Ahhhg Facebook!
I have to admit that I don't have a facebook account, well I do, but I don't use it. Many of the older members here, like me, may also baulk at starting up facebook and I was quite relieved when Kyle indicated that it wasn't the be all and end all for Internet Marketing. Consequently, I haven't done anything more about it... yet.
The biggest problem I have with facebook is that other people do not appreciate your privacy when they go onto their account and post all over the world, something that you were involved in.
This happens time and time again. My daughter will ring me up and say "Hi Mum, saw you on facebook with so and so" etc. etc..
Being of the third generation, I think times have very much changed with how we all communicate. Letters are out the window, talking together as a family is now a rare occassion, there's too many mobiles in the room and actually speaking on the phone with a grandson or granddaughter seems to be a thing of the past.
My grandchildren's texts to me are just a jumble of short forms and I need a translator to decipher it all. I often wonder what would happen if they actually had to write me a letter!
To get to the crux of this blog, our family lost a loved one a few day ago and I had to ring my brother and give him the bad news. He answered the phone saying "You didn't tell me Danny had died!" I said, "how did you know already, that's why I was ringing you!". It transpires that his daughter had seen it on facebook and rung him immediately. "I hate facebook", he said, "what a way to find out someone close to you has died!".
To cap it all, my daughter was on holiday in Portugal and I decided not to tell her the bad news until she returned, no sense ruining her holiday. Then there's a phone call... "Hey Mum, is it true Danny's just died, I've seen it on facebook!"
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Ches - privacy is a much diminishing word. What I might hold personal becomes trite among the masses. As a guest grandfather, I have often known family activity of historic importance before mother or grandmother (and she makes the blanket sets ahead of every new arrival). I seem to be the accepted, trusted/non judgmental "fly on the wall" of this modern method of communication. Larry
Hey Chessie....
You know its just a decision you make as to whether you want to conform and play the game or not. Just bcz a billion people do something, doesn't make it a great thing and certainly doesnt make it right for you. Use it if you want, when you want and let the rest go :) As far as word travelling about certain events... its all relative really. I live in country Italy and we have our own version of FB in the form of my neighbour (who lives about 200metres away!) She knows EVERYTHING and our town doesn't need FB to ruin stuff - she does a great job all on her own!
So all I am saying is, that while FB and many other social media platforms seem to be taking over our way of connecting with others, it really is up to us as to whether we let it "get to us" or "ruin" our family's privacy. As I send you my condolences, I ask that you remember that there will always be those who abuse any kind of system, so we have to look to the positives here. I for one, learnt that my nephew had a girlfriend through FB and got to see pics of the 2 lovebirds smiling so happily.... something that I am not privy to seeing in person, as I live on the other side of the world from him and sometimes he forgets to let his favourite Aunt know about this sort of stuff :))
Having said all of that, I too, like you, have an account but don't "use" it per se.... I just check on the people I love every now and then and it fills me in on what's going on... no need to go the whole way and I have plenty of friends, both young and older who don't want a bar of it... each to his own - that's the beauty of democracy!
Thank you very much Trish, you made me laugh with your FB neighbour. Nothing is ever perfect, people make sure of that and I honestly think that it's because they don't think. There's no malice involved, it's just ignorance and being encapsulated in ones own world, without looking out to see how others are affected by your actions. To have or not to have a FB account is indeed the beauty of democracy! Ches
Hi Chessie
Sorry about your loss.
I am pleased to hear that I am not the only person on earth who didn't have a facebook account and cringe at the thought of having one. Well - I have just signed up for an account - the intention being to use it for marketing. Like you - I seem to have appeared on a few posts after family gatherings etc - much to my disappointment!!!
Having said all that though - I feel I must lean all about the best ways to use it to my advantage for marketing - so Facebook!!! here I come!
Thanks Victoria, my account has got just 2 people on it, my 2 daughters! I'm hoping that Google+ will be the better option but as Stevie says, I may have to concentrate more on FB but I certainly won't use it indiscriminately! Good luck to you! Ches
News like that should not be on Facebook
for at least two weeks after the event.
I love technology we live in Spain and our
children and grandchildren and great grandchildren
live in Ireland and we get to talk to them every week
on Skype and it is like they are in the room with us.
I have viber on my phone and because of that
we got to see our youngest grandson take his first steps.
I guess what I am trying to say is that
technology is magnificent if it is used in the right way.
Martin
Of course you're right Martin, it's probably the minority that are using these social networks thoughtlessly. Being able to see your grandson take his first steps is amazing. We use Skype too, it's one of the safer forms of communication IMHO. Ches
sorry to hear about the passing of a loved one. (◕︵◕)
don't throw Facebook in the trash though...you don't need to play the FB game like everyone else to benefit from it...this I know for a fact (◑‿◐)
Hey, first off I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. Secondly, I HATE FACEBOOK TOO! With a passion, my God. It's a place where immature people use as a venting source and post stuff that no one gives a crap about. "I just had ham and bacon for breakfast..." Who cares? It's so unprofessional and so un private, like you say. I have a Facebook and don't use it, I'd actually prefer not to use it for internet marketing. But if I have to I will. Twitter has actually become extremely popular now, and Google + is on the rise. YouTube is also a great place to promote if you know how to use it correctly, and I hear that twitter is a great place to get YouTube views and subscribers if you know how to do it correctly. I think there's a formula, but in other words, Facebook is so lame. You don't need it for anything really, in fact most people are better off without it. Hope you don't mind my Facebook vent, just had to get this off my chest. Haha. I completely agree with you though.
Thanks so much musicman and I thought there would be a few people that also dislike how it's used. One of my husbands relatives has actually taken a picture of her washing on the line and put it on facebook!! I've just joined Google+ because I was told to do so in the lesson! As far as YouTube is concerned I've just downloaded that amazing piece you blogged about, in fact I was just about to comment on it! Ches
Hey, no problem. Yes, I have strong feelings of hatred towards Facebook as well but we are definitely not the only ones. I believe at some point Facebook is gonna get to where where it's just a thing of the past, kind of like what happened with My Space. Everyone is just gonna get so fed up with it and just not want to use it anymore, at least I hope that's what happens. I'm really glad you liked the music, here is some of my own! Please feel free to download whatever you like and share it with everyone: https://soundcloud.com/weston-brown-5/tracks. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it as well.
I couldn't agree more, perhaps it will have it's day like My Space. I know there are many who have had information put on facebook, that they themselves have not put there. It's a sort of invasion of privacy.
You are one talented musician musicman, that stuff is great! Ches
Yeah, exactly. I have everything said to friends in my privacy on Facebook, have you tried doing that? Maybe all your info won't get spread around as much if you just set all the privacy settings to "friends." And thanks so much for listening! Glad you liked it all :)
Firstly sorry for your loss Chessie and secondly there are so many people on FB with not an ounce of common sense. So many attention seekers too. Facebook is a great way for us to keep in touch with our friends and family in different countries but I quite often hate it too. To. Be honest it's the people using it, not FB really. Personally if people where posting my whereabouts and pics of me on their page I would ask them politely not too. My mother has a friend who does that. They have nothing better to do :)
Thanks Olive, I know you're right but I just wish people would just think before they put something up, I don't think they're being intentionally insensitive. Ches
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Thanks Larry for your pragmatic view of how things are in the here and now. Ches