> These functions in times past were done with the laborous process of making a million letters or phone calls or in many cases (like my hometown page) scarcely made or not made at all.
Or with Geocities? FB hardly invented the concept of a page on the internet where events are listed. I'm sure it provides some nice functionality around calendaring and networking, but we didn't go from xeroxed fliers to Facebook with nothing in between.
Personally, I didn't delete my FB account because of privacy issues, I deleted it to make FB less useful to people who know me. Using the site was a constant exercise in using the site, rather than gaining utility out of it -- hiding apps, hiding people, keeping up with baby photos. Now that I don't have an account, nobody tries to message me or expects me to see something they posted; the social obligation's gone. I don't have to wade through 50 Farmville clone updates to get to an important message someone sent me. It's in my email now.
> I don't have to wade through 50 Farmville clone updates to get to an important message someone sent me. It's in my email now.
And no offense, but you suck at Facebook then. Blocking apps is a two click operation. Sending a message to your friends/relatives along the lines of "Don't send me game requests" isn't difficult either.
None taken, but this is exactly my point. I don't want to be "good at Facebook," I just want to know what's going on. Constantly having to complete "two click operations" to hide new games in order to find the one piece of information I actually care about sucks; I don't want to do it.
>FB hardly invented the concept of a page on the internet where events are listed.
They however popularized and refined it, which is what really matters. Look at Apple and the iPod. MP3 players existed, but they were weak and relatively unknown.
Who cares about the page on the internet where events are listed unless all your friends are there too?
Nobody other than you is forcing you to use it. You don't have to do keep hiding apps, photos etc. You don't have to "keep up" with anything. The social obligation is all in your head.
I have Facebook. I find it incredibly useful for keeping track of people. And yet I only use it when I feel the urge to.
Couldn't disagree more with this. The day I deleted my Facebook account was the day that I lost many real-life friends.
Those friends weren't willing to maintain those relationships with me outside of facebook.
Sure, they won't ever say that.
But I phrase it like that because they're so used to keeping up with their other friends on Facebook that keeping up with me was (comparatively) a chore, so I faded from that circle.
You see, Facebook has lowered the cost of keeping up with friends. The flipside is that people expect not to have to spend more effort to keep up with friends. Thus, it raises the (relative!) cost of connecting in meaningful ways (over the phone, in person, ...)
Many social circles start out treating Facebook as a tool. Then it becomes the norm, and they're less willing to take extra time to connect with anyone who does not use it.
You couldn't be bothered to read two more sentences that demonstrate that he gets the difference, yet you could take the time to write a response?
Some of us simply take issue with the revisionist history where we went from the stone age to this new concept of socialization brought to us by Facebook.
Or with Geocities? FB hardly invented the concept of a page on the internet where events are listed. I'm sure it provides some nice functionality around calendaring and networking, but we didn't go from xeroxed fliers to Facebook with nothing in between.
Personally, I didn't delete my FB account because of privacy issues, I deleted it to make FB less useful to people who know me. Using the site was a constant exercise in using the site, rather than gaining utility out of it -- hiding apps, hiding people, keeping up with baby photos. Now that I don't have an account, nobody tries to message me or expects me to see something they posted; the social obligation's gone. I don't have to wade through 50 Farmville clone updates to get to an important message someone sent me. It's in my email now.