My annual "Should I join FaceBook?" thread...

[gigi]

I'm only FB friends with a few instructors and luckily have never read or experienced anything some of you in this thread have encountered...!

That is a good reminder, though, about being one glitch away from something not being private. My family has a private family page.

[Paula]

I am on Facebook because the young people in my family use it as a way to let everyone know what's going on in their lives. They post pictures of their kids and I love that. I keep the number of my friends outside of family to a few. On the downside, I still get too many rants, mostly from one friend who is deeply religious and posts multiple Bible quotes everyday.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

I'd agree that there are some people whose participation on FB leaves me scratching my head. One friend had a protracted discussion with someone about a controversial religious issue that should not have occurred publicly. I thought, really? You want to talk about this on Facebook?? But most of my friends just post fun pictures or funny little vignettes of their daily lives which I really enjoy. I'd say I only see something that I consider inappropriate or eye roll worthy only once every two or three months.

[topfitmama]

Originally Posted by sbh

Is there a group of vf'ers with a facebook page?

Yes, a private facebook group was created about a year ago.

[joanna33]

If you join I wanna be your friend

[Debbie S.]

I think Joni worded it perfectly. It's up to you how you make FB work.

Since you are in total control, you pick your friends and relatives. If there are people that you don't want to know that you are on FB, you can block them. They will never see your FB account. In this respect, you have more privacy on FB then you do here or any other open forum.

FB definitely has its good and bad. It's like a GIANT family (a family that you create), and everyone's posting style is different. You've got family (this includes friends, etc) members from the reserved to the drama queens/kings posting. You've got family members who loves interacting with others, and family members who are very self centered and only post about themselves and rarely acknowledges anyone. You've got family members who love to air out their dirty laundry on FB instead of keeping it personal. So yes, it can drive you batty at times.

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by Joni O

Alta, feel free to privately email me naked pics of your DH.

Originally Posted by mtngoat

Of course if Alta started to post scandalous photos of her DH I'd have another reason to join!

Originally Posted by Sophie

Or set up a private group for that, LOL!

Darn, I asked him about it and he won't go for it. Now I have to erase all those shower photos from my iPhone...

Originally Posted by Bebop

The concept of privacy has gone out the window...

Sad, but true.

[videofit]

Our privacy is being stripped away everyday so I don't participate in social media beyond having a fake FB account so I can look at Margaret Richard's or see what old classmates might be up to. Seems like too much work otherwise. I am not fond of my mobile phone, mainly because I have to put on glasses to see anything on the small screen. If I am out and about it's because I have things to do and no time to chat on the phone. That I prefer doing in the comfort of my own phone.

I read somewhere that children born today will not even know the meaning of privacy. I can imagine Big Brother putting in "security cameras" and listening devices in our homes to "protect us from terrorists." Yeah, right. I need a new computer and will have to remember to put tape over the webcam because it can be hacked by anyone in the world.