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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Why I Don't Use Facebook & Twitter...



OK...let's get things straight right from the beginning. I do not have a Facebook (FB) account, nor do I have a Twitter (TW) account. I admit that I have looked at both, and I have occasionally written a message on my wife's FB wall, notifying folks about the latest post on my blog. But, I do not want, nor plan to acquire my own FB or TW account. Why? Let's see....



I'll mainly discuss FB since that's the most I know about. Seems like you're either in one camp or the other. I suppose some people use both, but it appears that most folks gravitate to their preference. I know the most (although little) about FB because that's what Tami uses. and uses. and uses! I remember when PCs first came onto the scene decades ago and they were migrating into people's homes. Once we finally purchased one, she thought it was evil! She thought it was like opening your home to perfectly unsafe strangers. Back then, it was a time when you were careful about the information you put on the "public Internet". Boy, has she changed her tune!



With FB, you let people know things, and thoughts, and feelings like never before. It now makes ME feel like we are totally transparent and visible. Do I really want someone to know that I am about to take the dog for a walk in my neighborhood? Or that someone just changed a poo-ie diaper from the dark side? Anyway, social networking has firmly grabbed a foothold in today's electronic culture, and it appears it's here for a while. Tami is a testament to that!








On FB you have "friends" that you either accept or ignore. Some people have hundreds, thousands of friends. Are they really friends? I'm sure I don't have that many! My Mom & Dad might be considered friends....but, 400 - 500? No way!! I'm sure I might know that many people, but they're more like acquaintances - right? Seems like an extremely easy way to offend people also. I mean, if you ignore a "friend request", isn't that like saying "butt out, scum dog! I don't want to know you! Eat dirt & die!!"? Talk about the dark side.....


Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer, recently wrote about FB & TW etiquette. Now, there's even etiquette for social networking! I'm still working on the basic "normal" etiquette, much less, FB etiquette... The immediacy & speed of the shared information is clearly the biggest change. She says that "these days, milestones like marriage, pregnancy, breakups, and divorce are being described over more forms of communication than ever before." You have to ensure you release the sensitive information in your preferred sequence: written letter, e-mail, phone call, FB, or TW, etc. Heaven forbid if someone reads something sensitive on FB before you were able to tell them "in person".

So here's the scope:

  • I don't know how to use Facebook...

  • I don't know the proper etiquette in online social networking circles... when do you use a "mood face"?

  • I don't want to share my mundane and trivial moments with the entire world... after all, they're mundane and trivial...

  • I am afraid that I truly would have only a couple of friends..... I think Tami has over 450+... boy, would I look bad!

  • I don't want to spend several hours per day reading YOUR mundane and trivial moments... after all, well you get it...

  • I am afraid I would make someone really mad if I didn't want to be their friend.... even though I don't expect many offers....

  • I originally thought FB was for young adults.... not old guys like me....

  • And, mainly.... Tami would kill me if we had to share the computer for "Facebook time"....

Oh, BTW, let me know how many of you read this blog posting because you saw it on Tami's FB..... it is a great way to advertise.... Later...

4 comments:

  1. You are such a goof! Tami, how do you live with this man? God's grace is sufficient! :)
    You know I love ya Gramps! You keep us laughing and without laughter, we couldn't survive this life.
    Blessings~
    Susan

    So...if you had a FB account, would you add me?

    ReplyDelete
  2. OF COURSE I found this from FB! You too will soon succumb to the pressure from your 'friends' and be sucked into the eternal abyss of the FB world!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is that you, son? Doesn't look like the son I
    remember. We've read all your blogs and enjoyed everyone. Keep up the good work.
    M

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nope, read it on your blog. Not sure how to find FB accounts, really.

    Thanks for sharing.
    JDW

    ReplyDelete