Trying to go one whole month without Facebook

[AJ673]

such a time-eater - I'm at day 2...

[keylime]

I have gone many months without Facebook, because I've never had it. I assure you, it is humanly possible to not have Facebook.

 

Also, everytime I tell people I don't have it, I either get "Are you crazy?!" or, most often, "You're so lucky, good for you, etc." People make it sound like they have no choice but to have it- is it an addiction or something?

[Queen Amaranthine]

such a time-eater

 

Yeah, it's almost as bad as this place. (I speak from past experience, several years ago in what seems like another life. I don't log in here nearly as often as I used to because of family time and increased job responsibilities, and after this post will probably fade back into relative obscurity.)

 

Seriously, though, I don't find Facebook all that exciting and log in maybe every couple of weeks is all. I don't find it intuitively user friendly, and it seems overwhelming. I have an account primarily to keep track of few friends I don't see often and keep up with a few entities of which I am a fan. The fact that it recommends friends for you who are friends of friends of friends of friends is too much social time for me.

 

On the other hand, people who "live" in it seem to get a lot out of it.

 

Best wishes! Conversation here is probably much more engaging than there.

[jcroach]

such a time-eater - I'm at day 2...

 

You;ll find another way to eat time. I know I always do!

[HungryHippo]

these networking sites are instant relationship crashing devices. from my experience, it's wise to only use them if you're single. it's a small world but a huge internet.

[Guest Ordinary Beehive]

I've also gone many months without Facebook, as I've never had it. I definitely hear the "God, stop writing on cave walls" type comments, but you know, I just despise Facebook. There's a whole level of interpersonality that is forever lost with Facebook. People no longer call a friend to say hi, instead they just post some dumb shit on their "wall". There are a lot of people that have gotten really into Facebook that have actually forgotten how to talk to another person altogether. Their conversation goes stale quickly, and they revert to showing you a video of a bunny chasing a snake. Because that's all they know anymore. They sit around and talk about the things that are on their Facebook page. It really is just terrible.

 

Also, people can't any longer take a picture just for the sake of capturing the memory for a lifetime, instead they take it just to post it on Facebook later that night.

 

Oh, and it also encourages stalkerish behavior.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I've also gone many months without Facebook, as I've never had it. I definitely hear the "God, stop writing on cave walls" type comments, but you know, I just despise Facebook. There's a whole level of interpersonality that is forever lost with Facebook. People no longer call a friend to say hi, instead they just post some dumb shit on their "wall". There are a lot of people that have gotten really into Facebook that have actually forgotten how to talk to another person altogether. Their conversation goes stale quickly, and they revert to showing you a video of a bunny chasing a snake. Because that's all they know anymore. They sit around and talk about the things that are on their Facebook page. It really is just terrible.

 

Maybe you need to find a new crowd? In my experience, people who consider wall posting as catching up either aren't actually friends with someone or don't ever call anyone to chat in the first place.

 

I use Facebook for mostly irreverent things, or for posting news stories that I find interesting. When I want to chat with a friend, I will call them. When I want to chat with many friends, I will arrange a social gathering, and generally email people about it.

 

Like anything else on the internet, Facebook is a tool with a multitude of uses and applications. Like anything else in the world, any avenue for flakey people to be more flakey will be exploited to its full extent.

 

One thing I love about Facebook: people posting mundane details of their lives. Honestly, I enjoy it. I can catch up with my out-of-state family and friends via emails or phone calls, but what I never hear about now that they aren't in my daily life are the little things. I enjoy finding out from my uncle that he shit his pants teaching my cousin how to drive yesterday; I enjoy hearing my sister make fun of someone at her office. For VCers I've never met, it gives me a much clearer sense of their lives than I have from just their VC presence and our correspondence. I've blocked the people whose mundane details annoy me, and the rest is an enjoying digest of the lives of my friends.

[isadorah]

i am all about the facebook. i met my now fiancé on there. reconnected with friends that i might not have been able to track down otherwise. and can instantly share photos of great moments and information with family members instantaneously that pre-facebook was cumbersome and difficult to do. one has to wonder what someone does on facebook to make it a relationship crasher. as with all things, anything is good in moderation.

 

edit: all this and what sexual napalm said.

[LouisvilleGreg]

Never had it either and furthermore reluctantly got my first ever cell phone in May of last year, at the age of 34.

[fatheadfred]

I've also gone many months without Facebook, as I've never had it. I definitely hear the "God, stop writing on cave walls" type comments, but you know, I just despise Facebook. There's a whole level of interpersonality that is forever lost with Facebook. People no longer call a friend to say hi, instead they just post some dumb shit on their "wall". There are a lot of people that have gotten really into Facebook that have actually forgotten how to talk to another person altogether. Their conversation goes stale quickly, and they revert to showing you a video of a bunny chasing a snake. Because that's all they know anymore. They sit around and talk about the things that are on their Facebook page. It really is just terrible.

 

Also, people can't any longer take a picture just for the sake of capturing the memory for a lifetime, instead they take it just to post it on Facebook later that night.

 

Oh, and it also encourages stalkerish behavior.

 

Great stuff. I can dig it.

[The High Heat]

a video of a bunny chasing a snake

Where? I wanna see?

[watch me fall]

I've also gone many months without Facebook, as I've never had it. I definitely hear the "God, stop writing on cave walls" type comments, but you know, I just despise Facebook. There's a whole level of interpersonality that is forever lost with Facebook. People no longer call a friend to say hi, instead they just post some dumb shit on their "wall". There are a lot of people that have gotten really into Facebook that have actually forgotten how to talk to another person altogether. Their conversation goes stale quickly, and they revert to showing you a video of a bunny chasing a snake. Because that's all they know anymore. They sit around and talk about the things that are on their Facebook page. It really is just terrible.

 

Also, people can't any longer take a picture just for the sake of capturing the memory for a lifetime, instead they take it just to post it on Facebook later that night.

 

Oh, and it also encourages stalkerish behavior.

Party pooper.

[Calexico]

People often ask me if I am on Facebook or they refer to something on it and when I say that I don't use it and don't like it they look at me as if I just admitted that I like to have sex with priests. Which I don't. Well, not to my knowledge anyway.

 

Why accept friend requests from people who you would actually cross the street to avoid in real life?

[Guest Speed Racer]

Why accept friend requests from people who you would actually cross the street to avoid in real life?

 

I was unaware that is what all Facebook users are supposed to do.

 

But since you asked, there are three types of friends I have:

 

* Friends/family

* Acquaintences

* Schadenfriends.

[W(TF)]

these networking sites are instant relationship crashing devices. from my experience, it's wise to only use them if you're single. it's a small world but a huge internet.

 

what HH said.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Again, I think people whose relationships crash directly because of Facebook aren't exactly doing everything right outside of Facebook. That they're dumb enough to use a tool that broadcasts their idiocy is not a direct result of the tool itself. People who cut their phalanges off using a circular saw don't make the saws dangerous, necessarily.

[Wise Enough]

 

Why accept friend requests from people who you would actually cross the street to avoid in real life?

 

So you can find out gossip without having to talk to people you would cross the street to avoid... That best friend you had the falling out with in high school? Now you can see she that she really lost her looks as she aged. Whats not to love?

 

I ADORE facebook. Yeah, it can be boring if your friends with boring people, but luckily I have funny friends who crack me up. It also helps new friendships grow. Many people I've stood next to at concerts and we've become friends on facebook, then great friends in real life. Without facebook we would have never spoken again.

 

Not to mention the 45 comment status updates that have degraded into scrag fights. Pays to be friends with scrags, they are so entertaining.

[HungryHippo]

Again, I think people whose relationships crash directly because of Facebook aren't exactly doing everything right outside of Facebook. That they're dumb enough to use a tool that broadcasts their idiocy is not a direct result of the tool itself. People who cut their phalanges off using a circular saw don't make the saws dangerous, necessarily.

I can see where you're coming from, for the most part. however, it's a job within itself to manage all of your friends under one website. I won't go into details, but there's a reason I have a group of friends in my personal life and a group in my work life. when the 2 mesh, it's like mixing sodium with water...

[Guest Speed Racer]

it's a job within itself to manage all of your friends under one website.

 

What's there to "manage"? I've never understood this statement, as it's not the case for me at all. I'm the same person at work as I am anywhere else, and I don't friend people who I don't want to see my profile. As far as I can tell, people who need to "manage" all of their friends are people who are wont to post less than flattering things about themselves and others. Yes, if you embarrass yourself on a public forum, trying to keep other people from finding out is a chore. If you don't, there's nothing to manage. This might not apply directly to your circumstances, but it does to other people I've heard say that phrase.

[bobfrombob]

I have a Facebook account. I don't use it that often and certainly would have no problem going for a month without it - I do that regularly.

 

However, I'm a little surprised by people who say they don't have it and don't like it. How do you know you don't like it if you don't have it?

[brownie]

How do you know you don't like it if you don't have it?

 

I had a Facebook account for about 5 minutes. After I registered, using a fake name, and an email address I hardly ever use (I don't want to be "found" by old high school chums etc), I was presented with the names and photos of 3 "people you might know." All three were former students of mine. (WTF??) For sure I don't want to be found by former students. I deleted my account on the spot. Facebook is not for me.

[sonicshoulder]

I personally am not a fan. I would feel obligated to "friend" people I don't really care to talk to or to not talk to in real life. If you see an old aquaintance in the store and you really don't want to talk to them you don't have to and they won't know and no one is offended. If someone tries to "friend" you and you deny it...your now an asshole. I make fun of my wife constantly about her Facebook activity. Usually along the lines of "what did the girl two rows over and four back from you in 2nd grade have for breakfast yesterday". I think its super lame when people post mundane details of their everyday lives for hundreds of people to see. All that being said, my wife calls this Wilco Facebook and says its way dorkier than her Facebook...and she might have a point.

[plasticeyeball]

I ignore friend requests pretty often. I don't think it's assholeish, But then again, I live in NJ so I tend to tell people to fuck off if they ask me for directions.

[Analogman]

I ignore friend requests pretty often. I don't think it's assholeish, But then again, I live in NJ so I tend to tell people to fuck off if they ask me for directions.

 

Do you know Snookie?

 

 

 

 

I recently got a Facebook page. I think it's just part of the evolution of things.

 

I know people who use to fax back and forth. And then came email, Yahoo chat rooms, Yahoo messenger, AIM chat, message boards, My Space, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

[Guest Jules]

January 2009: Facebook violated me. Never been back.