Anyone not into Facebook?

[tmonroe]

I signed up for it after several friends insisted how much fun it would be but I find it irritating. It's been nice to catch up with a few people I haven't heard from in ages but at the same time I find it more annoying than anything. I figured it would be a great way to get in touch with an old buddy of mine whom I lost touch with but he's not on there so now I don't see the point.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I haven't ever even visited. I am in touch with the people from my past that I want to be- or could find them via a mutual friend- if needed. One reason I am avoiding it is because I might get too sucked in. :)

Beth

[jgenie]

I'm not on facebook nor have I visited it. I just don't feel the need. :shrug:

[Corie]

Totally NOT into Facebook. My sister is trying desperately to get
me hooked. I don't need 200 friends on Facebook. I keep in
contact with the people that matter to me.

[fivi2]

I'm not on facebook nor have I visited it. I just don't feel the need. :shrug:

this is me also. Never even been to the site.

[carolinamama]

One reason I am avoiding it is because I might get too sucked in. :)

Beth

:yeahthat:

I have had lots of friends try to persuade me to join, but just what I need - to spend more time on-line. I'm sure I'll cave at some point just to keep up with people, but I'm putting it off as long as possible. :)

[ILoveLucy]

Not into it at all. I, too, keep in touch with those I want to, and if there is major news about someone from my past, I'll hear about it from my BFF, who is very into it. :)

[Emmas Mom]

I'm on facebook but mostly I just don't GET it. It's just as easy to e-mail people, right? I don't know, maybe I'm missing the point?

[thomma]

I'm not on facebook nor have I visited it. I just don't feel the need

This is me too. My sister and SILs are into it...so are a few friends. Heck, my mom does it. Actually they're all facebook friends. Call me antisocial...just not for me.


Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[Pennylane]

I think it is a great way to reconnect with people from the past. But I don't like using as communication between my local friends. I would still rather email or use the phone, gasp !

Ann

[KpbS]

I've posted several times about how not into it I am--lol :) But now I am having a problem. My closest friend here (locally) is having her feelings hurt that I won't join. She is way into it and keeps up with all sort of people including the other local moms in our small mom's group. I don't really get the point of "messaging" w/ people you could actually spend real time with. It is affecting our friendship and I am pretty sad about it.

Like pp I know how to reach some distant friends from the past if I want to. And then there are the people I am more than willing to leave in the past...... Argh

[rgors]

I joined facebook because some family members were on there. I was trying to make a step towards getting to know them better so I accepted their invitations. They were explaining it to me and I completely did NOT get it. But I promised I would login once a day for a week to see what the fuss is all about.

Now I really really like it. I have been found by people in my past whom I'd rather leave in my past. So I just "ignore" their friend request. No big deal.

What I like about it is that it creates a new opportunity for communication and getting to know people. It hasn't replaced ANY of my email or phone or face-to-face interaction. I probably spend 30-45min on it each day, but that's just because I enjoy it -- I could easily be as up to date by spending just 15min every other day. I am constantly finding out some little thing here or there that I have in common with others. It's really hard to explain -- you have to experience it to "get it."

A friend of mine's husband was constantly perplexed with his wife's affection for facebook. She's not obsessed by any means, just enjoys spending a bit of time on there every day. She tried to explain it to him and honestly, it just sounds weird when you explain it to someone who hasn't tried it (similar to how I felt when my younger family members were explaining it to me). I told him that I decided to login once a day every day for a week and that it clicked about halfway through the week. So he decided to try the same approach and now uses his account fairly regularly.

If you are not the type of person who enjoys spending ANY recreational time online, and would log into facebook just once a week or so, then it would be overwhelming and annoying. But really, is there anyone reading this forum that doesn't enjoy spending time online??

I have never known anyone who enjoys spending time online, to not enjoy facebook. Certainly it's entirely possible this could be true. I'm just saying, once you try it, a lot of people "get it" and enjoy it. But until you try it, it's just this crazy thing that other people do.

ETA: you can setup "friend filters" which will restrict all the news you get, to the people you want to hear about. This is a key element to enjoying facebook.

I also found it necessary to disable ALL notification emails. My enjoyment of facebook increased exponentially when I did this.

[Ceepa]

Not my scene at all. I keep up with my friends and family without logging in to Facebook. It feels too artificially constructed for me.

[1964pandora]

I'm on facebook but mostly I just don't GET it. It's just as easy to e-mail people, right? I don't know, maybe I'm missing the point?

This is me. I just don't GET it either. I joined for a few months, then I felt like it was just too weird to have random people from different periods of my life contacting me. I know I should have been happy about that, right? but I didn't feel that way.

[kozachka]

I did not use to get Facebook but am enjoying it more and more now. Most of my friends are out of the country so it's not that easy or cheap to keep up with them via phone even with Skype. And with the amount of e-mail that I handle at work I find it much easier and less obtrusive to just post on FB.

Also, I'd like to think that it would be easier to keep up with people that move to another job or country. I learn their news online, which gives me an excuse to remind about myself. Love seeing new pictures and status updates (now "single" or "in a relationship"). I also use LinkedIn for work-related networking/intelligence on contacts. For some reason I did not like Plaxo as much. And as DS is now older I am spending less time here so had to find non-mommy sites that I like to hand out at. Of course, Facebook by no means replaces BB as it lacks privacy and knowledge of mommy experts.

[BillK]

I signed up for it after several friends insisted how much fun it would be but I find it irritating. It's been nice to catch up with a few people I haven't heard from in ages but at the same time I find it more annoying than anything. I figured it would be a great way to get in touch with an old buddy of mine whom I lost touch with but he's not on there so now I don't see the point.
I pretty much agree. I'm on it but I find it annoying and tedious. I get sick of all the "soandso suggested some-obscure-person-you-never-really-knew in highschool as a friend" junk. It's halfway ok I guess - but the only person I'm "really" glad to be in touch with because of Facebook is a friend that's in Nottingham who I'd lose touch with otherwise.

[LarsMal]

I don't do any of the extra stuff. I hit "ignore" on almost all requests I get, and I have my profile set up so that I can't just be added to someone's friends list. I have a bunch of sorority sisters on, and the ones I've chosen to "friend" don't understand why I won't add the rest...um...b/c I don't want to keep in touch with them! I only have 40 or so friends, mostly family- cousins and my brothers- and some close friends who are hard to keep in touch with. I use it to share photos of the kids so I don't have to email the pictures out anymore. I have a Shutterfly site, too, but that is more for the grandparents and the other few people I invited to view that site.

I'm not into it for joining all the little groups and I'm not in competition to see how many friends I can get! I just use it to keep in touch with people I otherwise have a hard time keeping up with, and to share photos with them.

Oh yeah...and Tetris, but I'm over that now!

[g-mama]

You know, I find that there are a LOT of people on FB who don't really "do" anything with it. They never add status updates, they never post pictures, they never comment on anyone else's updates...

I really like FB and am totally addicted. The people who make it fun for me, however, are the people who are active and write witty updates, comment on mine, and then we get a conversation going and it's really fun. I have a lot of people who 'friended' me and then I never see them. It makes me feel like they're just voyeurs, to be honest, LOL. Which is very much what FB is, I guess, but it weirds me out a bit. Oh well, if I weren't such an open book, I would care.

[tylersmama]

I resisted for a long time. I really just didn't want to do it and didn't see the point. Now I'm completely addicted. It's SO easy to keep up with friends and what's going on with their everyday lives (if they post status updates). I've reconnected with several old friends, too.

And I don't know why, but for some reason, it just seems easier to send messages through facebook. It really shouldn't be any easier than emailing, but it feels like it is, for some reason. I also like the built in instant messaging feature.

[brittone2]

I'm still resisting. I feel overwhelmed at starting it and I'm not sure I really want to have to check in and maintain it?

[hellokitty]

I've been on FB for a few months. It is ok. I basically like looking at ppl's pics and sometimes their comments. However, I don't like the, "being tagged" feature and I don't understand all the, "gifts" and those kind of things. My friends probably think I am annoying, b/c they send me all of that crap and I have no idea what I am supposed to do with it. I don't want to add any applications, so I never send any of those things to other ppl. I figure that after a while, they will get sick of it and not send me anymore.

[g-mama]

I don't really get all the gifts and that kind of stuff. I often ignore those, too. I just like keeping up w/ the status updates mostly and seeing pics. I feel like e-mail is becoming obsolete now that I'm on FB. It seems easier.

ETA: the 'tagging' thing? I have un-tagged myself from several pics. It's one thing if they want to put it up on their page, but I don't want it up on MY page if it's unflattering - LOL!!

[TraciG]

I'm on facebook but mostly I just don't GET it. It's just as easy to e-mail people, right? I don't know, maybe I'm missing the point?

Me too but meanwhile I have been going on, recently got into it, so now I am here at BB & on Face book.

[Globetrotter]

I resisted for a long time, but I like it to keep in touch with friends who I DON'T see much (or not at all) IRL. It's also nice to connect with some old friends, but I agree that it's weird to "friend" someone and never hear from them (or vice versa, if they "friend" me). What's the point?

I check in a few times a week so I don't spend much time doing it and probably miss the point to some extent, but I still think it's cool. I also don't get into the gifts and hugs, and all that stuff.

The best part is, I've gotten closer to my brother (we check in once or twice a week now, vs. once or twice a month!) and a few other friends who I would normally speak with twice a year at most (with very rare emails in between). I also like to see pictures and share my own pics, though I'm kind of behind in that, too!

My privacy settings are such that only friends can see my profile, and for me that is really important! I've also put some other restrictions on it, but I can't remember exactly what.

[klwa]

I'm on facebook but mostly I just don't GET it. It's just as easy to e-mail people, right? I don't know, maybe I'm missing the point?

See, this is why I haven't joined up yet. I have friends I email fairly regularly, who have told me how much EASIER it will be to keep up once I join & I just don't get it. I'm abotu to bow to public pressure just to make it easier to keep up with my nieces, one of whom lives with her dad so I never get to see her, but....

[maestramommy]

I was a FB member for over a year before I did anything with it. I had a profile with no pic, and nothing written on my wall. Finally I heard that all of my cousins were on it. One family of cousins is all under 21, and I don't see them often, so I thought it might be a way to keep up with their lives.

At first I was totally overwhelmed by all the email notifications, but I shut most of them off, and like one of the pp my enjoyment went way up. There's also another filter that can control how much of someone else's doings you hear about automatically, and dialing that up or down helps too. I did get a pet, but I only do something about it when I get notified. And I ignore all the requests and friend suggestions. I've also locked my account up very tightly, so no one except my friends can see me. In fact, if you were to search for me, you wouldn't be able to find me. That puts my mind at rest a little about the security.

I would venture to say all of my friends are living too far away to see on any sort of basis (since our move) so Facebook really helps me keep in touch with their lives. It's also an easy way to let everyone else know what's going on in your life (like being preggo).

[petitesphinx]

I joined up a couple of years ago and it's better than the Reunion. com as Facebook is free. I've found a lot of my old elementary and high school friends through it.

It's like any other site or forum; you monitor who you talk to and for long you're on it and it's not as bad as non-members would say. If you're signing up because you're unhappy in your marriage (read The 5 Love Languages) and want to browse around for a new or old flame--then the dangers come along with it. But as long as it's used for good and not evil.....nahhhh.....it's not bad.

[AnnieW625]

I've been on facebook since they opened it up to non college students sometime in late 2006/early 2007 (to keep up with sister, and other cousins who are in high school, and college) and I am not on it all of the time. I was the only person over 21 on my high school alum. page until about 6 mos ago. I like that it's more people my age now, but it's still very teeny boppery to me. Politics aside I think our new President's campaign brought Facebook into the mainstream. I like it and I like reading people's updates, but since it doesn't work at my work, and I don't have an internet capable phone I am never on it.

[The Review Mommy]

I was asked and asked to join by my friends for a while. Then my Mom asked me and thats when I joined. She is so behind the times so I figured I was just being weird about it. My Mom and MIL get to "talk" about funny grandkid stories and share photos of them. I could NEVER get them to "talk" before. Not sure why and theyve only seen eachother a few times in the 8 years I've been married. They live 10 minutes away from eachother....

I joined and didnt like it from the start. It didnt seem "right" and I felt uncomfortable there. I was sceptic before and then by joining it confirmed my feelings. I wont go into detail but I started receiving strange emails and then found out my friends were getting strange ones from me. I was mortified and didnt know that I should have looked at the defalt settings before hand. It was a mess, a nightmare and got worse and worse. I have a gmail account and have been getting SPAM there ever sence because thats the email I signed up with. I have an aol account for spam and signing up for things. gmail was for my family and friends and now its runnined. I am completely enranged!

Anyways, I had a bad experience but even still I'm 100% AGAINST facebook for a nummber of reasons. The list goes on and on. I dont recommend it to anyone though many like it and are happy there. Bottom line if you do join take a look at those defailt settings and BE CAREFUL!!!!!!

[Fairy]

After a long conversation about this here last week, I decided to wait a little bit longer before joining. It's really not for me, and I, too, don't get why email isn't just as good. I don't wanna network, I don't want any more new friends, and I'm very happy with the ones I have and the level and method of our communication vehicles. Plus, I'm too private to feel comfortable there, but there are ways to secure myself to a reasonable comfort level. So, this is not for me. One day, maybe even one day soon, but not today.

I really think that the uber-enablement of online communication has put a severe dent in the social adeptness of live communication on a grand scale.

[ThreeofUs]

Not me either. Don't need more of a reason to be on-line (frankly can't spare the time right now anyway) and don't really need to hear from some people in my past, lol.