It's such a minor question, really. Something I ought to know my own mind about. Yet I can't stop thinking about it.
Should I get a Facebook page or not?
So here are the pros and cons, as I see them.
PROS
1. It's a great way to stay in touch with people I hardly ever have contact with anymore, like my cousins and other friends who live all over the country.
2. My DAD is on Facebook, for crying out loud.
3. At this point, I feel like I'm holding out pointlessly, like the last few people who refused to get cell phones. I've done this before--hold out against a trend, finally succumb, and then feel like even more of a mindless lemming.
4. I'm curious. Plus I hear you can play Scrabble there. I'm getting tired of playing against my computer.
CONS
1. Like I need another way to waste time online! I'm afraid I'll spend WAY too much time on there. When my kids are looking for me, they already know to look in front of the computer.
2a. Do I really want to reconnect with people I didn't like that much to begin with? Or even if I liked them, will it just be high school all over again?
2b. THREE of my ex-boyfriends have friended my dad and written messages to him. Do I even need to explain my misgivings about this?
3. I'm already on Twitter, which I hear is threatening Facebook as the cool new networking site.
(You can follow me here.)
So tell me your Facebook stories and if I decide to do it, I want all of you Facebook users to friend me so I don't feel like I'm a big ol' loser.
I like Facebook, but it is competing with Twitter and trying to BE twitter. Not working to well.
ReplyDeleteI like Twitter more, but none of my non-bloggy friends are on Twitter. It is kind of a toss with that.
Just don't give away to much of yourself, okay? Facebook can be great or awful!
ReplyDeleteSandi
Good luck with your decision! I too am one of the last people in the world not on Facebook, but really, there can't be anything too wrong with it! Cons 2a and 2b are similar to my reasons for not joining. There's a REASON why I've left old school acquaintances behind!!
ReplyDeleteWell, you don't have to be friends with anyone you don't want to be friends with. You can just ignore them and pretend like they don't exist. I am on MySpace AND Facebook, and yes, it's time consuming. At the beginning you get sucked in, but then after a few months when the newness wears off you just spend 5 minutes a day checking on each (at least I do). But I feel the same about blogging. That's my new obsession that occupies all my time. But at least my husband is happy that it's not Ebay anymore. I spend a lot less money this way!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's cool to find out where old friends are, but honestly if they aren't people I talk to once in awhile anyway, I hardly ever hear from them on MySpace or Facebook either. Good luck with your decision! :) And if you decide to join, let me know, and I'll be your friend!
I prefer FB to Twitter as there is more opportunity to chat with people - and I have enjoyed getting back in touch with people from high school & college. It's easy to not engage with those you really do not care about...
ReplyDeleteI say go for it, just set a timer :D
Don't like Facebook. Too much information out there. heheh, that's funny. I blog. It's all right there. But by facebooking it's linked to people you know who know people you know who know...it gave me the creeps.
ReplyDeleteI don't go there a lot - probably once a day - it's fun to see what old friends are doing but i don't get into the way some people do.
ReplyDeleteI have FB and Twitter. Still haven't figured out Twitter, but love FB. I spent way too much time on it for the first couple months, but now I hop on once a day to check in. I have over 400 'friends' (I'm not bragging!), all from high school; an international group I traveled with in HS; college; and the various duty stations where we've lived since then, plus family members. I know everyone personally.
ReplyDeleteI hated HS and only had 4 great friends while there. But I've found so many people I was friendly with, and it's been great for just staying in touch with people who I'd probably never see again in my life. I don't interact with them all, but it's nice to have a peek into their post-HS & college lives. There's no drama unless you invite it.
I was a mySpacer for a year before hopping on the FB bandwagon. I only "friend" people that I know personally and I enjoy the interaction and contact with friends that I would not normally keep up with based on distance, different circles, etc., however, I find it to be amusing. I started blogging on mySpace and did that for a year before getting my own blog, so for me it was much more than just talking with old friends. I do twitter but I don't get the whole idea behind it. I don't spend all day on twitter and can't imagine why people would, but those Facebook / MySpace status updates crack me up and keep me coming back for more. Good luck on your decision.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I am friends with 3 or 4 ex-boyfriends on FB and mySpace, one of which was recently killed in a car accident. MySpace afforded us the opportunity to stay in contact when our lives went in different directions and I am so thankful for the chats / e-mails that we shared before his death. Didn't mean to bring gloom and doom to your comments page, but I am really thankful for MySpace because of that.
I'm on Facebook, Myspace & Cafemom. I hate Facebook. Myspace & Cafemom are so much better.
ReplyDeleteYes you should, you already did AND don't you just love the fabulousness of Facebook?
ReplyDelete