Help me decide about Facebook

[Barbaraann]

I was going to title this thread, To Facebook, or not to Facebook. I decided on "Help me decide about Facebook" instead. I am actually sitting on the fence as to whether or not I should have a Facebook account or not.

It does seem that a great majority of people have accounts on Facebook. I notice the word Facebook a lot as I visit websites on the internet. I also understand that some people do spend a lot of time on that site. It is the time element that concerns me the most.

On one hand I would love to be able to connect with family members and friends and be able to chat and share pictures. On the other hand, do I really want to begin an account that may take up more of my time than I am willing to devote to it? I have many other things that I spend my time doing and I don't want that to change.

So honestly, if you have a Facebook account tell me why you like it. If you don't tell me why as well. I would also like to know on the average how much time do you spend on the site?

So, help me decide about Facebook.

You have all been great helping me to decide about Facebook. I do appreciate it. I decided to take the plunge. I am presently figuring out the best way to customize the experience for myself.

Feel free to continue to stop by in this thread and leave me your tips, and ideas, and if anyone would like to friend me, send me a PM. I'd love to have some MiceChat friends on Facebook. My husband says it will take over my life. Hopefully, I have this all under control. The newness takes time, but I am sure I will settle into a comfortable routine, just as I have with MiceChat.

[dmtnt55]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

It is definitely a web site good for communicating with family members and old friends, and it is a good way to keep in touch with people you have not talked to in a long time.

If you stay away from quizzes, and games, it won't ruin your life by making you addicted to it.

But give it a shot, it's a fun way to connect.

EDIT: I personally spend about 30 minutes on the site daily.

[pratt55]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I think its a great way to quickly communicate with family and friends and to find old friends. You can get info out quickly for example my niece let us all know at the same time that she was pregnant (of course she called her mommy and told her first). I probably spend a total of an hour on it in a day, checking in and out. The most time I spend is playing bingo. From what I understand if you play any of the other games (Sorority Life, Farmville, Mafia Wars, etc.) it can consume your time.

[Joshrzmeup]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I like it because i've been able to get back in touch with old school friends, that and i'd never heard from half of my friends if it wasn't for them being on facebook.

Stay away from the games and it's not addicting.

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

You can spend as much or as little time you want there...just like the internet in general...it's your choice.

[All4dISNEY]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

Just do it.

[penguinsoda]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I have both FaceBook and MySpace, and in some ways I prefer MySpace. MySpace is less interactive for lack of a better term, and easier to navigate. I don't like the layout of Facebook, it still confuses me. What the heck is the difference between live feed and News Feed? If I post something on someone's wall, where does it show up? Where does stuff I post on my page show up?

I have been much more selective with "friends" on Facebook. If I totally don't know who you are, (or know you are from MiceChat) I don't add you. On Myspace I have a lot of random people, bands and businesses.

But I absolutely refuse to start pretty much any of the games and stuff with rare exception. People are always sending me Farmtown Gifts, Mafia War crap and stuff like that and I just delete all of it.

So yeah, you can be as active or passive with it as you want. Or ignore it completely and just log in when you get an email that someone has written something on your wall or requests you be a friend.

[mycroft16]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

On the other hand, do I really want to begin an account that may take up more of my time than I am willing to devote to it?

As with all things in life, Facebook will take as much time as you put into it. Set yourself a limit and stick to it. Nothing can take time from you that you are unwilling to give it.

So honestly, if you have a Facebook account tell me why you like it. If you don't tell me why as well. I would also like to know on the average how much time do you spend on the site?

I do have a FB account. It has been a wonderful way to stay in touch with cousins that live far away and my parents who are a state over. It's been great to reconnect with high-school friends and find that I'm better friends with some of them since we are all now adults and grown-up. I've even been able to get to know my wife's family that live in England who I would otherwise have probably have not had this easy of a time talking to and getting to know.

On average, I spend about 10 - 15 minutes a day on Facebook. Dropping notes to friends, responding to their notes and looking at any pictures they may have put up. You can go crazy and get involved in games and quizzes and groups, or you can chose not to. I'll do a few of the quizzes that I find funny that my friends do and there is one game I play, but I still keep it to about a quarter of an hour a day.

It's all about will-power. Control it, don't let it control you.

[knittingknerd]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I like it for family stuff.

I also like it the nights I work, I can put my status at 8:30 or 10am "Kim is sleeping." That way people don't call my house and wake me up (and if they are on facebook, and call me up, they get grumpy Kim).

[aimster]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

MySpace because a total mess for me and I'm going to probably delete my page there eventually since I never go there anymore. I like Facebook because the layout is much "cleaner" and easier to navigate. I've been able to reconnect with some people I went to high school with, plus stay in touch with friends I don't see that often. I have a few cousins on there, but that's it as far as family. I also have a personal rule to not friend any of my coworkers on Facebook. But I like Facebook. I spend more time than I should on there. I don't play many of the games, just FarmVille and Fluff Friends. And I only do the quizzes I'm interested in (which again, aren't that many).

Give it a try. If you don't like it, you can always delete your account.

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

MySpace because a total mess for me and I'm going to probably delete my page there eventually since I never go there anymore.

I have a myspace page. I tried to use it a few times, but it's a mess. I hate it. My daughter plays with my page more than I do. I never go there anymore.

[dmtnt55]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

MySpace is a wreck ever since Facebook.

[Wendygirl]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I joined Facebook sometime last March. It was only because of a friend I made at Disneyland who takes photos. That's the only place he posts them and if I wanted to see them, I had to join. I felt like I was crossing over to the "dark side" and I was really apprehensive. I was like, how do they know all this stuff about people? So I asked questions, clicked on everything and set that puppy up so I don't get things I don't want and Facebook doesn't post things to others pages if I don't want (like communicating one on one with someone).

Recently Facebook changed the way they do things (again!) and most people do not like the new layout. But like everything if you give it a chance and figure it out, things works out. I post all my photos there now. It is the way I keep in touch with the new friends I've made at Disneyland and my friends and family. I DO NOT play games or take quizes. I would highly suggest you stay away for those things not only because of the time issue but because of privicy issues. Also, I use it to keep track of special events and appearances of people like Dana Daniels (who used to work the Golden Horseshoe) and the Billies. For instance, I just went with friends to see the Billies, Dana Daniels and the Classic Dans (the former Dapper Dans) at a theater last night. I would have never known about this event had it not been for Facebook.

I'm in a play for my church and I used Facebook to create an event and advertise it. I've found it to be a very useful tool. There are many tricks to keeping your page clean and simple and if you join, find me (Irene Kautto), friend me and I will pass on some of the neat things I've learned.

[amanda.collishaw]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I very rarely get on my myspace anymore since I got a facebook. I stay away from all the games. I don't spend too much time on there every day really. You only spend as much time on there as you want to.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

It makes it VERY easy to keep in contact with old friends. I have found probably 5-10 really good friends from HS that I hadn't talked to in a few years. Some less than 5, some since HS. It's been great for re-connecting.

[Wendygirl]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I don't like the layout of Facebook, it still confuses me. What the heck is the difference between live feed and News Feed? If I post something on someone's wall, where does it show up? Where does stuff I post on my page show up?

Facebook changed the way they lay things out on Oct. 30. They apparently do this all the time without any notice or input. They just do it and to heck with what we users like or think. Almost to a person, no one likes the new changes but we have to live with it and learn to work around it.

First off, News Feed is what Facebook deems they think you want to see. It is without rhyme or reason and all out of date order. How do they know what I want to see! I want to make that decision. Next to News Feed is Live Feed. That is what you want. That is like the old layout. Click on that. Now, here is the problem with it. Facebook has decided to let us see who our friends have become friends with or what fan page they joined, etc. Who cares!!! It's annoying and clutters up my home page. But there is no way to turn this off other then telling your friends to go to settings, click on privacy settings, click on News Feed and Wall, and then uncheck the box next to add a friend. You can still friend someone, but it won't show on everyones home page. Also I would uncheck Show Wall Posts. Everytime you post on friends wall pages, that post shows on ALL your friend's pages if that box is checked. I personally have uncheck ALL the boxes under Actions within Facebook.

Next, if you use Mozilla Firefox as your brower you can install something called Facebook Purity. It is a godsend. It clears out the results of all your friends stupid games and quizzes and also if you want, it will stop suggesting who you can friend. Amazing how it cleans up your page. Here is a link to how to do it and and explanation (it does not work on Internet Explorer):

Facebook Purity

They also have a fan site you can join so you can get updates.

Another good fan site and the place where I first learned how to clean up my page, make folders to put my friends in and just generally keep up to date on how to do things is Skillfoo. Here is a link to their page.

Skillfoo

Click on all their tabs to find things out.

I've gone from being afraid of Facebook to pretty darn savy. I hope some of this information helps.

[Villains Fan]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I really like Facebook, it's a great way to keep up with friends and family. I too, have found some old friends through it. I never had MySpace, it all seemed like too much work for me, so I really can't compare.

At first I found it a little confusing, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it. Most of what I found confusing at first, was all the virtual gifts, hugs, and things people sent. But after a while, you learn what you want to respond to or ignore.

I like the games and get sucked into those, but then again I play on a lot of different game sites...that's what I love the internet for :blush: .

So, as most have said, it takes up as mucb time as you want to put into it. I started out putting a lot of time into Facebook when I first joined, but it has leveled out now to just as much time as it takes to catch up on everybody's status, and how many games I want to play .

[sunnygirl]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

I gave up on MySpace, because it kept making my computer freeze when I logged in. That, and the poorly spelled come-ons from teenagers I didn't know. :lol:

I really like FaceBook, it's an easy way to keep in touch with the day to day stuff that I miss not living with my family.

I also really like to know when my friends are craving Starbucks, eating Mexican food, or just gearing up for the weekend.

[Barbaraann]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

O.K. Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Today, my grandson and his mom invited me out for breakfast, and I mentioned to them about my maybe joining Facebook. They both had negative reactions, and they both know me really well.

My grandson said I wouldn't like it. Now I figured he wanted his privacy and he said that no that wasn't it at all. Sean is a very private kid, and after I asked him about what he didn't like we basically boiled it down to a promise that I wouldn't tag him in photos. He says he does mostly two things on facebook. Reads his comments, and checks his friend requests. Yesterday I saw his page at mom's house, and he doesn't even have a profile picture. I told him it would be fine with me if we didn't even friend each other.

Sean's mother Kathy thinks that I might get carried away with the whole concept of Facebook. I do love to take photos, and I love to share them. She also filled me in on the games, and other things that are included on the site. A lot of what we talked about sounded very complicated.

I spend a lot of time here at MiceChat, so I used that as a comparison. I asked her about comments, private messaging, logging in, passwords, e-mail notification, and how to post pictures. I remember from that conversation that some things are similar, and others are not. It will definitely be a learning process for me.

Now let me ask about photos. If I post a picture, I don't have to use a site like photobucket to do that, correct?

Also, any one of my friends can view that photo and actually post it on their page, where someone else can also do the same, is that also correct?

It all left me a little weary. So I'll just start with those two questions for now.

[SummerInFL]

Re: Help me decide about Facebook

^You can upload your photos directly to FB. Regarding who sees it, there are security settings that you can change and I really like the individual customizations. You can choose "friends only", "friends and their friends", "People in your network" and "everybody" (There might be some variation on that but you get the idea)

I like that its customizable that way. The thing to remember is to not befriend every person that sends a request and just remember who can see your updates.

Like most here I like FB because it gives me immediate interaction with family, friends that don't live near me, helps keep that connection that might be lost through time.