The most pressing issue of the day

[altariel]

A friend recently suggested that I join Facebook. I was on Facebook at one point, in fact, but it bewildered and slightly irritated me, so I deleted my account. I didn't want to play Scrabble, and I kept on getting things thrown at me, and while I'm working I try not to be online, so I don't have windows open with Twitter, IM, LJ, etc. etc. (Because I find them addictive and I'd play with them rather than work.) So I'm not clear how I'd integrate it into my working day or indeed my life.

But then I know that's just me being crusty and bad-tempered and reclusive, all my least attractive qualities. Not to mention indecisive, so I'm putting it to you, friends list:

[Poll #1421396]

Please feel free to tell me why or why not.

Twitter is out, though.

Unless someone can give me a really good reason.

Comments

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

At one point, I was trying to keep up with Facebook - all the updates, applications, etc etc. But work means large swathes of time when I just can't be checking things all the time, and it ended up being stressful for no particular benefit.

Now, I do little or nothing with all of the 'applications'; I rarely update my status; and I'm patchy at checking other people's updates. So my page isn't much more than a placeholder. But I keep it partly because people occasionally post photos there, and mostly because there are two or three people with whom I've made contact again through FB - people of whom I've thought over the years 'I wonder what happened to X; I suppose I've no way of ever finding out'. And I'm pleased that that's happened.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I have to say it's chiefly the thought of yet another place to keep track of that puts me off.

[manna]

But then I know that's just me being crusty and bad-tempered and reclusive, all my least attractive qualities.

Eh? Since when did crusty, bad-tempered and reclusive become bad qualities?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Oh, you know, when they're the only qualities I ever exhibit...!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Twitter fills me with horror, to be honest, down to the name. The thought of constant chirping... leave me alone...!!! I do have a page at MySpace, because it's a good way to follow bands I'm interested in. But I only go there every so often.

[trixieleitz]

I seem to have read an awful lot about how various people use Facebook, and none of it has said to me, "Hey! You should use it, too!" (is likewise crusty and reclusive)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's an extravert thing? Still, I'm umming and ahing, because it appears to be a good place to have a professional presence.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Since I haven't got the faintest idea what the heck Facebook is, I'm probably not really fit to vote. ;)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Oh! An online social networking site.

[thanatos-kalos.livejournal.com]

I've been pondering Facebook myself-- the conference had a page, and I check it occasionally, but it was nowhere near as helpful as the conference LJ or the various other bits and pieces we had scattered around the net. But it does seem like it's more trouble than it's worth. Plus, FB operates on the assumption that one wants to be found, which isn't always the case.

I'm pondering twitter, too, if only because then I can stop spamming LJ and/or my friends via text with these random thoughts I keep having. :P

[altariel.livejournal.com]

FB operates on the assumption that one wants to be found, which isn't always the case.

Hah, yes!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You are my tempter-in-chief! I have to say I found the old interface very cluttered and unappealing, and I couldn't seem to find my way around it. I am afraid that if I get a page there it will show up exactly how little I do anything or go anywhere! My status will permanently say: "Una is at home reading" or "Una is in Starbucks writing"! Hmm, I shall ponder... I'm just about to rejig my website, to bring various online identities together, so it's possible FB will fit into that in some way.

[paranoidangel]

There's nothing useful that Facebook does. It just sends you emails to tell you you have emails there (why do people not just send an email and save time and effort?) and although there might be interesting discussions on the groups there's no way of telling if there's ever anything new posted.

The only reason I haven't deleted mine is that they give me no confidence at all that they'll actually delete it - and when I tried to delete it they just made my profile visible to the whole world during the two weeks it sits in suspended status before it actually gets deleted. So now I just ignore it instead and anyone that uses it to contact me, ignoring the message that tells them not to, has clearly failed my intelligence test and therefore I don't need to speak to them :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I also thought I was going to have a massive hassle deleting my page at FB, but they were onto it straight away, and also very friendly about it. I've no idea what data they kept, though.

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't necessarily say, "Yay, Facebook!" but I've come to tolerate it - especially since it's the only social networking modality that a few of my friends use. (Whyyyyy can't they see the wonder and joy that is LiveJournal?)

Anyway... I was about to give up on FB until I learned how to block stuff.

If someone throws something at you, or tries to engage you in anything like a pillow fight or mafia wars or silly quizzes, if you hover your mouse to the right of that line item on the page, you'll see a little pop-up that says, "Block [friend name]" and "Block [Name of Application]". This also works if you get an invitation to get involved with something that uses an application, and it shows up on your invitation/friend request screen. There is a button that says, "Block this application".

True, there are new ones always popping up, but it has SIGNIFICANTLY lowered the spam on my page and I can actually keep up with what my friends are saying.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I was about to give up on FB until I learned how to block stuff.

Aha, now that's worth knowing! If it was something I could go to periodically, without feeling like it was trying to drag my attention to it, that would make a big difference.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

You've tried it, you didn't like it. Seems to me you've already answered the question. It's not like your friends who are online-savvy can't reach you via LJ, after all.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Heh, yes, good point.

[ex-naomi-ja.livejournal.com]

The only thing you need to know is: Facebook has a Pirate English setting.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

AAAARRRR!

[acesspadesdice.livejournal.com]

I said nay! But I'm on it myself-all it seems to be good or is finding long lost friends. The rest is rubish.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I recall someone did get in touch with me, someone I went to primary school with - nice chap.

[azalaisdep.livejournal.com]

The poll didn't have a Sitting on the Fence option, which is where I am re Facebook!

Like you I keep wondering whether I should be on it for work purposes, but I think it would actually be more useful for the Library itself to be on it (the British Library's got a Facebook page, after all! I am always amused to see it's described as female)

Snag is, lots of my family and some friends are on it obsessively, so I suspect they'd want to keep contacting me socially, which would either get undesirably mixed up with the work things (I like to keep work and social life in very separate boxes), or people would get irritated with me for ignoring them.

I also like to keep RL/non-pseudonymous uses of Teh Interweb very separate from fandom ones, so all the fun stuff would continue to be on LJ anyway ;-)

Sorry, that's no help, is it?

(I do know the Resident Geek eventually caved and got a Facebook page, mostly to see what other people were up to, but he keeps all the alerts turned off so AFAIK it doesn't impinge on his online existence too much. Also means even if I were to join I couldn't give him virtual pokes to get him to load the dishwasher, etc, so there's another use eliminated ;-) )

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The poll didn't have a Sitting on the Fence option

LOL, I've learned not to do that with these polls, that's the answer everyone gives!

The link between my RL name and LJ alterego got established pretty early on, to be honest, so at least I don't have that to worry about!

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

If it irritates you, my answer is definitely no. There are plenty of places it's helpful for a writer to have a professional presence, and you can't keep up with all of them. Stick to the ones you can use effectively; anything else just saps the energy you need for writing. IMO.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Good advice. Also - fabulous icon!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

?

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I cannot see a purpose in either Facebook or Twitter - indeed, I can't be bothered with IM either, unless there is a specific purpose. I waste too much time on LJ and the blogs I follow as it is... if you feel the same way, don't do it.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

My other half uses Twitter and IM very productively for working with folks at a distance... but I'm not in the same line of work, and I find too much constant and unfiltered information a real distraction. I can't IM and concentrate on anything else, for example.

Facebook seems to be an easy way of establishing a professional presence, but I'm not sure whether it will also bring more e-housekeeping, as it were.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I wss inveigled into joining Facebook a year or so ago, but quickly discovered that it was not for me. I had assumed that it would facilitate multi-way discussions with old friends who were already on it, but it's useless for that. It seems to be all "bells and whistles" and nothing else. I still have my account, but I never use it.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I couldn't see how it enabled discussion. I can see how it lets a wide circle of friends living at a distance rapidly swap information, but not detailed information.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Well, the main reason I am all 'No!' about Facebook is that people I don't really want to be re-connected with would find me since one has to use one's proper name and even where those people are not those of whom the thought makes me vomit, such as those on the list of the people at my school reunion that my parents kindly forwarded on to me, I still cannot be fecking arsed to try to explain my current life and being to those with whom I am no longer in touch but generally wish well.

And I spend too much time on LJ, but not updating, and reading other blogs, as it is, I think it would be just another something that I would feel guilty and stressed about or else waste to much time on.

Also, I have no interest in online Scrabble either. My favourite way to play Scrabble is in some sort of co-operative way to come up with lots of interesting words on the board and fill up the whole board with an interesting spread rather than have everything bunched up in high-scoring clusters or playing a defensive game that blocks everyone else's moves. And that's not going to happen online.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Wise words, as ever.

My favourite way to play Scrabble is in some sort of co-operative way to come up with lots of interesting words on the board and fill up the whole board with an interesting spread rather than have everything bunched up in high-scoring clusters or playing a defensive game that blocks everyone else's moves.

YES YES YES! The rules of Scrabble reward being able to play Scrabble, which is frankly quite dull, rather than rewarding play, which what I want really to do when I feel all those lovely tiles taking shape beneath my fingers. If the pattern could be made attractive or symmetrical too, that's even better.

Do I care about putting AX on a triple word score? NO.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

I'm saying yes, because I had the sort of experience that Facebook's creators kvell about: I was reunited with a very old friend I'd lost track of long ago and now we are really good friends again. And all those old friends who joined up and hardly ever post? At least I now know where they are, and they know where I am, after I rode off into the NZ sunset. So, it works for me, YMMV.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yes, that definitely seems to be the best reason to join. I've entirely lost contact with school friends, and uni friends too, pretty much.

[owlfish]

FB is a mess in terms of infrastructure, unintuitiveness of turning off email alerts and adjusting privacy settings - BUT I do quite like it and find it useful because I know lots of people who will give regular short updates (I don't do Twitter), but only post once in a blue moon. And then there are all the other peoples I'm happy to be in touch with who aren't on LJ at all.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The interface was a great annoyance when I first joined: lots of gadgets and twiddly fiddly things, and I couldn't see any unifying philosophy behind them. BTW, I had cause yesterday to write to someone that technology isn't just the modern stuff, and I thought of you.

I got sucked in last month

[(Anonymous)]

Granted, I had an excellent reason for it.

But I'm much happier now that I've managed to turn off almost every alert save the "I want to be your friend" alert.

However, that's not a yes vote. I fully support being reclusive and bad tempered towards technology.

Dwim, still without LJ

Re: I got sucked in last month

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You joined Facebook before LJ?!? *horrors!*

I'm fairly sure I have a spare Dreamwidth code, you know....

[muninnhuginn]

I had to vote against Facebook, but then I'm totally tied into Twitter--that's where the telescopes talk to me.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I joined it to play Scrabble (which I do with about two people) but I don't really see the point apart from that. I too get stuff (usually unseasonable or pig- and hen-related) thrown at me, plus annoying chain mail which stops right here. I know people use it as a networking site to see what their friends are up to, but it seems to me you can't have a decent conversation the way you can here.

I also don't get Twitter.

Eep. Am I turning into an old fogey? Nope, I'm just an introvert. I like being in control of when I respond, and enjoy LJ and e-mail, but not the phone, texting, and IM. It's a personality thing, and I know others enjoy the immediacy of those things.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Mr A. has used Twitter at big conferences to get reports on other sessions, meet up with people between sessions, arrange drinks etc. Which seems an excellent use... Like the two scientists in Hitch-hikers, I don't go to those kinds of parties! The thought of the constant stream of information tires me out: I have enough problems keeping my inbox manageable.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

I don't really see why you should. I use it because it's a useful way for me to very occasionally check in on (see: stalk) the people I went to school with and are interested in how their stories turn out. I also know a lot of people who use it as a social networking tool and invite me to stuff using it, so if I'm not on it, I miss out. I also like that if I go to a party and a friend takes pictures, I can see the pictures they took (assuming I have friends who take nice and not embarrassing pictures, which I do). If none of those things are relevant/interesting to you, then why bother? We keep up with your life on LJ, which is way better anyway.

[PS - you can set your settings so that your profile blocks all invitations to applications that people send you, and you don't actually have to install any if you don't want to. I have scrabble installed and that's it - my profile is very spartan.]

[PPS - the general feeling in my circle/people I know is that facebook is NOT a good place to professionally advertise yourself. If you make yourself available to search, it means that people searching you can then look at things you've written on other people's walls, photos of you from 30 years ago that people have put up and tagged as you, and so on and so forth. I don't know anyone who hasn't locked down their profile to their own private network.]

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I think it really would show up how I have the world's least thrilling life: "altariel is at home reading a book"... "altariel is having a think"... "altariel is pretending she cannot hear the phone ring"...

That's very helpful to know that people aren't necessarily finding it useful in a professional context. I hate having my photo taken at the best of times and would loathe to have to see ones that were taken when I was a teenager, yuk!

[greylin.livejournal.com]

I'm on Facebook, but really only to spy on my kids (heh) and keep up with my family who are scattered across the globe and post photos there. A colleague asked the other day if they could friend me on FB but I declined on the grounds that I don't want to blur the lines between work and private life. I don't actually know anyone who uses FB for professional reasons but I suppose it has viral marketing potential.

A potentially worrying aspect of FB is that if your friends use applications they can put your own security at risk, even if you don't use any apps yourself. There's an article about it at the BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7375772.stm .

So you'll have worked out by now that I voted "nay", but don't let that stop you! :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm on Facebook, but really only to spy on my kids (heh)

Heh! I'm sort of afraid that if I join, then relatives will be able to spy on me! I'm interested that you don't know anyone who uses it for professional reasons (I'm on LinkedIn, which is perhaps more useful for this?).