Social Media Pros and Cons

[mraynrand]

I am not on social media except Packerrats. I'm on linkedin but I haven't really set up a profile or do much except accept links from people I know. Otherwise, I find that I am not clued in on things happening with family and church. I really don't want to join because I really don't like putting my crap out there, especially on sites that use and abuse info and have political views I hate. (please don't make this explicitly political, just if there's a viable solution that avoids politics, I'd like to know it). Also, I have no idea about social media etiquette. I hear people getting all pissed off because someone 'friended them' or 'unfriended them' or people on snap chat or instagram getting angry because someone didn't 'like' them. It sounds exhausting and a time sink. What's the solution? What do people do to stay connected and avoid pitfalls? Some of this is just due to ignorance - I'm not really clued in on how to keep things private etc, etc. on Facebook or Twitter.

[Deputy Nutz]

No Really, it's a lot of fun.

[mraynrand]

No Really, it's a lot of fun.

Interesting

[Zool]

Question is kinda vague but I'll give it a run.

In my experience, Linked in is mainly for business people looking to network. Decent place to crowd source general workforce topics. Facebook is the current place for the masses to share info as well as the minute detail of their day to day life. It's not hard to hide your personal info in Facebook and still be "friends" with people. The security is pretty easy to setup. That being said, I assume FB is selling every shred of everything I do there.

I have a social media email account that is only used for that stuff. Easy way to keep it separate and semi-secure. SLACK is an app/site that's pretty cool for IT people. Easy way to get answers to tech questions by crowd sourcing.

What are you hoping to do?

[mraynrand]

Question is kinda vague but I'll give it a run.

In my experience, Linked in is mainly for business people looking to network. Decent place to crowd source general workforce topics. Facebook is the current place for the masses to share info as well as the minute detail of their day to day life. It's not hard to hide your personal info in Facebook and still be "friends" with people. The security is pretty easy to setup. That being said, I assume FB is selling every shred of everything I do there.

I have a social media email account that is only used for that stuff. Easy way to keep it separate and semi-secure. SLACK is an app/site that's pretty cool for IT people. Easy way to get answers to tech questions by crowd sourcing.

What are you hoping to do?

It looks like a lot of people are talking behind my back on Facebook. I don't like any of them, but I need to know what they are saying so I can properly task my private detectives.

No but seriously, people use Facebook. I haven't yet. Is it worth it? Or is it just another nuisance. Just looking for some feedback. Seems like I am missing out. I don't want to be the guy who shows up and doesn't know that gramma is dead or whatever because I didn't check Facebook. That's a faux pas I think.

[Zool]

It looks like a lot of people are talking behind my back on Facebook. I don't like any of them, but I need to know what they are saying so I can properly task my private detectives.

No but seriously, people use Facebook. I haven't yet. Is it worth it? Or is it just another nuisance. Just looking for some feedback. Seems like I am missing out. I don't want to be the guy who shows up and doesn't know that gramma is dead or whatever because I didn't check Facebook. That's a faux pas I think.

It's a lot of noise, but it's a good way to keep up with all the people in your life. Whether you want to or not.

[Deputy Nutz]

I got on Facebook when Skin and I got kicked outta here.

[Joemailman]

It's a lot of noise, but it's a good way to keep up with all the people in your life. Whether you want to or not.

Pretty much this. Because I don't live where I grew up, I use it to keep in touch with relatives I don't see very often. You just have to accept that 90% of it is shrouded in banality.

[SkinBasket]

And again to your point of being apolitical, but relevant, you will have to accept that Mark Fuckerburg is editing what you do and don't see based solely on his own political affiliation.

That and some people like to complain about their spouses, work, and children freely. But you can always set them to ignore instead of unfriending them if you want to remain polite.

I don't know how to twitter, and I think istagram is for dick pics, or at least that's the impression I get.

[woodbuck27]

I am not on social media except Packerrats. I'm on linkedin but I haven't really set up a profile or do much except accept links from people I know. Otherwise, I find that I am not clued in on things happening with family and church. I really don't want to join because I really don't like putting my crap out there, especially on sites that use and abuse info and have political views I hate. (please don't make this explicitly political, just if there's a viable solution that avoids politics, I'd like to know it). Also, I have no idea about social media etiquette. I hear people getting all pissed off because someone 'friended them' or 'unfriended them' or people on snap chat or instagram getting angry because someone didn't 'like' them. It sounds exhausting and a time sink. What's the solution? What do people do to stay connected and avoid pitfalls? Some of this is just due to ignorance - I'm not really clued in on how to keep things private etc, etc. on Facebook or Twitter.

Endeavour to push paranoia away. Just have some confidence in 'being a decent person'.

Have some courage and realize your missing out on a load of valuable information.

A lot on Facebook is good for growth. It's all about a whole lot of people you'll come to know better sharing.

A lot is educational and often your entertained and experience good laughs.

[Deputy Nutz]

I don't want to tell people what I use twitter for.

[mraynrand]

I don't want to tell people what I use twitter for.

I bet you are selling your homemade doll dresses on there, or some other perversion like PEZ dispensers.

[Deputy Nutz]

I wonder if Woody is on twitter?
.
No pictures please

[MadtownPacker]

I got on Facebook when Skin and I got kicked outta here.
Fuck, I didn't know. I will never forgive myself for cursing you to such a harsh fate.

Aynrand - Stay away from that shit! I can tell you right now it is just about everything you have said you despise about today's world. I am positive Partial lives on there. It makes these millennial fucks think they are "famous" in their sad little world. It's is some mind control shit and highly addictive to the weak minded. I would say make a profile with a shit email so you can see and also so if someone tries to make a page claiming to be you. As you probably know employer HR depts also like to take peeks to see what applicants are into. I know one person who has lost their job due to talking shit about work on there.

All bad IMO and it makes you wonder if the movies Idiocracy and Wall-E aren't a strong possibility in our future.

[Patler]

No but seriously, people use Facebook. I haven't yet. Is it worth it? Or is it just another nuisance. Just looking for some feedback. Seems like I am missing out. I don't want to be the guy who shows up and doesn't know that gramma is dead or whatever because I didn't check Facebook. That's a faux pas I think.

I feel the same way. Everyone in my extended family seems to be on Facebook. I am not. Mrs. Patler joined only very recently. Now, no one tells me anything. At get-togethers, or in phone conversations they all start talking about something that happened or something they did that relates to photos etc. that were up on Facebook, and I don't have the slightest clue about it, but everyone else does.

I've decided that I don't care. If it isn't important enough for someone to tell me, I don't need to know.

Everyone claims it doesn't take a lot of their time, yet everyone I am around spends lots of time on it. Mrs. Patler claims she is hardly ever on it, yet I know she spends a tremendous amount of time on it each day. Long time friends that we travel with once a year can't leave in the morning or go to bed at night without their Facebook fix.

I have absolutely no desire to sign up for another time-sucking addiction.

[mraynrand]

Fuck, I didn't know. I will never forgive myself for cursing you to such a harsh fate.

Aynrand - Stay away from that shit! I can tell you right now it is just about everything you have said you despise about today's world. I am positive Partial lives on there. It makes these millennial fucks think they are "famous" in their sad little world. It's is some mind control shit and highly addictive to the weak minded. I would say make a profile with a shit email so you can see and also so if someone tries to make a page claiming to be you. As you probably know employer HR depts also like to take peeks to see what applicants are into. I know one person who has lost their job due to talking shit about work on there.

All bad IMO and it makes you wonder if the movies Idiocracy and Wall-E aren't a strong possibility in our future.

already here, right.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think I will remain a Facebook luddite.

[MadtownPacker]

I feel the same way. Everyone in my extended family seems to be on Facebook. I am not. Mrs. Patler joined only very recently. Now, no one tells me anything. At get-togethers, or in phone conversations they all start talking about something that happened or something they did that relates to photos etc. that were up on Facebook, and I don't have the slightest clue about it, but everyone else does.

I've decided that I don't care. If it isn't important enough for someone to tell me, I don't need to know.

Everyone claims it doesn't take a lot of their time, yet everyone I am around spends lots of time on it. Mrs. Patler claims she is hardly ever on it, yet I know she spends a tremendous amount of time on it each day. Long time friends that we travel with once a year can't leave in the morning or go to bed at night without their Facebook fix.

I have absolutely no deserve to sign up for another time-sucking addiction.Another great point. Seems as if all family events are now scheduled or planned on the site. I have encountered the same "Oh you didn't know? But I posted it on Facebook!" garbage. I have made it clear to all my family that if you can't call, send an invite, or even just a text then my presence is not required. I am actually using it as an excuse to not show up. So I guess that is a win in some cases.

[George Cumby]

FB is the Devil's Own.

My wife uses it to keep in touch with family. Other than that we avoid it. SM is the refuge, creche and petri dish for narcissists of every stripe. "How many 'Likes' did I get?", "Can you believe what so and so said about such and such?", "OMG, you unfriended me WHY?" on and fucking on.

It's people's life highlight reels, "Look how awesome my life is!" "Look at my feet at the beach!" "Look at the awesome, exotic dinner I ate while on a cruise in the Mediterranean!" "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me now!"

It creates the environment where every one is comparing their lives to every one else's high points, never mind the fact that so and so is actually a sociopath, or so and so's husband is an abusive drunk, or so and so has got a hemorrhoid the size of a miniature schnauzer falling out of his ass. That atmosphere of comparison is ultimately toxic as so few are able to discern it for what it is. We have found ourselves snickering at some other people's posts in a really nasty manner that upon further review reflects poorly on us as well.

It really taps into some dark, nasty and brutish aspects of our humanity which we try not to encourage. Right speech, right thought, right act and all that.

Zool mentioned this above, in social media, users are not the consumers, they are the PRODUCT.

[mraynrand]

...or so and so has got a hemorrhoid the size of a miniature schnauzer falling out of his ass.

I'd probably log on to Facebook to see that.

[George Cumby]

I'd probably log on to Facebook to see that.

......so would I.

But would you 'Like' it?

[wist43]

Fuck, I didn't know. I will never forgive myself for cursing you to such a harsh fate.

Aynrand - Stay away from that shit! I can tell you right now it is just about everything you have said you despise about today's world. I am positive Partial lives on there. It makes these millennial fucks think they are "famous" in their sad little world. It's is some mind control shit and highly addictive to the weak minded. I would say make a profile with a shit email so you can see and also so if someone tries to make a page claiming to be you. As you probably know employer HR depts also like to take peeks to see what applicants are into. I know one person who has lost their job due to talking shit about work on there.

All bad IMO and it makes you wonder if the movies Idiocracy and Wall-E aren't a strong possibility in our future.

Idiocracy isn't a movie - it's a documentary ;)

[mraynrand]

Idiocracy isn't a movie - it's a documentary ;)

OMG, BOMNF!! repped.

[Forerunner]

It makes these millennial fucks think they are "famous" in their sad little world.

Agreed. Rand, even as a millennial I have rid myself of all social media except for Twitter. Twitter is nice because you can create your own newsstand.

As far as Facebook is concerned, it's the worst. Avoid.

[MadtownPacker]

OMG, BOMNF!! repped.
Don't you mean "liked"?

[MadtownPacker]

Agreed. Rand, even as a millennial I have rid myself of all social media except for Twitter. Twitter is nice because you can create your own newsstand.

As far as Facebook is concerned, it's the worst. Avoid.Liked! Hah! You give me hope for the future homeboy.

[mraynrand]

Don't you mean "liked"?

gold stars for everyone!