Twitter, Facebook and IM - should I join?

[^woody^]

Despite being online since the early days, and some fun with ICQ back in early 2000, I have not had the urge to join any social networks or use IM

I have not joined twitter because I don't really want to read any inane celebrity ****tering, and I am not on Facebook because I am not looking for any slim petite divorcees with a GSOH seeking fun times

Call me old fashioned, but I tend to meet, email or phone the people I want to stay in touch with

So, can anyone give me some good reasons to sign up - either from a business or personal perspective?

 

[Ricardus]

I've been on the internet since Al Gore invented the thing, but I only signed up to Facebook a couple of months ago.

And that was only so I could play Scrabble.

 

[Mickymoody]

I got into Facebook, as an experiment; to see how these social sites work, and initially, good banter, good games, all good.

But then the games got competitive, and people were added that you don't know via various games, various PM's from people you don't know, and downhill from there.

Death threats from a friend of a friend, because they didn't read your post correctly, and don't realise your relationship with the person you were communicating with at the time, builds up, to family seeing that, and then your Family turning against you because of a tiny thing you said about your girlfriends tiny thing, suddenly is the biggest thing in the world, and you have the world and his friend threatening you with death.

Easy to do via mobile phone, it's ring ring, see a post, pop a post off. Despite your emotional state at the time, several hours later on a PC screen, and all her mates have commented, you are the devil spawn of scum, and should never have been born, and you WILL be killed, and the method is described several times over, accompanied by several bouts of LOL, or GERRIN.

People are fickle. People are naive. Don't bother with these sites.

 

[1john]

Unless you are a child in a mans body you may find these sites quite interesting, yes you can post silly comments which you regret, but thats down to choice, you can also play games, there is nothing dangerously competetive about scrabble. What you may find is that you can catch up with old school friends or work collegues which you wish you could get in touch with, you will be suprised at who is actually on them. Try it, if you dont like it then close the account. I would suggest Facebook as it seems the most popular.

 

[RedHerring2]

Agree with John, try it, perhaps Facebook, and if you like it, fine. If not, close your account, i.e. delete your account.
I tried it, at a friends suggestion/invite. After a couple of days, realising how public your life becomes and receiving invites/messages from people I can not or barely remember, and people who I could never have met in my life, I deleted my account.

Reading an article, just the other day, about how much information these sites are collecting, they just haven't found out how to maximise the financial reward from that information yet.

 

[Alarm]

Personally its an invasive piece of tat. Never used it, know many that do.
Constant bickering and fights break out. No privacy.
Example, I caught a train to see a friend and do a favour. His wife mentioned it on FB and not even halfway there I got calls and Emails asking why I had not told others I was going there.
The police should use it to trace crims, be faster and cheaper.

Nothing wrong with a phone call text or mail.
Why advertise your and others lives to anyone?

 

[Bahco]

Can anyone give me some good reasons to sign up ?

NO!

Think we are a bit old to be sitting on Facebook or Tweeting like women.

Stick to the male domain that is Diynot!

 

[AndrewSchofield]

I've been on FB for about three years now and recently signed up to Twitter (although for a specific reason).

Personally i don't see what's wrong with either, you can use it as much or as little as you want, and put on there as much or as little of your own information as you want. I personally use it to get back in touch with people i haven't seen since school and generally keeping up to date with what friends i don't see often are up to. It can also be amusing. Some people i've spoken to more on Facebook than i did when i was at school (i was very shy at school) and whilst i'm not particularly bothered about meeting up with some people, it is good to see what they're up to. Some of the most disruptive lads in my year at school have grown up to get themselves good jobs, nice wives and children - it can be an eye-opener!! Its also useful for sharing photos with friends and also can be very useful for organising birthday parties etc... I don't however, understand why people spend hours on Facebook playing pointless and very basic games - they drive me mad - but i guess some people must get enjoyment out of them?

As others have said, there's no harm in trying it and if you find you get nothing from it, just close your account again. I haven't had any experience of the nasty Facebook comments and trouble that other posters on here seem to have done?

Alarm - i understand that Facebook accounts are something that the police check when investigating crimes. A taxi driver near us was shot last year and they investigated some comments he'd made on Facebook!

 

[Alarm]

Andrew love the title line- Smoke me a kipper- loved that series.

Yes I understand the police do use the evidence gained from FB ect. But it is retrospect. I do know ISP`s and others look for key words but thats a needle in a haystack for day to day internet traffic.

Now not too sure if it has changed, but I did know even when you delete an account wether it be FB or others the info, YOUR info and chat can still be retained on their servers. The title of the information is passed to them when you sign up.

Considering the amount of info you can give out. Like a video tour of your home and links, it is suprising how its not been used to "case" places for illegal things!

Also to finish, if I had wanted to keep in touch with certain people from school/uni. I would have done.

Is privicy not respected anymore?

 

[crockett]

Why, oh why, oh why...... (sounds like Points of view!!)

It's a load of voyeuristic twaddle. My son, daughter and missus all 'use' Facebook, and for various reasons. My sons Blackberry is bleeping off the hook, apparently because every post on his FB account also goes to his phone. His reason for using FB is to keep in touch with his mates instantly, the same reason my daughter uses it, although how posting, 'just tucking into a KFC......tasty!!' is of any interest to anyone, I'll never know. My missus uses it to look at peoples pictures, etc. and 'stalk' (I think that's the proper terminology!) our son and daughter.

I'm of the opinion that, if I want to talk to someone I'll use a mobile phone, meet up with them and TALK to them!! Yes, it is everyones choice to utilise the various social networking sites as they see fit................ it ain't for me. May as well buy space in a newspaper and tell the world that way

 

[seco services]

trouble with this day age people are to wrapped up in knowing everyone elses business.

 

[Alarm]

The trouble with that is they do not look after their own affairs enough!

 

[Whitespirit66]

because of a tiny thing you said about your girlfriends tiny thing, suddenly is the biggest thing in the world

Blimey Micky, that's quite an ability you have there. Careful you don't fall in!

 

[geraint]

there is no harm in facebook if used wisely... but unwisely.......

 

[Deluks]

pop a post off. Despite your emotional state at the time, several hours later on a PC screen, and all her mates have commented, you are the devil spawn of scum, and should never have been born, and you WILL be killed, and the method is described several times over, accompanied by several bouts of LOL, or GERRIN.

After all the stick you get on here I would imagine you'd feel right at home!