Poll: Are you on Facebook?
Today it is often assumed that everbody is on Facebook. However, there still are some who are not. Even HN users?
10 comments
I find an enormous amount of hostility on HN towards facebook, with a lot of people proudly mentioning that they will never touch it.
I don't see why, its a wonderful site.
Some notes on my usage, though:
All of my privacy options are on the lowest possible setting. I treat anything that occurs on the site as if it were public. I don't see why not, I'm not going to pretend that photos of myself or my wall postings are anywhere near interesting enough to hide. In fact I'm not sure why people who put things on facebook want privacy at all. I never worry that something I say might be picked up on by the wrong person because I'd never say anything that I wouldn't want the world to hear.
To a shy person, the usefulness of the site is just astronomical.
Among others I am friends with my boss, my mother, my little cousins. Facebook lets shy people like me keep in touch with a massive amount of people where I can write them the modern equivalent of letters very quickly and easily, as well as let them broadcast their life's updates to me. I can keep in touch with all manner of people.
Without facebook, I'd have no idea cousin X is having a baby, or that Y is having apartment trouble that I can help them with, or that Z got a new game we can play together. And so on.
If I meet someone at an event and really hit it off (romantically or not), I can go on facebook the next day and look them up by name and add them. No exchanging phone numbers or emails or anything like that. I just search for them and find them. In college it was enormously useful for making friends and I still find it useful now that I've graduated.
I made a page for my hometown. I broadcast events going on around the city (fireworks, beer festival, city meetings). In this way I help my community learn about the goings-on of the town.
I could go on, but this is probably enough to give those who don't use it an idea of why I enjoy it so much.
I don't see why, its a wonderful site.
Some notes on my usage, though:
All of my privacy options are on the lowest possible setting. I treat anything that occurs on the site as if it were public. I don't see why not, I'm not going to pretend that photos of myself or my wall postings are anywhere near interesting enough to hide. In fact I'm not sure why people who put things on facebook want privacy at all. I never worry that something I say might be picked up on by the wrong person because I'd never say anything that I wouldn't want the world to hear.
To a shy person, the usefulness of the site is just astronomical.
Among others I am friends with my boss, my mother, my little cousins. Facebook lets shy people like me keep in touch with a massive amount of people where I can write them the modern equivalent of letters very quickly and easily, as well as let them broadcast their life's updates to me. I can keep in touch with all manner of people.
Without facebook, I'd have no idea cousin X is having a baby, or that Y is having apartment trouble that I can help them with, or that Z got a new game we can play together. And so on.
If I meet someone at an event and really hit it off (romantically or not), I can go on facebook the next day and look them up by name and add them. No exchanging phone numbers or emails or anything like that. I just search for them and find them. In college it was enormously useful for making friends and I still find it useful now that I've graduated.
I made a page for my hometown. I broadcast events going on around the city (fireworks, beer festival, city meetings). In this way I help my community learn about the goings-on of the town.
I could go on, but this is probably enough to give those who don't use it an idea of why I enjoy it so much.
You're giving your personal reasons to stay on Facebook and I'm sure many people stay on for similar reasons.
I think, however, that those who do not use it are well aware of the potential advantages of Facebook. The point is that to them, the well-known disadvantages, which you didn't mention, decisively outweigh the advantages.
I think, however, that those who do not use it are well aware of the potential advantages of Facebook. The point is that to them, the well-known disadvantages, which you didn't mention, decisively outweigh the advantages.
like you said its a way to connect with family and friends.. Your assumptions about privacy differ from mine. I do want to share with family and friends but not the entire world, thats why my pictures and posts are hidden from everyone except them.
One thing you have to realize, is that everything in the public is on the internet forever, all it takes is one mistake or slip of judgment to ruin something for you. People have lost jobs, or been rejected because of their lack of though into what is shared. Also do you really want people to judge you by the snippets of thoughts from Facebook. Its not only personal relationships but professional ones that are judging you. This is why I'm more private on Facebook rather than being shy.
One thing you have to realize, is that everything in the public is on the internet forever, all it takes is one mistake or slip of judgment to ruin something for you. People have lost jobs, or been rejected because of their lack of though into what is shared. Also do you really want people to judge you by the snippets of thoughts from Facebook. Its not only personal relationships but professional ones that are judging you. This is why I'm more private on Facebook rather than being shy.
What about "Yes, but I don't use it.". Some sites force you to use a Facebook login, so I created an account but it has nothing on it but my name (no pics, etc.).
I'm the same so I put "Yes but I want to leave" because essentially you were forced into an account in order to use the login (meaning you wouldn't be on if you'd had a choice and hence you want to leave)
It would be interesting to see that numbers that equate with this, or with people who wish to have a FB business page so sign up with an empty personal page.
I only have a link to my twitter profile in my facebook profile
I believe social sites are completely fickle, and at this time FB is whats in right now. People will eventually migrate to something else regardless. Social sites and internet in general are like snapshots of life. How many of us can go back and see our MySpace profile and say Oh my god, or look at our friendster page and say cool thats how my life was then. 5 years from now after Facebook goes public, we'll be saying .. the same.
It is quite clear that there aren't much people (or any at all) which aren't registered but want to because if they want, there aren't much reasons why they have not already.
While there might be more reasons about the mirrored case, i.e. you are registered but want to leave but have not already, I wonder what these are. It isn't really complicated to do. Maybe it is just more like 'I would leave if there would be a better alternative but otherwise I'll stay`? Or just 'I'm not sure yet'?
While there might be more reasons about the mirrored case, i.e. you are registered but want to leave but have not already, I wonder what these are. It isn't really complicated to do. Maybe it is just more like 'I would leave if there would be a better alternative but otherwise I'll stay`? Or just 'I'm not sure yet'?
It certainly is more difficult to leave Facebook if many of your friends are there to stay. Actually, the social costs of leaving or not joining Facebook can be quite high. This may explain why people hesitate even though they would like to leave.
Yea but so this means they don't want to leave (because of their friends). Or they are not sure yet.
'Yes and I want to stay' of course does not mean that you don't know a single reason to leave. It means exactly what you are saying: That the pro-arguments outweigh the counter-arguments.
'Yes and I want to stay' of course does not mean that you don't know a single reason to leave. It means exactly what you are saying: That the pro-arguments outweigh the counter-arguments.
"Yea but so this means they don't want to leave (because of their friends). Or they are not sure yet."
Think of it as lock-in.
Think of it as lock-in.
For the "No and I plan to stay off" group, I wonder how many were on and left, versus those who never were on at all? (I'm in the "never were on at all" group.)
I'm in the "Never were on at all" group. I've been on other social networks, but I don't like the principle. I don't want a unified public persona (people are multi-faceted), and I don't need a website to track my friends.
Personally I'm in the never on at all group. I was interested when it was college students only but I graduated in 2002. By the time it went wide spread I mostly didn't care, and by the time it got big they started having moments like Beacon that told me no way in hell did I trust them with my personal data/social graph/etc.
At first I registered because of curiosity. Then all my friends began to have an account. And when I tried to leave, I found myself "locked" in FB because of the API Keys of my Apps. But as soon as I get rid of the Apps, I would really consider leaving.
In case anyone is wondering why HN is hostile towards Facebook, the reason is this: As engineers (and that includes me), we are just upset that all this advancement in technology has come down to this :)
How do you know if somebody isn't using facebook?
They'll be sure to tell you.
They'll be sure to tell you.
No, but my data harvesting sock puppets are.
Joined. Then left because of web literalists.
Now have a band (read: marketing) profile.
Now have a band (read: marketing) profile.