Facebook - to join or not to join

[Millymollymandy]

Some very useful security tips here.

I've never seen half of that info, I don't think it is available on FB help.

I only got a notification the other day about a new thing called groups where you could customise which groups of friends see what information.

In the end it's all rather complicated and if I was that bothered I just would delete the whole damn thing!

But I can't see any problems posting photos of cakes and veggies. I would never post a photo of a person without their permission however and it would be nice if other people did the same - i.e. if anyone should ever post a photo of me without my permission I would be down on them like a ton of bricks.

[Millymollymandy]

Hmmmm just looked at privacy settings and they have changed again since I last set them a couple of months ago and there are some things I don't even understand what they mean!

[JillStephens7]

I would never post a photo of a person without their permission however and it would be nice if other people did the same -

Someone put a photo of our wedding on without asking, I was not happy!

[red]

I would never post a photo of a person without their permission however and it would be nice if other people did the same -

Someone put a photo of our wedding on without asking, I was not happy!

yes
someone i know in real life said she saw a picture of my son and hadn't he grown. neither we nor my son are on FB - but someone posted pictures taken at a gathering, etc.
i hated it.

i really dislike the compulsory side of FB - like my brother only posts pictures of his child on FB and if i want to see i have to sign up.. he could of course email them to me.. he could even make it so i can see without joining FB... there's an element.. like smokers encouraging a reformed smoker to have a fag... FB users want everyone else to join too. and once you have signed up... they never let you go,,, you can deactivate your account.. but it does not go away..

i find it funny how often people are surprised about how their FB activity might effect the rest of their lives.. its standard practice to do a FB search on a job candidate, etc.
Himself is an IT manager.. it can logged at work how much time you are spending on FB etc.

course i do use social networks.. i blog, I use flickr and i use forums - like this one :)
so i guess you make your choice.

[bonniethomas06]

Facebook is wierd.

It can take over your life - I swear I now see the world in a series of status updates.

I started off loving having a good nose at people I went to school with's photos (but weren't quite friends with) which was strangely voyeristic - after all, the likelihood of seeing someone in the street that you haven't seen for ages, and them having to have their wedding photos in their handbag is slim, but with FB you can.

But then it started making me feel inadequate - everyone getting married and having babies, having amazing careers, travelling the world, all while I just festered at home. I was quite sad for a while - it has taken rather a lot of moral reinforcement to remind myself that I was perfectly happy before I started comparing myself to everyone else my age! I have pondered coming off it for that rather lame reason, but there are some friends I just wouldn't communicate with without it - and no, that doesn't mean that they aren't proper friends, just that they (like I) am busy and we now live in an electronic world and live miles apart, where 'communication' has changed forever.

[Millymollymandy]

Well, if it's any consolation MMM I just logged into OH facebook account and tried to search for you - didn't get any details just your name and avatar photo of the garden so your settings must be ok

Good Also I'm one of those people who can type their name into google and not find themselves. I have found various family members from time to time but I'm such a boring ordinary person I don't exist.

[Millymollymandy]

Facebook is wierd.

It can take over your life - I swear I now see the world in a series of status updates.

I started off loving having a good nose at people I went to school with's photos (but weren't quite friends with) which was strangely voyeristic - after all, the likelihood of seeing someone in the street that you haven't seen for ages, and them having to have their wedding photos in their handbag is slim, but with FB you can.

But then it started making me feel inadequate - everyone getting married and having babies, having amazing careers, travelling the world, all while I just festered at home. I was quite sad for a while - it has taken rather a lot of moral reinforcement to remind myself that I was perfectly happy before I started comparing myself to everyone else my age! I have pondered coming off it for that rather lame reason, but there are some friends I just wouldn't communicate with without it - and no, that doesn't mean that they aren't proper friends, just that they (like I) am busy and we now live in an electronic world and live miles apart, where 'communication' has changed forever.

Good grief Bonnie, you are young, you've just qualified as a Legal Exec and you have a smallholding to boot!!! How much more fabulous do you want your life to be? I admire you greatly!

[Ellendra]

Also I'm one of those people who can type their name into google and not find themselves. I have found various family members from time to time but I'm such a boring ordinary person I don't exist.

I'm the opposite, if I type my name into Google I find there are 3 of me

[Sinmara]

i find it funny how often people are surprised about how their FB activity might effect the rest of their lives.. its standard practice to do a FB search on a job candidate, etc.
Himself is an IT manager.. it can logged at work how much time you are spending on FB etc.

Indeed. That's why my name can't be found on facebook unless I'm on someones friendlist, or add them myself. Plus even if someone finds my profile there's absolutely nothing to see, apart from a picture lol

And at work I go online from my iphone, not the computer. Simples!

[cocobelle]

I would say join for the sole reason of keeping in touch with friends who live faraway, but limit the info you provide on yourself.

[Millymollymandy]

Well I'm hacked off cos I've got a cousin who rarely posts on FB but sent me all his kids who I don't know as friend suggestions. Obviously they were as uninterested in befriending me as me them so I deleted the requests. Then said cousin has done the same AGAIN plus this time added two people who I have never heard of and don't know from adam!!!

Now one of these total strangers has sent me a friend request!!!!!!!! For god's sake.

[StripyPixieSocks]

I love Facebook but am tight on security, if I don't know who you are, you ain't getting in (at least if you have friends in common I recognise that's fine) but what's with random people trying to add you who have absolutely NOTHING in common... ah well.

I love it because I can keep in touch with my friends overseas, family far away and my Nephews and Niece etc. I can keep them updated and link to things they can read without spamming their mailbox!

I also connect with Medieval people (re-enactors) to share and find knowledge about costumes etc and so much more.

... and most of all I can make fun of my OH when he does something wrong... like put Basil in the New Potatoes instead of Mint... like just now LOL!

[Millymollymandy]

Well apparently according to my cousin they are family (although he hasn't expanded on that) yet I'm the one in the family who has done the family tree going back to the year dot and I do not have them on it. So still none the wiser and now I've been put in a 'group' for family and they are there (and still none the wiser).

I do not like this new GROUP thing where other people put you in things without asking your permission. Take note Andy - and anyone else - I would really like to be ASKED first!!!

I thought the groups thing was for us as individuals to control who saw what we posted which would have been a great thing, but it's nothing of the sort (it seems) which is a real shame. Just another way of people being able to take you over without your permission and reducing your security.

[Rosendula]

I've just culled almost all of my old school 'friends'. I didn't like most of them when they were at school, and only sent requests to a couple of people from there who I had got on with, but they sent friend suggestions to a load of other people from school who then sent me 'requests'. I accepted out of nosiness, but a year or so on and I have found I still have nothing in common with any of them. So they've been removed Now my friends list is made up of a couple of cousins, my inlaws, a few friends from 'real' life, and my Ishy friends

[Millymollymandy]

Gosh I only have one school friend on FB! I think Friends Reunited was the thing for catching up with school friends (or rather, having a nosy at what they'd written about what they are doing now..... ditto old boyfriends ..... cos on FR you could see people from their maiden names although you can now see their surnames as well, which I think is a bad security thing.

On FB you can't easily search for females you knew in the past if they've got married, as you don't know what they're called! but really even on FR it was more a quick message of hello how's it going, a reply and that was it. Never heard from them again (apart from the one I'm friends with on FB as we met up here at my place a couple of years ago when she was here on holiday).

Quite honestly it's more forum friends who I communicate with on FB because of the fact that we are more likely to be on our computers regularly because of being forum chatty type people, the rest maybe put their pooters on once a month if that!