I hate/love facebook...

[TxRad]

FaceBook, the easy way to spell procrastination.

 

[loquere]

Seriously what is this the Facebook?

 

[TimothyM]

Me, I'm still refusing to establish a FB presence.

Thank God, I thought I was the only one left on Lit without a FB account

 

[Bramblethorn]

Wanted to say thanks for the links, and also, I fucking love Oglaf. With Sexy Losers gone for good it seems, it's the best sex comedy webcomic I know of.

Oh yeah. I find it impossible to pick a favourite Oglaf, but the Muse seemed like a good one for here

This is what I see on FB. People who can't, or won't, think for themselves. Most of them are on the Right, but the koolaid also comes in a flavor favored by Lefties.

Yeah, there are plenty of times when I want to tell somebody "get off my team, you're embarrassing us".

 

[TxRad]

Thank God, I thought I was the only one left on Lit without a FB account

Nope, there be at least four of us.

 

[ThoMac_13]

Facebook simply is not a good forum for political or philosophical conversation.

It is almost always driven by whatever the consensus is at the moment, filled with fallacy laden-logic imbedded in a single chart or graph without the relevant disclaimers that the people who made the graph knew, or conducted at such an emotional pitch that sober thinking never has the chance to break through: flame war, on!

Anyone who thinks political questions are simple hasn't taken the time to study any of human history, and hasn't reflected very long on human nature. Facebook lends itself to outbursts, rather than reflection, and so that's what we see time and time again.

 

[sr71plt]

Anyone who thinks political questions are simple hasn't taken the time to study any of human history, and hasn't reflected very long on human nature.

Some self-centered folks on the AH certainly need to hear this.

 

[Neonurotic]

Seriously what is this the Facebook?

Facebook is similar to Myspace for networking. I find it a pain in the ass and intrusive, but it's a necessary evil for my small business' success. Everyone uses it. Every business card I have or receive has someone's Facebook page as vital information.



I prefer Twitter. I can tweet, follow or unfollow without all the hassle Facebook has. Luckily, tweets post automatically to Facebook so I don't even have to log in over there for weeks.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have friends who I get along with perfectly well in real life, and then I find out that they are hate-mongering NRA nutjobs.

Facebook knows... Facebook reveals all...

My christmas card list (and facebook friends) Just got a bit shorter...

Sigh...

So, no longer your friends because their opinion differs from yours?

Well, sad to say they're not losing much if you're that fickle.

Facebook truly reveals all does it not?

 

[lovecraft68]

Nope, there be at least four of us.

I never had one, then created one for my pen name because everyone said it was a good marketing tool.

but even having the FB page for someone who technically does not exist it was sickening.

"So and so tagged you" so and so liked this or hated this or invites you to do this....

Yeah I cancelled it.

I think Facebook sort of works out to why "ignorance is bliss" it is never good to know exactly what every damn person you know or knows you or whatever is thinking doing at every given moment.

 

[lovecraft68]

FaceBook, the easy way to spell procrastination.

Nah, "AH" spells quicker

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Facebook simply is not a good forum for political or philosophical conversation.

It is almost always driven by whatever the consensus is at the moment, filled with fallacy laden-logic imbedded in a single chart or graph without the relevant disclaimers that the people who made the graph knew, or conducted at such an emotional pitch that sober thinking never has the chance to break through: flame war, on!

Anyone who thinks political questions are simple hasn't taken the time to study any of human history, and hasn't reflected very long on human nature. Facebook lends itself to outbursts, rather than reflection, and so that's what we see time and time again.

Its all simple once you get to the core of anything.

 

[Bramblethorn]

So, no longer your friends because their opinion differs from yours?

Well, sad to say they're not losing much if you're that fickle.

Facebook truly reveals all does it not?

Friends are people I like/respect, and who I enjoy talking to.

That doesn't require agreement on everything, but if they start airing opinions so obnoxious that I no longer respect them or want to be around them, and they keep on doing so after a heads-up, then damn straight they're no longer my friends. If that makes me fickle, well, I'm proud to be fickle.

 

[lovecraft68]

Friends are people I like/respect, and who I enjoy talking to.

That doesn't require agreement on everything, but if they start airing opinions so obnoxious that I no longer respect them or want to be around them, and they keep on doing so after a heads-up, then damn straight they're no longer my friends. If that makes me fickle, well, I'm proud to be fickle.

But I would think odds are if they're really your friends you would have known that about them.

Also depends what is considered "obnoxious" right now to certain zealots someone posting, "Well gee I really don;t think they should ban guns" is enough to get you crucified. So who knows what those people were saying.

I argue with my best friend all the time, its a great part of our friendship, and if a friend is passionate about something you're not then you can accept that and of you can;t you most likely were never truly their friend.

What this comes down to is selective freedom of speech. The second someone says something someone else does not agree with they shouldn't have said it, they are automatically wrong and nyah, nyah, nyah you're not my friend anymore.

Maybe I'm just pickier with my friends. I don;t have many but would go to hell and back with the ones I have and know they would do the same for me.

Then again my friends are "real" people I see on a regular basis not a bunch of cyber morons I clicked on to have more friends than the next cyber moron.

 

[Bramblethorn]

But I would think odds are if they're really your friends you would have known that about them.

"Odds are", sure. But not always. Sometimes you see a whole different side of people you hadn't encountered before, sometimes they change for the worse.

Friend 1: guy at my work who started at the same time as me. I liked P a lot at first: smart, well-read, similar interests, atheist like me. I would've considered him a friend for quite a while.

Then I went to a couple of work functions where alcohol was involved and I saw a lot of those positives turn into negatives. At a conference dinner, P found out that one of the other guys at his table was Christian, and pestered him about this until the guy was so uncomfortable he walked away from the table - and then P came to brag to me about how hilarious this was. The reading: largely to reinforce his belief in his own cleverness, and to provide ammunition to make others feel stupid.

And no respect for boundaries. First time he decided that I needed to get drunk. I gave him a polite "no" and he went on and on badgering me about how I needed to lose my inhibitions and get hammered. To me this is something that you do not do; I choose not to drink for reasons of my own, and I expect people to respect that. Second time, he put me in a position that gave me no honest option but to out myself in front of workmates, which wasn't exactly how I'd planned to spend the evening. Next day, far from apologising, he made stupid jokes about it at work.

Somewhere in all that, I decided to be "fickle" and stop considering him as a friend, though I don't know whether he's noticed.

Friend 2: J has politics far to the right of mine. I was aware of this, and we managed to get along for years by avoiding certain topics (occasionally even managing a respectful discussion on some of those), until he started banging on about how Group X are all frauds conspiring to get fat off the public purse.

I mentioned to J that one of my oldest friends is in Group X, a very smart and generous guy who has the skills and connections that he could've done just about anything with his life - gone into politics, made a fortune in the stock market, whatever. Instead he's chosen a government job that pays perhaps one-tenth of what he could be making elsewhere, because he believes in what he's doing. I told J that I was not prepared to listen to him insulting these people.

He kept right on insulting them, so I ditched him.

I've also ditched friends on the left side of politics when discussion about a high-profile rape case showed that they had some really fucked-up ideas about what constituted consent - or possibly that they were willing to vary their definition of 'consent' when one of their heroes is involved. You can't be a rape apologist and be my friend; it's one or the other.

I argue with my best friend all the time, its a great part of our friendship, and if a friend is passionate about something you're not then you can accept that and of you can;t you most likely were never truly their friend.

I have lots of friends that I argue with. We still respect one another. But when that respect erodes, it's time to reconsider the friendship.

What this comes down to is selective freedom of speech.

There is no "freedom of speech" issue here. If I defriend somebody, it has absolutely no effect on their ability to go on saying whatever they like. It just means that I no longer care to listen.

If they want "speech without consequences", that's a whole different thing.

 

[sr71plt]

The old "freedom of speech" misunderstanding.

There's no such thing as guaranteed freedom of speech either on Facebook or here on Literotica. They are not public entities or businesses. The owners can set up any parameters on what can be posted that they want.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

So, no longer your friends because their opinion differs from yours?

Well, sad to say they're not losing much if you're that fickle.

Facebook truly reveals all does it not?

They aren't my friends because they are fundamentally stupid. In ways I couldn't accept.

My good friend was part of that flamewar, and he is still my good friend, despite having a different opinion. It's some people I knew from marching band that I'm not associating with now.

 

[DeeZire]

My wingnut friend (the one who drove me around when I was ill) called today and wants to go to the Jimmy Webb concert with me. (I had sent him a link to the concert info, which, so far, has remained unpublicized.) As long as he doesn't have talk radio on in his van, we'll be fine.

(Jimmy Webb wrote Wichita Lineman, McArthur Park, Galveston, By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Up Up and Away. Those are his schmaltzy ones. He's a very inventive writer, both musically and lyrically, doing a solo tour right now. Just him and a piano. His ex-girlfriend - the "yellow dress" in McArthur Park - was in my studio the other day. She told me about the show.) (My brush with greatness - twice removed. )

Back OT - the reason we can manage a friendship is because we both respect each other's viewpoints. We have the occasional brief discussion if some momentous event occurs or some new relevant information comes to light, but he doesn't like information, even though he reads mostly non-fiction. Apparently, he chooses "non-fiction" that won't threaten his belief system.

My other God-Guns-and-Country wingnut friend, the one who is on FB, posted his daily rant, this time about wife beaters. (Not the shirts, the men.) I complimented him on it, and mentioned that part of the problem is the Bible verse that says: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." I don't think the guy even knows what hypocrisy means. Half of his rants are about the results of policies he supports. Example: He was ranting about the decline of independent radio stations that would be able to play his music. That decline was caused by deregulation and Free Market Capitalism. (Deregulation of market ownership ratios allowed three major corporations to swoop in and buy most of the independent mom & pop stations, replacing the local talent with a satellite link and a pre-programmed, 30-song playlist.) I pointed this out to him, reminding him that that was the mantra of the politicians he votes for, but I'm pretty certain he was able to miss the connection.

 

[TimothyM]

Nope, there be at least four of us.

Ah but by your own admission you're not a real FB virgin

You made it 6 months?
I didn't last three.

But I guess I should have been more precise, so I'll redo my post here:

Me, I'm still refusing to establish a FB presence.

Thank God, I thought I was the only one left on Lit who's never had FB !

And feel free to tell me all the other things that FB can be short for
Facial burns ?

 

[NaokoSmith]

Seriously what is this the Facebook?

I was suspicious of Facebook but I joined and I like it.

I have two profiles. As my 'other' self, I'm able to share family photos and chat with friends from Australia to Japan. (I do have to work hard at the privacy buttons and think about who I share with when I do this.) Like HandleyPage I find it handy (or handley! ) when something difficult happens, I can tell everyone at once what's going on. I started using it seriously after the tsunami in Japan in order to search out my friends and relatives in Japan to check they were safe.

As Naoko Smith, I started using my profile to put up status posts which told any possible fans I might collect what was happening with my writing. Then I joined two writers' groups, one of which was just a stream of posts from people saying: Hey!!! My new book came out!!! It's so great!!! I already sold so many copies!!!! I never go there any more. The other group is run by totally cool administrators who want to talk about their writing without risking trolling. They manage it in a way which makes us all join in and follow each others' links, blogs and new writing. I love it and find it really helpful. I got some good feedback on snippets of writing I put up and great tips about how to write better. I found some sexy writing, lots of which I got for free because we often share coupon codes in the group. I have a couple of FB friends on there too whom I met in the writing world with whom I share posts about boobs and MILFy stuff which I can't share with my 'other' profile mommy mom friends in case they ban my piglet from their piglets' birthday parties.

I know FB spies on me because I once posted a photo of two grannies on a protest march carrying a sign saying 'Fuck the Police' and I immediately got an advert saying: 'Meet single police officers in your area!' As my partner is a criminologist I found this particularly funny and shared it with everyone, to his annoyance. The police in my area are my former student, in fact, so inappropriate for all sorts of reasons! I admit I shouldn't have called him 'sweetie' while reporting the anti-social behaviour incident but he was very proper about it .

I never argue about politics in FB, I come here for that! ROFL.

 

[ishtat]

In the past week or so facebook has been an effective means of commiunicating bush fire dangers to people in Eastern Australia. The emergency services figured that if they contacted enough people with hazard details the size of the network would pass the information on. It appears to have worked well.

Incidentally it was a windy 46.5 Celsius in Sydney yesterday (Friday), just short of 116 degrees Fahrenheit. If FB kept even a few people out of trouble maybe it has a very small use.

Today we're down to 25 Celsius - seemed a bit chilly at first.

 

[oggbashan]

In the UK, Facebook is so last year.

In 2012 the number of UK users dropped by a significant percentage.

Why? I don't know but I suspect concerns about its security of personal information are causing users to be more circumspect.

 

[PennLady]

I have an FB account, and it's useful for various things. However, I've found I use it more for keeping up with music releases, movies, books, etc., than for family and friends although I use it for that. I also have one for my pen name although I'm bad about checking it.

Facebook will take up as much of your time as you choose to let it, like anything else.