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

[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!

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Az = me, as regards FB. A lot of people in the library community are on it and I keep wondering if I should start up an account. The problem is, I prefer my social networking to be pseudonymous & for fun, rather than for business.

If I do end up there eventually, it will be solely to have some kind of real-name, "professional" (bleah) presence online.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

toft_froggy has made some interesting points downthread about the limited usefulness of FB as a professional tool.