Facebook problem...

[Doug_Tipple]

I used my real name- which a lot of people don't know- and an email that I don't often check.

I used my real name and photo and an email address that I check frequently, and I think that most of my current FB friends do the same. Facebook is a social network, and as such, I think that it is important to have at least an actual photo of the person. Many people post albums of photos and videos, and I think that it is interesting to learn about people's lives via the photos that they share. For instance, there is a person who has written on Chiff and Fipple for several years, but on Facebook he has become more than an avatar face. He posts his travels and musical and family events that he attends. In a short time I am beginning to feel that I know him much better than I did before. I think that this is great. In some cases, of course, I'm learning more than I need or want to know.
I really don't need to know that someone is brushing their teeth now. I don't feel that I need to verbalize everything, even with my wife.

Of course, if you post thoughts or photos on facebook, you may get replies to those comments from other friends that you have allowed into your facebook family group. Notification of these reply comments are sent as an email to your email account. In order to have any kind of timely interaction, I think that it is important to have a linked email account that you check frequently, as things move pretty quickly on facebook. Yesterday's comment will likely be long gone tomorrow.

[chrisoff]

And be prepared to block a whole bunch of distracting FB "applications". Chrisoff will tell you.

??? I suspect I may have ranted about this before, but I don't remember...

I'd managed to get my facebook page set up quite nicely and was successfully ignoring all the nonsense games and apps that people sent me invites for. Then facebook changed the layout of the front page a few months ago and now they're all appearing again! Very infuriating.

[herbivore12]

I'd managed to get my facebook page set up quite nicely and was successfully ignoring all the nonsense games and apps that people sent me invites for. Then facebook changed the layout of the front page a few months ago and now they're all appearing again! Very infuriating.

Indeed!

I quite like the ability to maintain links with my group of far-flung friends, and we have used Facebook to organize get-togethers and to quickly update folks on important or interesting upcoming events, and be notified by others of same. It's really useful for that. However, I've had to go the step of actually hiding all updates from certain users, otherwise my news feed is a constant barrage of quiz results ("Jennifer has taken the quiz, 'What color is your aura?', with the result: Orange!") and maddening invitations to join somebody's Mafia or accept a virtual cake or something ("Jennifer has sent you a cake! Accepting this cake means that you accept granting the Send Cakes application access to your address book and other areas of your Facebook profile.") So I end up refusing all those cakes and things, which makes me feel bad. So I hide folks and check in on them when I have the urge.

I swear that some people are able to take twenty of those "quizzes" per day! Where do they find the time? Or inclination?

(I also really feel like I didn't need to know some of the "25 Random Facts" about people when that meme swept Facebook. Privacy is undervalued, nowadays; dignity, too.)

herbivore12 has taken the quiz "What character from the Lord of the Rings trilogy are you?" with the result: There is no freaking herbivore12 in the damned Lord of the Rings trilogy! Argh.

[Flyingcursor]

I've blocked most of the annoying little trinkets people are constantly sending on facebook.
I've set up some groups so I can see posts only from family or only from C&Fers etc.

I don't use IM much but I did bug Emmline once about some ladders.

I have a cousin that sends me an IM every time I log in. It's quite annoying.

[The Weekenders]

Just de-follow the compulsive and it will be okay. You can always check on them out of curiosity. You quickly know who they are. One acquaintance posted, "I want some ice cream." I mean, that was all the evidence I needed to block her annoying posts..

There's a Chiffy FB group??? Hmmm......

[Steamwalker]

Just a word of warning if you take part in those damn quizzes, surveys, and games: be careful you never enter your cell phone number in them! I once took an IQ test there which asked for your cell phone number to get the results and all of a sudden, I started getting these unusual charges on my cell phone bill. The charges aren't from Facebook, but for whatever company does that quiz. Read the small print.