Facebook &OMG!

[CrispyQ]

So I finally signed up for Facebook. I looked up some high school friends. It was a little difficult since I didn't stay in touch with any of them & I don't know their married last names. However, I found one friend & through her friends list I found three others. Two of them list Sarah Palin as a politician they like!!! Yikes.

So what all do you use Facebook for? Other than searching for people you used to know, what else do you do?

[jillan]

1. Come find me

Jill West - oh that's not going to be easy...but I'm the one in Az.

These guys play games, I just sign in and out, don't really stay on long.
Pat is the pro - she farms, cooks and kicks your butt in word games :P I'm sure she'll fill you in.

[CrispyQ]

2. Games like the ones posted along the right margin?

???

[PatSeg]

4. If you invite some of us,

you'll see what games we play. I PM'd you with the folks from JBSG who are my friends on FB.

[CrispyQ]

5. I found you.

I sent you an invite, but forgot to add a personal message - duh! My name's Lezly.

The way I knew which Jill you were was I opened the first one that said AZ, & there was Gateley, listed as a freind of yours. LOL

[PatSeg]

3. I initially signed up for Facebook

when my sister invited me and since then, most of my family members are on FB. We share photos and personal updates, and its a great way to stay in touch. Then I have a number of Bidenites who are friends and we frequently interact.

As for "old friends", that can be a slippery slope and I try to be very careful who I invite if I haven't communicated with them in a long time. It is much easier to ignore someone than it is to "unfriend" them later on. Being many of my friends are political, a right-winger from the past would not be a good fit at all.

Like Jill said, I have gotten into playing the games (my sister's influence yet again) and I've played Scrabble with my kids. There are a lot of pastimes on Facebook for lots of tastes. I'll PM you with the names of DUers who are my friends if you want to look them up (all Bidenites of course).

[CrispyQ]

6. I think I'm catching on.

I didn't understand what you meant when you said some old friends might not be a good fit, but you mean the wall, right? They might be offended with what you post on your wall & might post things that you prefer weren't on your wall - is that it? So everytime I post something, it goes out to all my 'friends'? And when they post something, it comes back to me? Also, do I do anything with the roses & eggs you sent or is that just a way of saying 'hello'? And finally, do you clear out your wall or do you just let it build?

I'm off to open my new business account & get a few groceries for tomorrow, so I'll check with you later!

:hi: says LH, who is looking to waste more time than she already does with her new virtual toy!

[PatSeg]

8. I've already heard some stories

some of them here about finding old friends who have gone down totally different paths. Their presence at Facebook can make it an uncomfortable place to be, as they can see your discussions with other friends and family. Some people find it awkward to have friends and family at the same place and it can inhibit what they say.

I tend to go in and delete a lot of the automatic Facebook garbage on my wall. The games tend to clutter things up and a lot of it I can't control. Don't respond to the roses and eggs, etc. I didn't send them. They are just part of a game, but others who play the same game can get bonuses from them.

"Home" is your newsfeed page and anything a friend posts will show up there. I can't imagine what it looks like if someone has hundreds of friends, but there is a "hide" option to the left for people who you don't want to show up on the newsfeed page.

Gateley posted a thread here not too long ago about finding old friends who have taken that "different path". As I recall, Wheelwalker had had a similar experience. I'll see if I can find it.

[PatSeg]

10. Here is Gateley's thread about Facebook

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=404&topic_id=31366&mesg_id=31366

[gateley]

7. I just use it to give Pat shit for being a farmer.

I only signed up because my best friend insisted so he could have more friends. I rarely go. Someone posted on GD here:

Subject: I have a headache.

Msg: Oops, thought this was FaceBook.


That's pretty much how I view it with a lot of the people I know. Going out for sushi! My husband looks sooooooo cute in his new shirt! Stuff like that. I'm happy people enjoy posting, but really not stuff I deeply interested in, you know?

But, I know that a lot of people do keep in touch with friends and family, so it does have a positive use, too. Not everybody is as crabby as I am.

[PatSeg]

9. I KNEW as soon as I clicked on this thread

that YOU would say something like that!!! You never disappoint me!!!

Actually for me, it has helped to keep up with my family and I really enjoy seeing the photos that people post. I find many of the mundane, twitteresque postings rather annoying, especially when they post something assuming everyone knows what they are talking about - "It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." Then some people DO know what they're talking about and it comes across as kind of rude, like speaking in a different language in front of other people.

I've also used the Chat feature and have had some great conversations with Jill, Wheelwalker, Eurobabe, Livvy, and some family members. Except for a few games, I rarely use most of the Facebook applications, which I find annoying and invasive.

I'm really not a game person. I don't know how I got so hooked on them. I was really resistant and cynical at first. I guess I'm just weak!

[CrispyQ]

11. I checked it out the past couple of days & Gateley, I'm with you.

I'll check in now & then, but I don't think I'll be over there all that much. My computer professor friended me & I've read some of his posts & I'm like, "Really? You go online to post this stuff?" It's exactly the kind of stuff you posted - "Going out for sushi! My husband looks sooooooo cute in his new shirt!" It's hard enough to get a good debate/conversation going on DU. To me, it seems that Facebook is not set up for even that much!

Gateley, I believe that I am close to as crabby as you are! :hug:

[PatSeg]

13. I find the whole Twitter mentality rather bizarre

and a lot of them are about such mundane things like what someone is eating or wearing. I really tend to ignore them.

When my son was moving from Oklahoma to New England we posted updates, which was nice, and I have certain friends and family who tend me private messages through Facebook. I really like the photos. After a couple of years of interacting with people here, it is nice to have faces to go along with the words. As for discussions, I think the diversity of the "friends" kind of makes that difficult.

[elleng]

12. High school and college friends.

Have to be in the right mood, tho.

:hi:

[Debi]

14. Thanks for 'friending' me!

I'm one of the Facebookers you're not going to like - I post about everything b/c Facebook is my social life (you can block my newsfeed if I'm too annoying!)

I keep in touch w/family all over the US (and some family I didn't know before Facebook), high school friends and Mr. Debi's political friends.

I have played some of the crazy games but that zaps ALL my time so now I mainly just read status updates and look at photos.

:hi: See you over there!