USVI-On-Line

I am trying not to get sucked into this thing, but almost daily I get an e-mail saying that so and so has "added you as a friend." I went on a few months ago and lost the better part of a day and kind of felt like I was being caught up in a in a time sucking vortex. So I rarely go on to look at my wall, etc. Am I the only one that A: doesn't get it?, and B: Doesn't think that I want to get it?
So if I don't respond to someone offering to be my friend, please don't take it personally. I'm just overwhelmed, [or maybe underwhelmed] with all of this.

JT, I have a Facebook account...totally undeveloped and most likely will stay that way. I don't think that I want to "get it" either.
I recently read Confessions of a Facebook Addict in AARP The Magazine (yeah, I'm in THAT crowd) and affirmed my feelings that hanging out on Facebook is not where I want to be...plus I have other addictions on-line to feed...

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/c ... ddict.html

I'm the same way. I have enough other places to uck up my time I don't need another one.

I was a Facebook skeptic for a long time, but after I finally gave in I realized that it can be both a very powerful networking tool (which has been increasingly important in this economy) and nice way to stay connected with friends/family and to reconnect with friends you have lost touch with. I think like most things its all about moderation.

Eric

JT, there's nothing wrong with not liking Facebook, or any other social network. I think your personality and communication styles have a lot to do with it. I am admittedly a very bad friend in person. Lucky for me, those in my life understand this and don't take it personally. Face-to-face or phone time with others is draining to me, so I tend to avoid it. I'm not at all shy, but I generally prefer to be alone more often than not. I am a textbook introvert, so things like Facebook work well for me. My friends and family actually hear from me more often now, because I can "interact" while alone and I can interact in brief spurts rather than long, drawn out conversations. There's nothing wrong with you if it doesn't work for you.

I accidently set up a page myself and now wish I could just delete the account as I really don't get it. My email account was blasted for awhile there with requests, seems to have stopped now though.

I don't really get facebook, but I am kind of like Vicki. During the week I work. On the weekends, I play stepmom to a two-year-old. I don't really have time to write letters, make long phone calls or send e-mail updates. With Facebook, I have been able to keep in touch with friends I haven't talked to in years and stay updated on my friends' lives. I'm not addicted to it and I don't do all the widgets, but it's not as bad as I thought it was when I was bullied in to signing up.

lprof wrote:I recently read Confessions of a Facebook Addict in AARP The Magazine (yeah, I'm in THAT crowd) and affirmed my feelings that hanging out on Facebook is not where I want to be...plus I have other addictions on line to feed...

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/c ... ddict.html

Friends post tweets and riffs and handy thoughts. I use it as an extended TR, posting pix from back-country ski trips, river trips, fishing trips - checking once a week for updates. And FB lets you connect with school buds and friends from summers past. FB will soon pass MySpace as the leading social networking site.


Chet | AARP | Member Management Technology
601 E St NW | Washington, DC 20049
Web: http://www.aarp.org

Facebook is ok - I'm trying to go very slow with it and find it ok that I can just come in and out and not even bother with it for days if I don't feel like it. Some go waaaay overboard but then, that's the way with all things, isn't it? Most of my friends have switched over to Twitter - now that's something I just can't do. Ok, it's 2:00 PM and I really don't care that you just brought your trash cans out to the curb - TMI, TMI, and these meaningless tweets just bombard you all of the time. Initially I bought into friend enthusiasm and started an account - took me about 5 hours to know it would be a big black hole of time-wastiness - for me, anyway.

- Margy

Chet, were you the AARP person addicted to Facebook? I had forgotten you worked there until I saw your post.

I don't get Twitter at all. I was going to sign up, but it scared me. I don't need Lo-Jack on anyone; I'm not nearly that voyeuristic.

I was told by some country music fans here in town for Fan Fair that people use Twitter to stalk celebrities, because they can "follow" them and get a play-by-play on their activities. So if Dierks Bentley says "I just got a great deal on coffee at the grocery store." They go to Harris Teeter to find him. Hello, that's super creepy, and maybe just a little dangerous.

I've found it to be very cool to be able to keep in touch with/find acquaintances friends from all over and from all walks of life.

You can do as little or as much on there as you wish. I prefer to use it to communicate mostly, but some people that I know and love dearly spend a lot of time playing games, sending friends silly stuff, etc. - as long as they enjoy it and it doesn't interfere with more important stuff, more power to them.

I tend to mostly ignore the drinks, gifts, etc. that people send me, so if you're one of them, don't take it personally - I still love to hear from you!

And if you don't feel like adding me to your friends list JT, I won't take that personally!

There are some nice groups for the USVI and BVI, too, and it's a good way to keep up with friends on-island and enjoy their pictures and videos.

I ditto what JoAnn said.

I know I would get sucked in and really don't want to add another on-line activity to my life (work, email, shopping, photo-shopping, vacation planning, VIOL, etc.).

It might be nice to find some old friends, but on the other hand there are some old friends who I would not want to find me

I do use LinkedIn for professional networking, but there isn't a lot of 1-1 communications from that.

I had a sense that there was something there that I wasn't really grasping, so I got one of my nephews to explain it to me. I think I get it now and I'm definitely staying out of it. I've already provided more information about myself and allowed more access to myself than I wish I had.

Also, the word "friend" really isn't one I use lightly or casually.