty easy to just not post private stuff. I have a pretty small friend list as well - only people I actually have some sort of relationship with. It's around 60 right now.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2014, 07:49:49 PM »
It's a combination of keeping in touch with friends and friends posting random silly internet memes. In other words, it's like a digital college dorm.

I make liberal use of unfriending and/or the "hide" button to clean up the news feed. Protip: change your newsfeed from "Top Stories" to "Most Recent". Otherwise, you only see what FB's algorithms think you want to see, which had me seeing really stupid stuff repeated every time I reloaded, and completely missing posts I wanted to see.

vern

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2014, 09:36:46 PM »
I'm 47 years facebook free.

Ian

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2014, 10:14:16 PM »
It strikes me that you're entirely in control of those Cons:
1) Unfollow anyone who posts something you consider nonsense.
2) Only log on during a set/brief part of your schedule.

Cwadda

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Re: Spacebook
« Reply #20 on: February 24, 2014, 10:36:17 PM »
Quote
- it's full of nonsense
 - it's easy to waste a lot of time

I manage to deal with it by limiting the amount of time per day my computer will allow it to show. There are apps like "Self-control" (for Macs) and I use something called StayFocused, which is an extension for Google Chrome. These apps also let you block access to any site you want for a fixed period of time and cannot be undone immediately.

Really handy for not wasting time when I should be studying. ^.^