Wednesday, September 2, 2009

My Facebook Experiences-quick before everyone quits

If the NY Times says so, it is official.....so quick, while Facebook still exists-as promised, my experiences.

First, the good:
1.  I made contact with two people I hadn't been in contact with for years -lost track, and now here we are.  There are a number of other people I'd like to try to contact.
2.  It's fun to share articles, blog entries, etc. with real life friends that are on Facebook.
3.  It's even more fun to see the interests my Facebook friends, some of whom I haven't seen in person for many years, have developed.  For those I knew as a teenager or college student, many of these have kept steady. But not always.  I hope I am equally as entertaining.
4.  It can be a very good source of information.
5.  Privacy is much easier to control than it was a year ago, when I tried it and promptly gave up because something I thought was really creepy happened.  That won't ever happen again.

Next, the bad:
1.  I do feel like Big Brother is watching, in a way.   Although I also realize that "free" applications are never truly free - such as, uh....Blogger.
2.  Food fights.  I turned it off.  If you've flung food at me, I don't see it anymore.  None of us are in junior high anymore.
3.  The whole social dilemma thing.  Example:  last week, I got a "friend" recommendation (every time you sign on you get a suggestion of someone you may want to "friend") for a cousin's husband.  I had no idea he was on Facebook.  I sent him a friend request and a message.  We do sometimes email in real life (his wife, my blood cousin, doesn't use the Internet much) but not that much.  Well normally if a friend request is pending, you can see that.  It doesn't show.  Did he reject me?  (he did friend two of his wife's other cousins.)  Is it my breath?  Is it a glitch?  Should I try again?
4.  Ditto for people I sent messages to (you can send a message to someone who isn't a friend, and you don't have to friend them.)  Did I offend anyone by not trying to friend them?  Isn't life too short for this cra....I mean, stuff?
5.    I used a fun application put out on Facebook by Trip Advisor.  I love that website.  It was an app that allowed me to "show off" all the places I've been.  Well suddenly I get requests:  do I want to write reviews on places I've been?  I accidentally ended up posting something on all my friends walls about some place I visited two years ago.  Didn't mean to, didn't realize that would happen, oops so sorry! 
6. I don't want to be the target of advertising.  Here, a good word for Blogger.  Blogger doesn't force itself on you.
7.  It can be a real time waster.  Enough said.

So that's it.  So far I'm still having fun, but believe me, the minute it isn't fun anymore, adios Facebook.

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