<p>lol. I rather have 10 super close friends than 100 superficial friends. It's quality that counts not quantity as I am constantly reminded by my parents. Unlike Bear Sterns, where it's the quantity of debt that counts and not its quality. Selling gold for $2 a piece. :p</p>
<p>^ Right on.</p>
<p>I never signed up for any of these online social networks that everyone has these days, even in high school. I'd prefer to be a bystandard. Truth be told, I'm an introvert; a private person who doesn't like the idea of flaunting themselves on their own glorified web page. And I like it that way! </p>
<p>This brings up a larger point on the role of technology on contemporary society. As has been noted before, face-to-face, personal contact and socialization is becoming a thing of the past. Even if I am fortunate enough to get the attention of someone and hold a conversation for over a minute, a damn cellphone inevitably goes off. So many seem preoccupied with what's not in their immediate surroundings. It's comical. </p>
<p>I see people on the sidewalk, after class. What are they doing? Talking on cell phones or texting. I imagine what life was like before this...people interacting with other people, not through an electronic medium, but directly. And yes, I do see the irony of me making this point on a message board. ;)</p>
<p>Facebook is a great means to keep in touch when you're in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception because of passing aircraft & the only method of communication is through the Internet or landlines. </p>
<p>Embrace technology!</p>
<p>
you deleted your profile because you only had 20 friends didn't you
</p>
<p>And this is an illustration of exactly why I don't use Facebook, MySpace, or any of these laughable things. People who use these tend to be immature and demented, boiling life down to a contest of who has the most superficial "friends" on a geeky website created by some kid with too much time on his hands. "jack4640 is a zombie!" If this does not define childish play, I do not know what does.</p>
<p>"Facebook is useful." Not as useful as other forms of communication which have long been in existence and are more powerful, such as telephones, fax, email, etc.</p>
<p>Facebook isn't as useful as a fax? Too bad for us puny mortals who don't have faxes. Seriously, you use fax as a form of communication besides exchanging forms that need signing? Wow. And email? Umm, facebook fulfills all the roles emails fill minus the more formal ones, and do some better (especially contact with old acquaintances or just meeting new people online). And telephone? Telephone calls are time consuming, and I don't call people I'm curious about but not particularly close with. Plus, me and many other people hate talking on the phone, especially when accents are involved. Besides, the comparison is about as valid as that of a message board and a chat. The two are entirely different modes of communication. </p>
<p>Tschhh, try it before you knock it. I hated it too before I tried it and found out that keeping in touch with those old acquaintances was actually possible. I used facebook to keep in touch with this girl I had a crush on in high school but wasn't close enough to establish a consistent e-mail, much less telephone, relationship with, and we started dating winter break because we used it to stay in touch. Seriously, you can't see the convenience and ease of "hey, I wonder what this person is up to!", not to mention the informality of it all?</p>
<p>Facebook just improved their privacy controls recently, things are far better now.</p>
<p>I never signed up for Facebook/MySpace/etc. I was always taught not to give out personal information online, especially to strangers (unless its for employment, ordering something online, or something actually IMPORTANT), which is why I enjoy message boards (what with the anonymity and all). I signed up anonymously for Friendster once at a friends urging, but I let that kinda die out without even setting up my profile really. </p>
<p>I also think its kinda interesting some of the problems people are having with potential employers looking at their Facebook pages and denying people jobs based on the crud they have up there. It appears that not having a Facebook page at all gives me a leg up in the employment field, sweet!</p>
<p>Vail- That's definitely what privacy settings are for.</p>
<p>No, really, I love the privacy settings. I use my facebook completely for keeping track of old friends or people I just don't see very often day-to-day. I don't meet anyone new online (I think it's a little weird), so only my actual real friends can see the info on my facebook. My cell number and stuff is on it, but I'm also one of those people that only adds people I actually talk to (not random people that requested me for no reason), so it doesn't bother me. </p>
<p>And, unlike things with the whole "journal" component, I think facebook is more geared to talking to people instead of blabbing about yourself. I love the wall.</p>
<p>And it actually has helped me keep in track of people! I hadn't talked to one of my friends for a couple of years and now we're talking again and we go out together (oooooo, so Facebook does spark seeing people in real life!) and things like that.</p>
<p>Bad things about facebook:
1. I don't care when you break up and I don't want everyone to know as soon as I break up with my boyfriend.
2. The ZOMG PENN CLASS OF 2012 statuses can be really unenjoyable after you've just been rejected.
3. Those type of friends that send four application requests a day. Not everyone does it, but there's always SOMEONE that does. Usually new facebook users. I want to punch them in the face. My new goal is to block almost every application on facebook.</p>
<p>
[quote]
People who use these tend to be immature and demented, boiling life down to a contest of who has the most superficial "friends" on a geeky website created by some kid with too much time on his hands.
[/quote]
You pretty much summed up all high schoolers on social networks.</p>
<p>Facebook is a great tool for college students to stay in touch with each other, especially with people you do not see often anymore, or at all (which is why there was so much protest when it was opened up to HSers, and then to everyone).</p>
<p>And for those who say "use other, better forms of communication"... I am sorry that most of us don't live in your ideal world where there are 100 hours in a day, where we have all the time in the world to telephone just to say "hi" and everyone is online at the same time so they can IM one another, where phone and fax are free, and we have the time to shoot off emails to everybody we know just because.</p>
<p>If you seriously doubt the utility of Facebook as a tool for keeping in touch, then you are very out of tune with the modern world.</p>
<p>Facebook is just another potentially useful tool for keeping in contact with people. Being all angry at it just looks kind of silly.</p>
<p>Facebook is pretty cool for keeping in touch. I only have like 150-175 friends (and I only talk to about 50), and I have no idea how people get upwards of 500 though, unless they want other people to think they are cool which ticks me off. On the other hand, would it be ok of me to ask a bunch of random people from the college I just got into to be my friend (I only ask this because I don't generally accept random friend requests)? Or would it be weird.</p>
<p>pearlygate: In that comic, an "X" means a friendly ex, and a "Y" is an ex who you regret ever dating. The joke is that X is "ex", while Y is for "Y oh Y did I date that guy" (Y = why)</p>
<p>If you dont like it dont use it. Dont go preaching to us trying to legitimize your hatred. I use facebook, i think its cool nice thing to have. To each their own.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you dont like it dont use it. Dont go preaching to us trying to legitimize your hatred. I use facebook, i think its cool nice thing to have. To each their own.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But then how would we know that you consider yourself above a website and its userbase!??</p>
<p>HOW WOULD WE KNOW</p>
<p>good point tempus.</p>
<p>as a METHOD OF COMMUNICATION facebook sucks balls.. but as a game ("jack4640 is a zombie!") it's just like miniclip or anything else.</p>
<p>it doesn't work for me.. not saying that other people shouldn't use it.</p>
<p>i actually have a facebook, i just don't use it</p>
<p>"On the other hand, would it be ok of me to ask a bunch of random people from the college I just got into to be my friend (I only ask this because I don't generally accept random friend requests)? Or would it be weird."</p>
<p>Nope, it's not really weird, although I don't do this personally. A lot of people do this because they want to find a roomie instead of going in blind, or just to say hello.</p>
<p>I used to hate facebook, myspace, and other social networking sites. I have since converted (facebook is better imo), as it is pretty nice to keep in touch with friends/relatives that live far away.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Vail- That's definitely what privacy settings are for.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Google Cache FTW?</p>
<p>I deactivated my FB account after a year. I discovered that CC is a better drug. Without all the pokings.</p>
<p>
what's available to Google (i.e. your Facebook Public Profile) is extremely limited...essentially your name, school + year, other networks, maybe your status update. and that's pretty much all that it can cache. i don't think employers are going to hire hackers just to see if you had a red cup in your hand at some point in your life :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Facebook is fine...it's much more practical than Myspace and infinitely less annoying. it's nice to keep up with friends from HS who went to other schools, and it's easier to arrange get-togethers and meetings (NOT with strangers...just things like dinner, etc. of course you could call, but there are times when you just don't feel like it :p). the worst part to me is that it's a distraction. i don't worry so much about people finding out things about me...basically, i won't put anything on it that i wouldn't want people to know, and if somebody does put something up that i'd rather keep private, i'll change privacy settings, tell the person, etc.</p>
<p>I don't hv a FB account. CC has already been giving me wee bit of bad habits already i.g. wasting time, clicking on threads totally unrelated to me. I am suspicious if I sign for FB, I may become a total busybody (:. So no FB ever.</p>