Friend or foe of Facebook?

[Skunky Bus]

Gene Rodenberry and scriptwriter Brannon Braga unknowingly hatched what is now a cautionary tale about Facebook in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled, "The Game." In short, a character "wisely wonders why the computer game [starship Enterprise commander] Riker brought back from shore leave so quickly became popular or rather addictive before he tries it as they all insist (source: http://www.imdb.com)." It turns out that the game is a device used by a certain alien species to take control over other beings.

This post is in response to a news story I heard on the radio this morning, according to which employers are looking suspiciously at job applicants who don't use Facebook, assuming they have something to hide! As if: "I hate Facebook, therefore I'm an embezzler, combative employee, or the Unabomber's successor." Sheesh!

Of course, the Trekkies among you may already have found a metaphor for F-book in the Borg: "Resistance is futile...you will be assimilated!"

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by Skunky Bus

Gene Rodenberry and scriptwriter Brannon Braga unknowingly hatched what is now a cautionary tale about Facebook in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled, "The Game." In short, a character "wisely wonders why the computer game [starship Enterprise commander] Riker brought back from shore leave so quickly became popular or rather addictive before he tries it as they all insist (source: http://www.imdb.com)." It turns out that the game is a device used by a certain alien species to take control over other beings.

This post is in response to a news story I heard on the radio this morning, according to which employers are looking suspiciously at job applicants who don't use Facebook, assuming they have something to hide! As if: "I hate Facebook, therefore I'm an embezzler, combative employee, or the Unabomber's successor." Sheesh!

Of course, the Trekkies among you may already have found a metaphor for F-book in the Borg: "Resistance is futile...you will be assimilated!"

It's good to be self-employed.

[Skunky Bus]

Originally Posted by crazycal

It's good to be self-employed.

Self-employment may be my only option - and the only option for scores of others.

Just for shits and giggles, I "Googled' the phrase "Facebook is the Borg" and got about 100,000 (not a typo: that really is a hundred thousand) hits!

[lornaschinske]

Has anyone else had a rash of "friend requests" lately from twitface? It seems in the past two week I have gotten a minimum of 3 "friend requests" per day... often more... from people I am clueless as to whom they are. Are they running a special or something along the lines of "harass a stranger month"? I don't bother to respond, I simply delete the e-mail. I did tell one person (I actually knew who it was) that I don't twitface.

[Stuff]

nope i havent.

[Skunky Bus]

Latest news on F-book: The company is going to start inserting advertisements in the Timelines of every user, based on content the user publishes.
More details here, but it's a system that allows advertisers to target the users. Doesn't sound appealing to me. If I were an F-booker I'd have to add a disclaimer: "Advertising appearing herein results from robo-marketing and is unrelated to my opinion of products and services so advertised."

[lornaschinske]

Perhaps that may have something to do with all those "friends" that I don't know? Facebook is trying to get more folks using their services.

[Skunky Bus]

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

Perhaps that may have something to do with all those "friends" that I don't know? Facebook is trying to get more folks using their services.

That could explain unwanted friend requests. I think they realize that they have almost saturated the adult American market (based on their allowing children under 13 to sign up without parents' permission). I've heard that about 80% of U.S. adults use the service. I'm guessing the other 20% are in the over-my-dead-body set like me.

Although I designed this poll to allow two responses per person (thus along with small sample size making it harder to draw clear conclusions), it seems that the results imply more non-users here than in the general population. Not surprising considering that Skoolie types proudly march to a different drummer!

[Skunky Bus]

I'd wear an all-black outfit for this occasion if I had one. Damn.

http://digitallife.today.com/_news/2...-billion-users

[Skunky Bus]

Aargh! As much as I hate the phrase "drink the Kool-Aid," my gf drank the Facebook fruit-flavoured beverage mix.
Keepin' my fingers crossed that phishermen don't invade through the portal. I'm afraid to share anything on that damn thing.

[Russell]

If somebody can show me any advantage to posting on facebook please tell me what it is.

[stonestatue]

I detest ads with a passion, and Facebook is no exception. I remember back in the day (2006) when Facebook used to be just for college students at a university to communicate with each other WITHOUT ads. Now Facebook is forcing ads down our throats on our smart phones AND computers. For this reason, I have completely uninstalled Facebook on my phone, and only use it on the desktop computer. There is a way to block ads on the desktop, which is the only reason I haven't outright terminated my account. I HATE ads of any kind. They're loud, intrusive, distracting, and just plain annoying.

[Russell]

I still don't know how it is of any use to me are anybody else. I think its B.S. All I get is freind requests from people on the other side of our planet, useless completly useless!!!

[Diesel Dan]

Originally Posted by Russell

If somebody can show me any advantage to posting on facebook please tell me what it is.

I find that it actually enhances my relationships with people with whom I would otherwise not have much contact, simply because life is busy and we tend to need some excuse to get together. I've also re-connected with people from the distant past, and that has been a lot of fun to see how their life turned out. Basically, if you are a social person by nature, you are probably more likely to be a "friend" of Facebook. Also, my facebook friends tend to post interesting links and funny stuff that I never would have found on my own, so it also keeps me entertained when work is slow and there isn't much happening on the skoolie forum.

[Das Mel]

...I use it to stalk my Sister (we don't talk much otherwise and I have no IDEA what her daily life is like unless she posts to the stupid website). And I tend to post process pictures of my artwork. And "Writer's Dare"s. Buuuuuuuut, that's about it.

The Games were addicting. I quit playing those. I'd rather spend my time doing something else. Like sleeping. I'm good at sleeping. Really good at it. In fact, the hammock is calling my name right now. Time for a nap!

[Skunky Bus]

Originally Posted by Diesel Dan

I find that it actually enhances my relationships with people with whom I would otherwise not have much contact, simply because life is busy and we tend to need some excuse to get together. I've also re-connected with people from the distant past, and that has been a lot of fun to see how their life turned out. Basically, if you are a social person by nature, you are probably more likely to be a "friend" of Facebook. Also, my facebook friends tend to post interesting links and funny stuff that I never would have found on my own, so it also keeps me entertained when work is slow and there isn't much happening on the skoolie forum.

If I did use it, it'd be one more electronic forum to fall behind on. I sometimes don't even check my e-mail for a couple of days.

[bapos]

I have an account I mostly lurk on there. I used it mostly to keep up with old high school friends and people I served with in the Navy. I just got through doing a search for school bus conversion and it came up with nothing. I cant help but think that there is some group on there that is doing what we are doing on here? If someone has some info please let me know.

The thing I don't like about FB is people mostly only show the highs and lows of their life and its a scream for 'HEY LOOK AT ME AND HOW GREAT MY LIFE IS" compared to your pitiful one? I get way too much of it on my news feed. Bad thing about hiding people is you don't get their daily bs but when you go back and see something that you actually want to support them on... say a death in the family, there is no way to separate the mind numbing crap from the actually stuff I would like to read about?

Just my thoughts. Its a part of the modern world... better get use to it.

[Skunky Bus]

Originally Posted by bapos

Just my thoughts. Its a part of the modern world... better get use to it.

Like CB radio and eight-track tapes?

I have nothing against eight tracks (other than the inferior quality relative to newer media) and CB has its appeal. I remember Mom and Dad getting one back around 1976 to go in the Minnie Winnie. We had fun with it...and everyone had to have one. CB never reached the fashionability of TwitFace but it survives today because it's ideal for truckers among others. That's the kind of future I'd like to see for Facebook.

At least the survey thus far has a bimodal distribution curve so we FB-haters can take heart.

[Skunky Bus]

I love this picture! Too true IMHO to be funny, however.

[Skunky Bus]

Bumped this because Zephod Beeblebrox2's thread about dropping FB is Closed.

Z.B.'s sentiments echo mine. FB is okay for those who really prefer it to other means of communicating with the outside world (as long as it doesn't eclipse all their other activities - and apparently as long as they want to use their real names). I just don't see anything there that is impossible to achieve by "old-fashioned" websites and e-mail.