Facebook Too Big?

[bobpbx]

I'm not a facebook user...but it seems to be putting its tentacles everywhere (or other sites are putting their tentacles into facebook). Was reading a story on the Atlantic City Press online this morning about a hospital laying off workers, and in the "post a comment section" is this notice:

"Story Commenting Notice
PressofAtlanticCity.com is integrating Facebook into a new method for commenting on stories on the site. This feature allows you to easily share content and comments with your social network, and you will be able to see what your friends and other PressofAtlanticCity.com readers are responding to as well. Simply log into Facebook below to post your comment. View our full terms of service and privacy agreement"

This seems to be a littel too much, that I'd have to be a facebook user just to post a comment. Not that I would, but it seems to be an onerous way to do things. Am I missing something, or am I just old-fashioned?

 

[Boyd]

You're just old-fashioned. But don't feel bad... I am too. Social Networking is the hottest thing around these days, my company just hired a person in the marketing dept to manage our presence. I have really mixed feelings about it, but it isn't going away.

As a PR stunt, we posted this video on YouTube and to everyone's amazement it became a phenomenon, with over 6 million views so far. It was the 3rd most shared video on Facebook for awhile. This has forever changed the direction of the Opera Company and the phone has been ringing off the hook with companies that want a piece of it.

So Facebook, and similar sites, are here to stay and are literally changing our culture whether we participate or not ourselves (I do not).

 

[manumuskin]

Bob
I am on facebook,I went on at the request of Whip and thought I could look up old buddies.I have found a few or moreso they have found me.The facebook search engine sucks boukoup.I do not like it but now my wife has used it to expand her farmville properties so dumping it is out of the question.It is a great way to irritate friends with my right wing political views but other then that I am not impressed with it.
Al

 

[this_is_nascar]

You're "old fashioned", but don't fret. I'm told that all the time too. Enough is enough with all this social networking, texting, etc, nonsense. Facebook and Twitter type things are just a bit too over the top for me. The fact that people actually spend time in their day to "tweet" just leaves me scratching my head. I really have no desire to hear that "Joe Blow just finished dinner" or "had a bowel movement". It's actually sort of sad that Twitter users have so little to do that they have time and resources to follow and post about what's going on in their day.

As far as integrating Facebook that deeply into the press just doesn't sit too well with me either.

 

[Boyd]

Even if you don't use it, don't ignore or dismiss it so quickly. It's an important phenomenon to understand and it really has nothing to do with friends telling each other about dinner. It's about companies that want to sell things to you and lots of dollars are at stake. The old cliche is still true... follow the money.

Beyond that, it's just another way that people can detach from the real world. First we had the walkman, then the iPod, now you see everyone listening to their iPod AND texting/tweeting/e-mailing as they walk down the city streets. People are putting down the idea of the iPhone coming to Verizon because their network won't allow you to web surf at the same time as you talk (like AT&T can). I guess the real world is just to painful (or too boring?) for people anymore.

Meanwhile, many parents wouldn't think of going anywhere in the car without DVD's and videogames for the kids to play with. My daughter sent me a picture of my 9 month old grand daughter a few days ago, sitting in front of their Macintosh. That really struck me, because I have a picture of my daughter sitting in front of a Mac herself, circa 1986. This is the second generation of "Mac kids". Very soon, nobody will remember a time with no cell phones, no GPS'es, no TiVo.

But such is the world and we "old farts" are not going to change it. Resistance is futile. At least you owe it to yourself to understand what's going on. If nothing else, it might help you make a few bucks in the stock market.

 

[Pandot]

I noticed that with the AC Press, as well, and welcome it. That requirement helps to eliminate the trolls that make newspapers such as the Asbury Park Press an absolute mess now, and encourage real commentary and discussion.

 

[jburd641]

Welcome to the 21st century.

 

[gipsie]

I am on FaceBook all the time. I check it every day! i Have found old schoolmates and it is a great place to network. I keep in touch with old friends, old co-workers and new friends on there. It has become an integrated part of my personal and professional life. I recently got a job offer based on my posts. It is a great site as long as you do not take it out of context....

 

[jburd641]

I agree Gipsie, it can be a good thing. It can also be addictive, like a bad video game, it just depends how you use it.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Welcome to the 21st century.

You say that as if it's soley a good thing. I won't take this thread in a direction that's opposite of what the OP wanted, so I shut up and leave it at that. I'll just say that sometimes newer, more technilogical, faster, etc isn't always better. Compare society of today to society of 20, 30, 40 years ago. Sure, cars weren't as safe and medical advances were far from where they are today, but look at society as a whole. Sorry, I said I'd shutup, buy haven't so I will now.

 

[46er]

I agree Gipsie, it can be a good thing. It can also be addictive, like a bad video game, it just depends how you use it.

Just another sad commentary of our times. I place it with dating services, video games & cell phones. But to each their own.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I held out for quite a while before joining. I am not exactly addicted, but I do check every day. It's really really nice to be able to keep tabs on everyone without having to take the time to actually interact with them. That sounds kinda messed up. But I feel more in touch with my family than ever. It's nice.

I will say that I find the privacy issues a little disconcerting. Facebook is a gold mine of personal information.

 

[Boyd]

I will say that I find the privacy issues a little disconcerting. Facebook is a gold mine of personal information.

That's the thing, as I hinted at above. But it's not just Facebook. It's everywhere. Privacy is dead. See this series from the Wall Street Journal for an idea of what the internet is really all about. http://online.wsj.com/public/page/what-they-know-digital-privacy.html

The Journal conducted a comprehensive study that assesses and analyzes the broad array of cookies and other surveillance technology that companies are deploying on Internet users. It reveals that the tracking of consumers has grown both far more pervasive and far more intrusive than is realized by all but a handful of people in the vanguard of the industry.

• The study found that the nation's 50 top websites on average installed 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning. A dozen sites each installed more than a hundred. The nonprofit Wikipedia installed none.

• Tracking technology is getting smarter and more intrusive. Monitoring used to be limited mainly to "cookie" files that record websites people visit. But the Journal found new tools that scan in real time what people are doing on a Web page, then instantly assess location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. Some tools surreptitiously re-spawn themselves even after users try to delete them.

• These profiles of individuals, constantly refreshed, are bought and sold on stock-market-like exchanges that have sprung up in the past 18 months.

And if that doesn't bother you, how about this?

 

[46er]

It's really really nice to be able to keep tabs on everyone without having to take the time to actually interact with them.

Your beginning to sound Big Sisterish

 

[bobpbx]

That's really interesting Boyd, and not surprising. Quite sophisticated.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I place it with dating services, video games & cell phones.

I place it with any kind of service, game or phone. We need to get back to the time when people served themselves, didn't waste time on games, and relied on the written word for long-distance communication. And that goes for the internet as well. I refuse to use it.

 

[RednekF350]

[QUOTE And that goes for the internet as well. I refuse to use it. [/QUOTE]

1 person likes this.

 

[Boyd]

Like it or not, our children (and grandchildren) will be friending, tweeting, texting and playing video games long after we are gone....

 

[46er]

Like it or not, our children (and grandchildren) will be friending, tweeting, texting and playing video games long after we are gone....

When I'm gone I won't care, but until that day, or night, arrives there will be no tweeting etc on my connection


And for those that do participate, be careful out there, it's only just begun. Remember, a clean cache is a safe cache.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703940904575395073512989404.html

 

[MarkBNJ]

I place it with any kind of service, game or phone. We need to get back to the time when people served themselves, didn't waste time on games, and relied on the written word for long-distance communication. And that goes for the internet as well. I refuse to use it.

Seriously? With all the historical research you do, you don't use the Internet?

I have no use for the social networking aspects... but that's my inner misanthrope speaking. Kids growing up today have it embedded into every aspect of their lives, and that will only continue and grow.