Is Facebook Evil?

[Shu]

I believe Facebook is evil, but hear me out.

I can already hear it, "Shu Facebook can't be evil.. it would be the people that exist within it that make it evil." Well yes.. but at the same time the people who make the networking tool have some sort of say what all is within the program. They know what causes people to be more interested and they know the marketing points (thank Suck-el-burg [I'm a hater I know.]).

I think facebook tells way too much about ourselves for one. I think there are a lot of people who should of never signed in and made an account, because they let themselves be known how stupid they really are. If they really say.. "well I'm going to have a sandwich today", and then think all of their friends will care, well then damn, we can successfully eliminate these people from ever taking up a job.

I'm noticing it now as a form of a job networking tool. When I originally signed on it was strictly for College students. It was only used to just advertise "who" I was. There was a no wall at the time, only a sort of janky message system. It actually was pretty nice, because I had no idea where some of my old friends were residing. As in if I went home to visit my home town, I could usually give them a message saying "yo I'll be in town, what's your new number."

Eventually, the facebook turned into the modern day dating/friend site. People advertising all sorts of shit. From "Hey look at this youtube video, it's hilarious..." to "I'm currently in a relationship with X". For me it's.. Oh who do I have to block these days from seeing my un-edited mind speak. Who do I have to make sure I don't offend. What ignorant person do I have to make sure not to add.

1) What's the point of a networking site if you have to set up so many privacy preferences that it's declared as some sort of private censorship?

2) What's the point of adding 200+ friends who maybe you know 40-50 of them due to you still see them everyday?

So let me get around to the "evil" part.

1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?

2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?

3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?

4) Have you ever had someone discriminate you for "NOT!" having facebook?

5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?

6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?

7) Do I always want to be so "non" mysterious that by the time any conversation has occurred in person again, there is nothing to talk about? It's often time just a resumed conversation from saying "wassup" on facebook.

8) Ads?

9) Time trap? How many times do you get stuck looking at facebook during the day when you could be doing something better with your time? I get it some of you are hung up on people's picks, or gossip, or what the hell ever you have to fill your mediocre lives with, but come on! Sometimes just take a break.

10) Overall I think Facebook shouldn't have a wall. I think messaging would be fine, but I think there is a time where people just need to some separation from eachother, and facebook doesn't allow that at all. Even death gets called into the picture sometimes. "Oh my god did you know he wrote something on his wall before he committed suicide?"

11) Gossip? Facebook leads to gossip, which is the ultimate form of evil. That has an entire new thread by itself though.

No offense, but I live in America, where I'm sure just like any other country there are a lot of ignorant people who I just don't want to know. No offense if I don't add you, it's quite possibly due to I have nothing in common with you, or I don't know you worth a damn. It's not some sort of "Oh well, I don't like you." I still add people I don't like, at least they still interest me. So stop getting offended you over sensitive fool.

Facebook is becoming the new stalking tool of our society too. The most intimate stuff gets leaked and people are going.. "hmmmmmm" the next day. I can tell people sit there and go .. "Oh well this dude has so many pictures of him out and about, he must be cool." Boy how people don't know that dude could be some sort of Paedo-bear. Though I'm not going to stop people from whoring their pictures out there.

Overall I can see far too many bad things about facebook these days, though I'm still a hypocrite and still use it, but far FAAAAR less than I did from way back in the day.

I think personally Facebook could be a good thing still.. but its discouraging to see how it is used today. I just hope they don't allow even more intrusive features and even more privacy settings I'll have to set up.

What is your view? Is Facebook good or evil?

 

[Martel]

I don't really use Facebook very much; I've used it quite a lot for University-related things, but otherwise I barely use it at all. I post on my wall maybe once or twice a month, or when I'm extremely bored; I'm one of those people who acts exactly the same whether I'm on the internet or talking to someone face to face, and I don't have many friends on there anyway, so it doesn't matter to me what I say. Facebook, for me, is a way to get in touch with people I know in real life, because I don't like text messaging, and chatting to them over MSN is just annoying. The whole "social networking" aspect - sharing pictures, etc - of it doesn't appeal to me. I'm one of those people who doesn't really get out very much, and the people I know in real life are scattered across the country, so there is no easy way to get in touch with them. I don't add people I don't know, and I don't add people I only know on the internet.

I think its because people know each other in real life that sparks all the trouble, especially considering how Facebook is used these days. Something you say online can come back to haunt you in real life, and as a rule the unwritten taboos on particular things that you cannot discuss in real life don't apply on the internet. Whether or not they apply on Facebook depends on who your friends are and what you say, but its extremely difficult to tell sometimes where people have placed the line, which seems to be constantly in motion.

I would say Facebook is a good idea gone wrong. The idea itself is a good one, its the way people use it that causes problems. If you want to think of it in terms of evil, I would say the evil comes from the individuals on it, and not the site itself: it gives you these options, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to. If it leads to an awkward situation in real life...well, deal with it. Someone you know asks you why you won't add them as a friend? Just tell them you don't really know them well enough, or whatever. You don't want to add everyone you know? Set up a pseudonym and only tell the people you want to. Problem solved.

Facebook is both a good and a bad thing in that it attempts to bridge the gap between online interaction and real life interaction, but in truth the two modes of communication are so massively different that they aren't really compatible, and as a result it stirs up all sorts of bullshit. As far as I'm concerned, people who use Facebook should be prepared to deal with the possible consequences; nobody is forcing you to upload pictures of yourself, post random shit, or anything like that.

 

[Dionysos]

I wouldn't say that Facebook is evil, but I would say that it has been quite frightening at times. I am also quite put off by how it now allows people to say where they live, where they work, where they go / went to study. That said, I suppose it is up to the people to disclose that information. I haven't, and I want to keep it that way.


I have to be honest and say that I've not been on Facebook much for about a year, and that as a result I've accidentally isolated myself from a lot of the people that I used to know. I've been avoiding Facebook for a silly reason too... I dislike the photograph that I have on there, and I'm not a camera-whore enough to take a random mirror shot like a lot of people do to get a new photograph. I simply haven't had any photographs taken in a long time (besides my profile picture on here, I guess), and therefore I've avoided going on to Facebook in the hopes that people will not click on my profile. It's a ridiculous photograph - I look like a light bulb in a gown. My avoiding Facebook is comparable to covering your eyes as a child and thinking that you are invisible. You're not.


Since, I guess, we rely a lot on social networking for social contact these days, I've lost a lot of old friends by being absent from Facebook. I haven't really seen much of the people who live close by this past year either. Since I can count with my fingers how many times I've been out socially this year, I actually isolated myself from a lot of people, and it has been quite a huge mistake, as silly as saying that I lost my friends due to not going on Facebook sounds. I guess since I'm not much of a phone user, Facebook was my only contact with some of those people. I've been slipping away from FFF too, actually, and am no longer as close to people here as I'd wish to be. I've found myself a bit of a stranger, and it's not a good feeling.


Perhaps because some may be reliant on Facebook, it is evil. Then again, if it wasn't for things like Facebook we'd simply lose contact with most people we meet anyway, without making lots and lots of effort. One could argue that you don't really need this contact, however.


As for Facebook as a time trap, I've never felt it as such, but I've seen that it is for other people. Some people send lots of updates about their lives, and comment lots on other people too. I've never really done that, so Facebook has never consumed a lot of my time. FFF, on the other hand... !


What I'm saying, I guess, is that I've not really had any horror stories myself with Facebook (besides being photo-tagged as something disgusting on a rude fecal porn photograph which a friend uploaded - so I guess how evil Facebook is could depend on the users), but I've avoided giving too much out, and wish to continue to do so. To ignore Facebook completely, however, has been a big mistake. I should have continued to do a few things on there, show that I'm still alive, and reply to event invites and keep in contact. Facebook aside, I've had a crazy time lately this last year and I kept quiet about it, and I lost my mind and all my belief in myself, and I don't want to do that to myself anymore, or now that I'm getting back to who I want to be I don't want to find myself going backwards. I'll get a new photograph, and I'll go back on Facebook, though I'll never become addicted to the thing (and probably won't do much on it), I'll be there.

 

[Davey Gaga]

1) What's the point of a networking site if you have to set up so many privacy preferences that it's declared as some sort of private censorship?

I've got 528 friends (all of whom I know fairly well ) and I don't have any privacy filters filled out (although I should probably block my mum entirely, but that's a new thread). I say what I want to say.

2) What's the point of adding 200+ friends who maybe you know 40-50 of them due to you still see them everyday?

Mainly to stay in touch. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have known my best friend for 10 years had died recently. Or that a Chemistry teacher I was very friendly with got married. Or that someone else I knew in school has now moved to Australia.

1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?

No.

2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?

No.

3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?

No.

4) Have you ever had someone discriminate you for "NOT!" having facebook?

No, but I've done it to friends. Facebook's taking over what texting used to do; it's the main social scene.

5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?

Naked pictures of a friend. But that could happen without the internet. Not quite on such a grand scale but the principle would still be there.

6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?

If you don't, then it's easy to hide your relationship status, or to block the people in whom you're not interested.

7) Do I always want to be so "non" mysterious that by the time any conversation has occurred in person again, there is nothing to talk about? It's often time just a resumed conversation from saying "wassup" on facebook.

Probably didn't have a lot to talk about in the first place then.

8) Ads?

Hidden at the side of the screen where no one really looks at them. Business. FFF has them. Is FFF evil?

9) Time trap? How many times do you get stuck looking at facebook during the day when you could be doing something better with your time? I get it some of you are hung up on people's picks, or gossip, or what the hell ever you have to fill your mediocre lives with, but come on! Sometimes just take a break.

Could say the same about any website. Or books. Or video games. Or TV. I don't think Facebook's any worse.

10) Overall I think Facebook shouldn't have a wall. I think messaging would be fine, but I think there is a time where people just need to some separation from eachother, and facebook doesn't allow that at all. Even death gets called into the picture sometimes. "Oh my god did you know he wrote something on his wall before he committed suicide?"

Again, it's easy to block or delete people. Or to just not speak to them online if you need a break. It's like saying you're ALWAYS REACHABLE WITH YOUR MOBILE PHONE...not if you turn it off, you're not.

11) Gossip? Facebook leads to gossip, which is the ultimate form of evil. That has an entire new thread by itself though.

So do women on a sunday afternoon.

At the end of the day, anything you don't want people to see shouldn't be posted anyway. Anything you don't want to see, block it. If you're addicted, turn it off. It's not hard and I never understand it when people get pissy about stuff like that.

 

[Shaissa]

1) What's the point of a networking site if you have to set up so many privacy preferences that it's declared as some sort of private censorship?

So that if you want people not to find you minus those that know you can do that, or only show stuff on your facebook to people you add as a friend personally.



2) What's the point of adding 200+ friends who maybe you know 40-50 of them due to you still see them everyday?

That is an individual want, i admit that i have people from high school that I don't really talk to anymore on my facebook, but I have relatives and co workers too... Its a matter of the person over anything else.




1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?

nope



2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?

nope

3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?

nope, but i know some companies (example walmart) have fired people for saying stuff about the company on facebook or myspace or twitter but then again, should you be bashing the place you work at anywhere where they can see it???




4) Have you ever had someone discriminate you for "NOT!" having facebook?

nope




5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?

a weapon??? I mean I have seen drama put on facebook, but then again i can send a text or talk about someone to a lot of people and spread rumors or cause drama that way too if I really wanted to cause drama




6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?

Does it really matter? i guess it helps people figure out whose single and whose not on there friends list... you can also have the option to not show that to anyone ...and for a fwi, you realize you ask the same things on here also? "marital status" "Gender" "mood" "status" just saying





7) Do I always want to be so "non" mysterious that by the time any conversation has occurred in person again, there is nothing to talk about? It's often time just a resumed conversation from saying "wassup" on facebook.

Well... if I understand this... your saying that whats the point of starting a conversation on facebook saying hi and not really having anything to say? Isn't the same thing as getting a text like that? i mean some people just like to say hi or wassup just to see if anythings new you know... It's not meant to be "evil" or "offensive"




8) Ads?

Its a business, plain and simple, I don't go and yell at grocery stores or tv or any other internet website for having ad's, its a buisness, they are there to make money, simple, not evil.





9) Time trap? How many times do you get stuck looking at facebook during the day when you could be doing something better with your time? I get it some of you are hung up on people's picks, or gossip, or what the hell ever you have to fill your mediocre lives with, but come on! Sometimes just take a break.

How many hours do we spend talking on FFF? Its a matter of priority, its a matter of knowing what you have to get done throughout the day, if you want to sit on facebook all day that is your choice, like its your choice to be on this website talking about facebook, or talking on the shoutbox...





10) Overall I think Facebook shouldn't have a wall. I think messaging would be fine, but I think there is a time where people just need to some separation from eachother, and facebook doesn't allow that at all. Even death gets called into the picture sometimes. "Oh my god did you know he wrote something on his wall before he committed suicide?"

and he could go say it to his face also... or in a text, or anything else, yes people do go and write things that are meant to hurt on peoples walls, i wont deny that, and things do go too far, but lets admit it if people say things to a group of people, words going spread anyways...




11) Gossip? Facebook leads to gossip, which is the ultimate form of evil. That has an entire new thread by itself though.

again, saying things to a group of people or just to one person can be gossip, It's not just facebook, facebook is a network for people to get connected with friends fast... How people use it makes it "evil" facebook itself isn't evil, I can gossip with people on here or at work or in text also, does that mean my work is evil? this website is evil?

 

[Ruhku]

I never experienced some evil stuff with facebook but I don't forget the dangers of it.
You can get alot of dangerous people let it be criminals, Paedophiles, suicidal people.

Anyone here that story of the boy who killed himself because alot of people was trolling him and wouldn't leave him alone?

But is is considered evil and dangerous.

That said who wants my Facebook? Be great to have friends from here on there.

 

[Bambi]

I never post anything of any significant importance on facebook, i never rant or whine about my personal life, I tend to be discreet about as much of my personal shit as I can. Anything else, personally, goes. Im an open person in real life as on the internet. So if people dont like it, then its easy enough to remove another user, or even just hide their posts from your feed

You can deactivate your own wall, so thats that issue if you dont like it. If someone wants to post shite - let them, they are only making fools out of themselves. Its like watching a slanging match on the street on on the internet, for even more folk to see


Anyway

1) What's the point of a networking site if you have to set up so many privacy preferences that it's declared as some sort of private censorship?

Because not all of us want our personal shit posted to the whole of the internet, Im happy enough with the select people I have on my friends list, I'd rather have the choice of privacy than not at all - fast forwarding to your stalker comment, this can prevent that for some cases

2) What's the point of adding 200+ friends who maybe you know 40-50 of them due to you still see them everyday?

No I dont see anyone on my friends list every day, I live out of the way and Im busy working all week. I keep in touch with friends and family easily through facebook. Its much more convenient than a mobile phone. Plus even if it's online, there's folk I used to know that I do stay in tocuh with and it's nice just to have the occassional bit of online banter which I otherwise wouldnt have.

I rarely add an outright stranger, and the odd time I have done, its not been long since Ive removed them

1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?

No, if I didn't want someone to see my status, I wouldn't add them. Simples

2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?

No, and they never would

3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?

I would never add some one that I thought may use my personal shit against me like that, co-worker or not.

5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?

Not so much with people I know, but I know of people that have. Since Ive been on FB ive only come across one really bad thing, but you can say the same about any internet site/forum(lol) and mobile phones. Threats by texts aren't uncommon

6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?

Aside from the fact that most people do tend to know if you are in a relationship or not irl,l this is probably the only one Im wary of. 'is in a relationship' can easy change to is not, and its all the OOOOOHS what happened, so I try to keep any kind of info re that, low key. Any change just gets deleted straight off my news feed so no one really knows any different with out actually looking at my settings.

Of course you dont even have to set it to anything, if people want to m,ake assumptions let them

7) Do I always want to be so "non" mysterious that by the time any conversation has occurred in person again, there is nothing to talk about? It's often time just a resumed conversation from saying "wassup" on facebook.

Not really an issue Ive ever had lol

8) Ads?

pretty much every site has ads

9) Time trap? How many times do you get stuck looking at facebook during the day when you could be doing something better with your time? I get it some of you are hung up on people's picks, or gossip, or what the hell ever you have to fill your mediocre lives with, but come on! Sometimes just take a break.

tv, computer games, sat texting all day long... people will always find a way to be doing something when they could be doing something 'productive'

10) Overall I think Facebook shouldn't have a wall. I think messaging would be fine, but I think there is a time where people just need to some separation from eachother, and facebook doesn't allow that at all. Even death gets called into the picture sometimes. "Oh my god did you know he wrote something on his wall before he committed suicide?"

Walls can be decactivated, my friends removed hers. Suits her just fine. I'm happy enough keeping mine

11) Gossip? Facebook leads to gossip, which is the ultimate form of evil. That has an entire new thread by itself though.

Everyone gossips, we dont need facebook for that





Bottom line is, it's not facebook that's evil, just some people are too stupid to use it without causing themselves or others major grief. There will never not be idiots int he world, sadly

 

[Shu]

I've got 528 friends (all of whom I know fairly well ) and I don't have any privacy filters filled out (although I should probably block my mum entirely, but that's a new thread). I say what I want to say.

So you have 528 friends who know when you take a shit then eh? My point being is there is no way in hell that you know these 528 friends in a manner where you actually go out and hand with them every Friday night. Do you occasionally have someone who messages you from grade school saying "LOL" on your wall, when you have a funny pic? And the fact of the matter is you don't even remember adding them?

Mainly to stay in touch. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have known my best friend for 10 years had died recently. Or that a Chemistry teacher I was very friendly with got married. Or that someone else I knew in school has now moved to Australia.

Are you sure about this? If you were his/her best friend you wouldn't have received a phone call? I'm just saying.

No.

Do you work then?

No.

Do you work then?

No.

Do you work then? And I guess I could of modified this, have you ever known someone who got in trouble for what someone else said on their wall.

No, but I've done it to friends. Facebook's taking over what texting used to do; it's the main social scene.

Exactly. The point being is if someone has something to say, they'll no longer pick up the phone and use it, or text. They'll simply use facebook. How does that help the non facebook users out?

Naked pictures of a friend. But that could happen without the internet. Not quite on such a grand scale but the principle would still be there.

Naked picture's are one thing. Though hacking a facebook account to ruin someone's reputation is another. Or flat out if someone had a grudge for you and you never quite knew it due to they were passive aggressive early on, and all the sudden with facebook they got the balls to blast you over facebook. It's become more weaponized, day by day, and yes at a GRAND scale.

If you don't, then it's easy to hide your relationship status, or to block the people in whom you're not interested.

I'm not referring to that. Have you ever had a girl been offended for not making her "in a relationship." Or if the girl did it you have all these people know your dirty laundry in a matter of a day. It's no necessary to know your girlfriends, because chances are.. they are temporary anyway if they are on facebook. I guess the follow up question would be.. Have you ever seen a break up over facebook. Aka the woman or guy was suspicious of the person and due the fact the person had many "guy" / "girl" friends on their profile, that they were extremely jealous when miss gorgeous Susie Queue of California talked to him. When the fact is you hardly know that person anymore. It's like a little black book complex for relationships.

Probably didn't have a lot to talk about in the first place then.

Hidden at the side of the screen where no one really looks at them. Business. FFF has them. Is FFF evil?

The point being Facebook was a free venture, that never looked towards ads to promote the site. Though when it was big enough to no longer be "The Facebook" and be "Facebook" that the founder decided to turn it on. It's one of the leading Advertising software companies out on the market today. FFF is a different story altogether. Ads are at the starting screen only really. We maintain all other advertisements via a subforum which the rule is tightly upheld. When you say at the side of the screen, have you not seen the pages in which often times spam walls. Also sometimes a little chinese fella (no offense, this was the scenario with a former co-worker I knew) hacked in, and put all sorts of advertisements which lead to trojans on his wall. Now a days I have friends advertising stuff, that when someone clicks on one of the ads, it automatically makes them send the ad to everyone else. Aka in order for you not to click on them, you basically have to be a skeptic of every link.

Could say the same about any website. Or books. Or video games. Or TV. I don't think Facebook's any worse.

Lol, says something about our generation then. Lazy bastards. The reason I say facebook is different, because for some it has that little pill in which makes them want to surf it while at work, stalk people who they either want to get with 1) or they are curious due to how interesting (maybe dramatic they are) 2) or lastly due to the fact they are their enemy in real life, and would like to see bad things happen, so they remain a facebook friend 3).

TV/Video Games/Books don't apply to other people though. If you call entertainment people, then you of course need to go out and find some friends. The above may or may not apply to you, but I bet they apply to your friends.

Again, it's easy to block or delete people. Or to just not speak to them online if you need a break. It's like saying you're ALWAYS REACHABLE WITH YOUR MOBILE PHONE...not if you turn it off, you're not.

Try living in a small town where if you aren't on facebook, people think you are a shady person. It's like that around here, and I get enough flack for not adding some people or not making my profile free of all privacy features.

Hmm.. cell phones are different though, at my job if I turn my cell phone off or don't have email available I would lose it. Especially if they knew I wasn't on vacation/sick. On facebook though, people use it in a personal conversation, where they choose not to pick up the phone and be a person, and carry on a year long conversation, that could have easily ended with "Oh yea, let's just go pick up a coffee". No offense, but a lot of stupid conversations come out of folks words on facebook, where I just eventually end up hiding their status updates. When someone asks me at work did I see something on their wall.. and I think to myself, "Oh oops, I hid their stuff, so I didn't see it", well it's hard to be honest to them then, if they know you are an active user.

So do women on a sunday afternoon.

Probably using facebook no? I meant that in a sense where Facebook gives people the "tool" in order to gossip. It's just another venue.

At the end of the day, anything you don't want people to see shouldn't be posted anyway. Anything you don't want to see, block it. If you're addicted, turn it off. It's not hard and I never understand it when people get pissy about stuff like that.

It's not what you say that often times is the problem. Its what people say on your profile, or say in real life about facebook that often comes back to you. That's the problem, we are wayyyy to interconnected with this software I would say. Pretty soon you will know when I have regular sex without me even logging it/ slapping a nun / strapping an m-90 to a small animal. That's pretty personal information, no? I'm just saying.. Some people are educated how to use Facebook, but if ended up in the wrong drunken hands, it could actually ruin lifes.

 

[Mitsuki]

I have mixed feelings when it comes to Facebook. At first I was very anti-Facebook even when I made my account back in 2006. It was a lot different then and didn't really appeal to me (though I think it has more to do with me not having enough patience to learn the ins and outs of Facebook), so it took a few years before I started really using it. And when I did, I liked it, up until recently. Pretty much what Argor stated, there is a hint of stalker-ish with a lot of the features they come up with these days.

For instance, having people "check-in" at a certain location - I don't get that. Okay, fair enough if you've only got close friends and family on your friends list. 90% of my contacts are close family/relatives and friends (with that, comes drama), but I know that with most of them, it's a way to show their social status with other family groups. "Oh, look where I'm at, having a blast with my family." If you're spending time with them, why even bother to check in on Facebook? That's just one of my annoyances though. I won't dislike an individual for using it; I just don't understand the purpose itself.

Another annoyance is when you have two or more people on your contact list (who are also friends with each other) make slight digs at each other without naming anyone. Honestly, you have a problem with that person, don't bitch about it on Facebook and confront the person personally. The whole "I'm gonna kick yo ass" is not going to get you anywhere. Take action, don't type it out.

Aside from all that, I do think that Facebook can be useful if people are using it to actually stay in contact with others, especially if it's long-distance. That's understandable. I think that the majority of time, people do use it for that purpose, but at the same token, it starts to turn into something else along the way. I'm totally cool whenever I see my friends and family update about something (whatever that may be, how ever random it may be) once in awhile. I mean, that's what Facebook is for, and if it makes me laugh, kudos. But if it's the same person posting every 5-10 minutes to a point that there's 10+ posts per day (or heck, five even), then yeah, that's a little too much.

These days I have a bunch of my budding teenage cousins posting stuff that makes me lose brain cells (I have to keep reminding myself they're only kids). Then there are some adults that keeps going, "Please come home baby I miss you so much, I can't live without you" to "I effin hate your effin ass blah blah blah" the next day, to "I need you here with me" the following day - that makes me wanna ... ugh, I won't even. Point though is, I can do something about that by filtering them on my news feed. Problem solved. I still stay in contact somehow with the person, but I don't have to read what they have to say if it's starting to become a bothersome. Everyone has control of what they can share with people or a certain individual, whether it be photo albums, activities, or wall posts.

The bad part is that if the individual(s) finds out that you've somehow limited what they can see on your Facebook, they may confront you about it and it may not be pretty. I just wish people can respect that hey, I like to be private about some of what I post or that if I don't care too much about someone (my husband's stepmom) then yeah, I'm going to hide my crap from you. Don't take it personal, it's only Facebook. I'll still talk to you when I see you.

I don't go out of my way to cause trouble or be mean to someone on Facebook (that's just dumb), but if for some reason I may have said something that may have unintentionally annoyed or offended someone and they gossip with others, it's like...if it's so annoying, please, let me have access to your account for one minute so I can hide myself from your news feed. It's that simple.

Other than that...one thing I hope they do fix about the privacy of photos though, is that whenever I do comment on someone's photos, it shows up on my friends' news feed. I really disike that feature. I wish there's some control over that. Maybe there is and I haven't figured it out yet, but I know I have my privacy settings tight as possible as it is.

So is Facebook evil? Nah, I wouldn't really say that. It can be annoying as hell, sure, but I think "evil" is not the right word for something trivial like Facebook, since it is designed for you to control pretty much any of your own actions. I wouldn't really say it's "good" either...I mean, I don't know...I've never thought about categorizing Facebook; it is what it is. Log in, check whatever you want to check, make it your business or not, it's up to you. Then log out and leave it at that.

(When I say "you" I don't mean "you" directly, Shu. xD Speaking generally.)

 

[Tucker]

Haha well I've seen lots of videos that say Facebook sells all our info to different corporations and such.
I have to say I am very annoyed with Facebook. Like you said, everyone puts everything on there. I have so many friends that put up their town and address, all their job info, and I'm thinking "Why do you need to put that?" All Facebook administrators and what not can see that.
And yes, how can someone seriously have 250+ (I have a few friends with over 800) friends/people that they want to reconnect with? That was the original point.
However, I really only used a Facebook to talk to my brothers in Iraq, since they never checked email really. Then later on my old best friend who moved away was on there, and I was able to rekindle a friendship there. So I only like to use it for it's original purposes I guess.
It gets very annoying when my newsfeed is filled with people saying, "bored". Why tell us???
Also photos bother me. I have had so many tagged photos of me where I either look terrible, it's one of those photoshopped photos, or I never wanted that on the internet. I can untag myself, but it's still there and many people can say "There's Marlena!"

So I still use it, but people spend too much time and there is just too much information leaked to random people. I'm hoping it will turn out like MySpace one day...But then they'll just make a new site.

 

[Thief of Hearts Joker]

So let me get around to the "evil" part.

Shu:1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?

No.Why..?Because I wouldn't know how to keep people from seeing it anyways XD

Shu:2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?

No.Why?Cause most of my friends are either online,old classmates,or pretty far away from me.

Shu:3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?

No.I dont work and I wouldn't ever say something on FB that would get me in trouble irl.

Shu:4) Have you ever had someone discriminate you for "NOT!" having facebook?

No.Why?Because Im a blunt person if someone asked me this I'd simply respond it's none of your damn buisiness((SP!)) I join when I feel like it and it has helped me connect with old friends.

Shu:5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?

No But give it time lol..

Shu:6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?

Why not,Im sure one of your friend's will post it at some point may as well be you that posts it rather than a stranger.

Shu:7) Do I always want to be so "non" mysterious that by the time any conversation has occurred in person again, there is nothing to talk about? It's often time just a resumed conversation from saying "wassup" on facebook.

N/A

Shu:8) Ads?

Yes but I ignore em anyways

Shu:9) Time trap? How many times do you get stuck looking at facebook during the day when you could be doing something better with your time? I get it some of you are hung up on people's picks, or gossip, or what the hell ever you have to fill your mediocre lives with, but come on! Sometimes just take a break.

I dont spend more than maybe 5 min's to check on it,unlike some of my family members who spend 3-5 hours on something stupid like Farmville

Shu:10) Overall I think Facebook shouldn't have a wall. I think messaging would be fine, but I think there is a time where people just need to some separation from eachother, and facebook doesn't allow that at all. Even death gets called into the picture sometimes. "Oh my god did you know he wrote something on his wall before he committed suicide?"

Meh it's just a status update,and about the suicide it would make sense to post it on there letting his friend's and family know why he did it or if he's leaving something behind((Dunno how that sounds to you guys))

Shu:11) Gossip? Facebook leads to gossip, which is the ultimate form of evil. That has an entire new thread by itself though.

Gossip gets spawned from anything Facebook is no exception,every town,job,blah blah will have Gossip hell even this forum has gossip if you look for it.

Shu:No offense, but I live in America, where I'm sure just like any other country there are a lot of ignorant people who I just don't want to know. No offense if I don't add you, it's quite possibly due to I have nothing in common with you, or I don't know you worth a damn. It's not some sort of "Oh well, I don't like you." I still add people I don't like, at least they still interest me. So stop getting offended you over sensitive fool.

As for this I feel the same way I dont add people unless i know them well and have common intrest's

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I dont think Facebook is Evil it's just like any other site anymore,just a new version of myspace or some other nonsense,I for one dont spend much time on it and 'I dont put much info about myself on it,nor do i waste hour's of my life playing crap games like Farmville and NinjaSaga they lag too much and aren't really fun just repetitive..

I DO think it can be used for evil but i dont think it's at that point yet,right now it's just Neutral Territory atm

just my thoughts on this

 

[Mitsuki]

Also photos bother me. I have had so many tagged photos of me where I either look terrible, it's one of those photoshopped photos, or I never wanted that on the internet. I can untag myself, but it's still there and many people can say "There's Marlena!"

You can actually set it up so that friends can't see any of your tagged photos. It will still be there on your wall (unless you take it down) and your friends' photo album, but at least you can control what your friends can see on your wall / photo albums.

Under Privacy Settings, go to Customize. Then "Things Others Share" > Photos and Videos You're Tagged In, set it to Custom, then "Only Me". Hope that helps a bit.

And Shu, I think I can understand when you say Facebook can ruin some relationships if they say something on your profile or play the cat-and-mouse games on their wall. I've seen it happen with my family members. If it comes to that point, it's best to set it so that certain people can't post on your wall. Or completely remove them. If they whine about it, they're being childish and they need to remember that they don't have rights to your own personal life.

 

[Thief of Hearts Joker]

I edited my post with why's since Shu seemed curious on the answers sometimes xD

Dunno why exactly I joined in the first place but meh Im on it now and have no regrets on joining it,dont get me wrong if it ever becomes corrupt I'll drop it and erase everything in a second.

 

[Shu]

they're being childish and they need to remember that they don't have rights to your own personal life.

Ah here's the catch-22 though, is it your personal life if you put it online? The makers of facebook could easily one day remove all the privacy filters due to being bored, and by EULA/TOC they could say "well you signed up for it."

Granted nothing wrong has ever happened to me on facebook, per se, cept that one cousin. Though honestly Myspace was one thing, but facebook is tending to becoming more and more weaponized, and more interwoven to be the cultural/society norm of communication. When I say.. Does this scare the crap out of me... and I say, Yes.

The reason being is, the internet for one should never be a place for complete privacy in the first place. If you choose to put your pics up because of the false promise of "privacy filters", well what if someone just hacked your facebook account. It's not rocket science, let's just hope they don't eventually give the option to put bank accounts in it.

I've heard Paypal might have already signed, or will sign a deal with them to actually allow purchases on it. That will be fun. More privacy settings then.

Also notice how everything pretty much has "Share on facebook" option. Or an optional login for facebook on their website. (photobucket) Yes it's very convenient, but what if you had a user error where you locked into photobucket and put a meaningful GFX and shared it to facebook without knowing. Well guess what .. that's share too ALL not individual groups you had set up before. It's because it's a 3rd party program, and they don't have a way yet to filter it through to your Groups you have setup.

 

[Toshiya]

1) What's the point of a networking site if you have to set up so many privacy preferences that it's declared as some sort of private censorship?
-If you want to keep in contact with people using the site but don't want to reveal your whole life in the process? I haven't actually blocked anyone but I don't allow people that aren't already my friends to see certain things.

2) What's the point of adding 200+ friends who maybe you know 40-50 of them due to you still see them everyday?
-I have what, 380 friends, and I know all of them and keep in contact with probably about 80% of them. A lot are from school but I have a LOT of cadets on there as well - probably about 150 people I've met from various events. That's a lot of people I know that don't live close by that I can't text all the time - so Facebook is a nice way to keep in contact. I also have it to keep in contact with old friends who've moved away or who I don't go to school with any more.

So let me get around to the "evil" part.

1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?
-No, but I have had the awkward moment when somebody asked me why I'd deleted them. I just told them straight up; we don't talk, no point in having you on there.

2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?
-No, actually. I don't post events on facebook. I'll invite people via the phone rather than announce it.

3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?
-Nope, though I have to be careful what I write. I'm often wary about my statuses because of the amount of cadets I have on there - I don't want anything I shouldn't be saying about cadets or otherwise getting back to my boss.

4) Have you ever had someone discriminate you for "NOT!" having facebook?
-No, but I've seen it happen. It's normally jokey though.

5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?
-The worst I've seen is some dodgy photos of people put up - and by that I mean unflattering. But, you can untag yourself and get them removed from facebook. When that happens its normally people uploading photos of their friends drunk for a laugh though.

6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?
-You can hide your status - my friend does this. Other than that, sometimes it's easier to announce it via facebook than having people ask you about it.

7) Do I always want to be so "non" mysterious that by the time any conversation has occurred in person again, there is nothing to talk about? It's often time just a resumed conversation from saying "wassup" on facebook.
-I don't really have a problem with this. Most of the people I talk to online, either on facebook or MSN, I don't see very often - hence why I'm using social networking to talk to them. I actually speak to my best friends online very rarely - that's where texting and seeing them comes in.

8) Ads?
-Meh, most sites have them. Some of them are hilarious though.

9) Time trap? How many times do you get stuck looking at facebook during the day when you could be doing something better with your time? I get it some of you are hung up on people's picks, or gossip, or what the hell ever you have to fill your mediocre lives with, but come on! Sometimes just take a break.
-Yeah, it's a great tool to use to avoid work... but so's MSN and so are sites like this. I lost track of the amount of times I ended up on facebook or a forum when I was preparing for exams, but it's not just facebook that is distracting.

10) Overall I think Facebook shouldn't have a wall. I think messaging would be fine, but I think there is a time where people just need to some separation from eachother, and facebook doesn't allow that at all. Even death gets called into the picture sometimes. "Oh my god did you know he wrote something on his wall before he committed suicide?"
-I quite like the facebook wall - if I just want to post a quick message to someone that if I were to say in person and wouldn't mind others hearing, posting on their wall is the easiest thing to do.
However, I do feel sometimes people do air their dirty laundry on facebook too much. I remember my news feed being clogged up with some stupid argument between two girls I know regarding some guy that one of them had just split up with, and I remember thinking, who cares, take it to messaging. But overall, I like the wall.

11) Gossip? Facebook leads to gossip, which is the ultimate form of evil.
-In every year I've been at school/6th form, there's been gossiping. People gossip in person, via phone/text, however they possibly can. Facebook isn't the only way to find things out about people.

-So overall, no, I don't think facebook is evil. I use it a lot, I'll admit, but it comes in handy for keeping in contact with people I meet that it isn't possible for me to see often, which is normally the case with people I meet through cadets.
Some people use it for the wrong reasons though. My pet hates are people that put too many details of their lives into their statuses, and people that make status updates 5 times per day. I don't CARE what you've had for lunch, save that for twitter, where you're supposed to post every 10 seconds.

 

[Roland_Deschain]

Well I dont feel like reading everything thats been posted (for now) so I will just skip ahead to my opinions.

Facebook is a mervelous tool that I don't use at the moment because it is banned in the country of China where I work.

However a lot of people let this website consumes their lives for a false sense of accomplishment, ackowledgement, or the sense of achievement which as real as it may seem on the internet, is not that real...at all. Strangers from other places, while they are nice to stay in touch with, can not bail you out of jail, or provide you with a loan if you need it. In truth its hard to tell if a person is honest or a freak when your communicating with them from a screen.

However if we begin attacking social networks like facebook then would would have to also attack networks such as the one we are on right now. There is no grey line when it comes to acceptance of social networks because, WE, call the shots as far as our communication goes.

Now through my own eyes, it is an amazing tool that you can use to keep in touch with real people.

When I left my hometown of Iowa I lost track with almost all of my old friends. I then worked at a national park Yellowstone for two seasons, and they had working programs for people from all over the world, thats two HUGE groups of friends I obtained and vanished out of thin air.

And by the power of facebook, I retained those friends. This website (EVEN when I have no access to it) can track down all of my old highschool friends, ALL of my friends from all over the world, and sooooo many people I had lost touch with, JUST by using the few friends I did have as a structure too find them. I must say this is completely amazing.

All in all, its a great tool for those who want to use it with moderation and for real reasons. But to people who are weak enough to get sucked up into it (almost like a drug) its just a huge waste of time when they could be experiencing the real quality of life beyond a lighted screen.

And thats just my opinion on the matter.


Also I do not think gossip to be an ultimate form of evil, its not putting a bullet in someones head after all.

 

[Mitsuki]

Ah here's the catch-22 though, is it your personal life if you put it online?

Going with that mindset, I believe that it's a matter of granting anyone permission to have access to your personal life. If I choose to add someone or accept a friend request, I have to realize that yes, this person will be able to see whatever personal or random stuff I post on Facebook, and I have to verify that I'm able to come to terms with that (though ultimately it depends on who I'm adding). Pretty much works on any site. Here for instance, I may post something a bit personal, sure. It's personal stuff, but just because I've posted it online where anyone can read it, doesn't necessarily mean it becomes less personal to me. Maybe others may think otherwise and that's fine. For me, I've simply just granted everyone a window to my own personal thoughts and opinions, and it's my own doing. That's just how I see it though.

I do understand where you're coming from when it comes to the many wonders of privacy settings. You sign up for something and you have to take a good while to make sure everything is safe and clear, or at least close to that. It can leave us frustrated because then we realize that so many things these days are just way too public and it can put people off. For instance, when Facebook updated months ago, I had to quickly check every privacy settings and make sure nothing was altered in any way.

But past the flaws of Facebook, I still see it as a convenient way of communicating with your friends and loved ones, and right now that's what counts, hence why I'm still using it.

 

[Dee]

I would be one of those individuals who says it's the people you should be pointing the finger at. To imply something is evil goes without saying that "tool" was created by someone with the intention of causing harm or destruction. In that case, when it comes down to it--where did that "tool" come from? Man. It would not be proper to blame the tool. Instead, we really should look to the people for answers.

Take, for instance, your questions:

1) Have you ever had someone ask you why they can't see your status updates?

2) Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask you, why they weren't invited to your cook out?

3) Have you ever had a coworker report you for someone elses words?

4) Have you ever had someone discriminate you for "NOT!" having facebook?

5) Have you ever seen Facebook used as a weapon?

6) Do I really want to become "in a relationship" for the rest of the world to know?

Those are just a few, but let me point out that I have underlined anything that occurred on Facebook which happens to do with another human being's actions and not the "tool" itself. It's always someone else (in many cases anyway).

You don't have to post anything if you don't want to. You don't have to define your relationship to the world. You don't have an obligation to stand up to someone who confronts you first. You are the one who determines what you do with that "tool" and no one else. If you want to make public certain information--it's your decision. I, myself, have a limited amount of information even on my private Facebook page because it was my decision.

And yes, I've had people ask me why I only have one (or no) picture(s) of myself and that I should upload more. I've had people wonder why my Facebook page when blank in the matter of a few minutes. But that never mattered to me. I use the "tool" as a means of keeping in touch with people I am not able to otherwise see on a daily basis.

I guess the bottom line is that you are the only one who can define what Facebook is for yourself. It shouldn't matter what other people think (unless it's work-related as now-a-days employers will use Facebook against you; then again, you probably shouldn't be posting pictures of you stumbling around with a red plastic cup in your hand anyway...idiot.)

 

[Roland_Deschain]

Nothing is free haha

If you want access to other peoples personal information then it is at the risk of your own information as well.

Any information you allow others to have on such a website is by your own personal choice, as well as it is your choice to take part in a software such as facebook as well.

Its only as evil as you make it, and its only as intrusive as you let it be.

 

[Shu]

Also I do not think gossip to be an ultimate form of evil, its not putting a bullet in someones head after all.

I would love to respond to this statement, as I think it's worse than putting a bullet in someone's head, due to the seeds that are sown from it.. but that's another thread.

Overall good response, but.. I will say it does seem like a lot of it bias due to the old ways of facebook. Take in mind I never said it was completely bad, it was the way it's angled for now. I'm noticing more and more that it is no longer that little friendly community where you can just meet up, but I'm also noticing it's also a means to censorship.

Censorship to me, is in fact.. evil. To have to "NOT" be yourself just because you are friends, and always have to watch what you say, just because people are soft, well.. that sucks. And your response? Probably to block them. It's not easy when you have to think outside the box these days. If I block X, they come to me and say Y said I said "well there's a party at my place on friday" Well X may catch wind of it, and say, well how come I didn't see it, did you block me? (censorship). Uhh yea, no offense, not everyone is party material, especially those that run their mouths for topics of conversation.

I hardly use it to what I want to use it for. I want to let my mind go, but it's not a place for that. It's more for the sense of a false community. When I was at college, it was great because I was able to use it to hook up, to go to events (bars/swaps/house parties) but the commodity has lost it's place in the work place these days. I see people using it to stir up shit among others, and I'm like.. hmm how inhumane. It doesn't help my Wife lost her job because of it, due to her friends said something.. and she "liked" the status.

Now if there were laws that said you could say whatever, without any sort of consequences, unless it was a death threat, or slander.. then hell it might be a decent place to be after all. I don't know how many times I've had to back space what I was about to say, out of fear one of my other friends would say "Oh shit, that's fucking awesome" and then I get the wrap for such crap. Here in Mississippi you can get let go for sneezing at a job.

So Facebook, can be good, if you don't mind small talk, and you don't mind blocking anyone from tagging you/swearing on your wall/messing with your status if you forget to logout at a ... say... computer lab/dissing you right up and front without being able to respond, due to people can see sometime what "you wrote on the wall".

If facebook could do these things, I wouldn't mind:

1) Everyone could post on your wall and see "your posts"
2) I could block Group A from seeing Group B and C's, but they can see D's group chatter on my wall. Meaning I have an FFF group, I have a Close friends group, a coworkers group, and the highschool group.

i.e. If the FFF group said something well I want FFF group and Close friends group to see it. Though if Coworker group said something I want everyone to see it, but only coworkers able to respond to it. Get it?