Facebook - to join or not to join, that is the queztion

Newportnobby · March 19, 2018, 12:16:49 PM

Quote from: red_death on March 19, 2018, 12:10:08 PM
Very few things in life are must haves, so the question should really be is FB useful?

But if it's so useful, how have I got this far in life without it and, more to the point, I don't feel I'm disadvantaged? In fact, the more I hear on the news about it, not having it seems to be an advantage sometimes

austinbob · March 19, 2018, 12:36:04 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on March 19, 2018, 12:16:49 PM
Quote from: red_death on March 19, 2018, 12:10:08 PM
Very few things in life are must haves, so the question should really be is FB useful?

But if it's so useful, how have I got this far in life without it and, more to the point, I don't feel I'm disadvantaged? In fact, the more I hear on the news about it, not having it seems to be an advantage sometimes

Up until I started this thread Mick I was pretty much of the same opinion as you about Facebook. Most of the responses in this thread so far have been more positive than negative. It's definitely not a must have for me but could be a nice to have possibly.
I think the main question I have now is will Facebook cause me any hassle, is it safe and if you delete an account if you don't like it, is it really DELETED? Or will it come back to haunt me in some way?
If I get good answers to that question(s) I might just give it a try.

ntpntpntp · March 19, 2018, 12:52:49 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on March 19, 2018, 12:16:49 PM
But if it's so useful, how have I got this far in life without it and, more to the point, I don't feel I'm disadvantaged?

How can you know what you're missing out on without having experienced it? It's just another communication channel. You may try it and decide you don't like it, fair enough.

Seems like we've only had one view on the ability (or not) to delete yourself from FB, I guess that indicates the majority of FB users on here are happy with things and haven't felt the need to delete their accounts.

Is it safe? In what way do you think it might not be safe? FB can't kill you! Like any other public communication channel, don't give out personal information and don't get involved in the drivel. Don't click on the daft news feeds and other "suggested" posts. So what if you get a few spam emails (which I don't btw) - just bin them without opening. No big deal.

It's the only way I communicate with my lad at uni these days! He never bothers with email, doesn't always respond to text messages but at least with FB I can see when he has a green light against his name that he's alive and (mostly) bothers to respond when i open a chat with him.

njee20 · March 19, 2018, 12:56:32 PM

A few friends of mine have decided they want to leave Facebook and have done so with no ill effect.

I think Mike's got it spot on. Of course it's not essential, but it's definitely a nice to have, and facilitates communication and sharing of information and (to a lesser extent) knowledge in another way.

EtchedPixels · March 19, 2018, 01:39:33 PM

I don't do facebook. I've never done facebook in part because I work in computing and I understand what can be done with all that data. There's also this amazing 3D rendered replacement for facebook with surround sound, live music and good food. It's called a pub. It does have the same problem with idiots who think they know it all and want everyone to know their opinions but the moderation is better and nobody goes around stealing all your personal data.

I don't really do things like twitter either. I just don't care whether Stephen Fry had sprouts for tea ...

I do use google hangouts for chatting to people, but that doesn't mix 'news', cat pictures and friends posting photos of their lunch with conversation.

Alan

austinbob · March 19, 2018, 01:55:57 PM

Thanks Alan. Your comments about personal data are, I suppose, echoing my concerns about Facebook being 'safe'.
Can you limit the amount of personal data you enter, and/or protect it in any way?
If I use Facebook it will probably only be to communicate with groups like the NGF.
Luv the pub bit... If the NGF members did a local pub group I 'd be up for that!!

themadhippy · March 19, 2018, 02:03:52 PM

Ive was kicked off facebook a few years back,only had a handfull of friends that i mostly see in real life anyway so no great loss.My crime was not using my real name or being able to prove i was the pseudonym i was posting under. wonder if its because it makes it harder for the cia to keep tabs on me or because cambridge analytical wont be able to target political campaigns and marketing at me.

njee20 · March 19, 2018, 02:04:55 PM

If Facebook doesn't harvest your personal data then Amazon or any other e-commerce, or social media site will!

I personally have no real issues with that. Why wouldn't I want to see sidebar adverts that are relevant to my tastes!? If you do then I'd steer clear of the internet in general, personally. Nothing is truly anonymous any more.

As to people saying they never managed to leave Facebook - they're going to have to sort that out so people can exercise their right to be forgotten as part of the GDPR on 25th May. Otherwise they are going to be fined spectacularly!

austinbob · March 19, 2018, 02:14:46 PM

Quote from: themadhippy on March 19, 2018, 02:03:52 PM
Ive was kicked off facebook a few years back,only had a handfull of friends that i mostly see in real life anyway so no great loss.My crime was not using my real name or being able to prove i was the pseudonym i was posting under. wonder if its because it makes it harder for the cia to keep tabs on me or because cambridge analytical wont be able to target political campaigns and marketing at me.

My question is what personal data do you HAVE to put in other than a user name and password? What data is being harvested and what can they do with it?
It concerns me that you might have been thrown off Facebook for no good reason. However if you broke their rules then ejection is probably to be expected.

EtchedPixels · March 19, 2018, 02:30:34 PM

You don't have to put much in but what you read and how long you read it for, who you communicate with and what you like are very effective ways of profiling people.

You can of course also forget to tell the truth, like things you don't or just ignore everything except to talk to people

The Q · March 19, 2018, 02:40:09 PM

I've recently joined FB and found that my family(who mostly live 400 miles from me) is getting swamped by the forum posts. So I think I'm going to have to remove various groups from my normal site and set up a second FB account for groups I look at.

The biggest pain I have is the emails from FB coming every time someone posts so I'll need to set up a dummy email adress as well. (or can I set FB as spam?)

austinbob · March 19, 2018, 02:44:47 PM

That's useful info Q. I use a WhatsApp for family chats and would only use Facebook for groups like NGF. Hopefully that would not cause such a big problem?

njee20 · March 19, 2018, 03:19:18 PM

The NGF is a private Facebook group, which means that no one who's not a member should receive any notification of things you're posting. Indeed they can't see it at all unless they become a member.

Article on the BBC today about Facebook's data sharing interestingly.

emjaybee · March 19, 2018, 04:13:17 PM

Quote from: red_death on March 19, 2018, 12:10:08 PM
Very few things in life are must haves, so the question should really be is FB useful? To which the answer is clearly yes otherwise it wouldn't be used so widely.

Used so widely? As is Class A & B drugs, tobacco, alcohol...

...and similar to these, Facebook would also appear to addictive and a hard one to break.

austinbob · March 19, 2018, 04:19:05 PM

Quote from: njee20 on March 19, 2018, 03:19:18 PM
The NGF is a private Facebook group, which means that no one who's not a member should receive any notification of things you're posting. Indeed they can't see it at all unless they become a member.

That would suit me just fine. So is it true that any group you have to have separate membership/sign up would also be private. Xcuse my ignorance on this...