Does social networking irk you?

[BoneSnapDeez]

I have no interest in social networking. I do not care to read about the mundane shit people do throughout their day and I do not wish to share info about me. I will admit I have a Facebook account, but mainly because it's the easiest way to share pics of my daughter with my family members (simpler than sending out an email with a million CC's). I do not have any photos of myself uploaded and I have never written a "status update."

I have a LiveJournal account - though that's more like a series of interconnected forums (+ a journal of course) than a true social networking site. I've been on the site (well, on and off) since 2000.

Twatter is just something that just flat-out confuses me. I've glanced at a few accounts and nothing appears to be written in English.

On the internet, I find that anonymity is best.

[Menegrothx]

On the internet, I find that anonymity is best.

Except when making deals on games, I agree. When all posters are with out an identity, the worth of your message boils down to the quality of your argument or the informativeness of it's content. Though with complete anonymity and no way of telling which message came from which poster, there's the potential threat that people will post a lot of negative/positive comments, creating the illusion that many people agree/disagree with something, when in reality it's just one person posting multiple messages.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Facebook is great for finding out when my favorite bands will release new albums.

The rest...whatever.

[Retrogamer0001]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 53492.html

Fast-forward four years, and things are getting out of hand. The fad has turned into a culture, where people are reduced to metadata that is sold to the highest bidder. The lines between work and private life can't get any blurrier. The future is one sucky place for the people who hate the Selfie generation.

The only solution is completely going offline. I hope that turns into its own subculture in the years to come. Maybe even thriving economies off the grid.

Kinda cool to see the beginning of the thread four years ago and then your thoughts now...this thread was way before my time on the RB forums

[Jagosaurus]

To me, social networking has it's place but can go overboard.

What's more important, enjoying the moment you're having with friends or posting that moment so your other "friends" can see it? Easy answer.

I saw the same in the early stages of digital cameras. What's more important, enjoying the moment or getting the perfect photo after 10 attempts, of said moment.

It can be a powerful tool to.get useful information out but I don't care that you're at the zoo or eating ice cream lol. My 2¢.

[Pulsar_t]

Here's an excerpt from Dangerous Visions, an anthology published in 1967

The following should not provoke arguments, but it has, and will:

Human technology can change human morals.

If you doubt it, consider: dynamite, gunpowder, the printing press, the cotton gin, modern advertising techniques, psychology. Consider the automobile: it is now immoral to go home at all after a New Year’s Eve party. (Unless you take a cab, which cannot be done except at gunpoint.) Consider the cobalt bomb, which has made total war immoral. Was total war immoral before the cobalt bomb? In 1945 the Allies demanded nothing less than total defeat for Germany. Were they wrong? Did you say so at the time? I didn’t (being seven years old) and don’t (at twenty-eight).

The bigger impact of always-on, intrusive technology and social-pressure-through-networking is yet to be felt. People born and adapted to it will continue to function and live their lives, but the implications for the rest of us can be grim.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

I agree with everything in that paragraph.

I'm worried about social networking because, unlike automobiles and the printing press, the new technology's effects (so far) have been overwhelmingly negative. Sure, it's very useful to hooking up with old friends, finding contact information, or keeping up with bands, but I have no doubt my life and relationships would be better if no one used social networking.

[GazongaJoe]

I used to like using facebook a few years ago until my family started getting accounts. I used to just mess around with friends but now whenever I do, and whatever I post, a family member either comments/ texts/ or calls me asking what it's about. If I happen to block them from seeing my posts, someone usually brings up something I said saying "Hey did you see what he said?", and then once again I get a message/ text/ or call asking why I blocked them. It's a lot like that episode of South Park. Also, my dad adds all my friends and comments on my female friends photo's telling them how good looking they are and also insuls people on their life choices on a party photo or whatever. I honestly wish myspace was still the thing. I always enjoyed personalizing my page and adding music along with not having to have everyone see what I'm doing or what music I'm listening too.... Got busted for some guilty pleasures lol

[BoringSupreez]

I used to like using facebook a few years ago until my family started getting accounts. I used to just mess around with friends but now whenever I do, and whatever I post, a family member either comments/ texts/ or calls me asking what it's about. If I happen to block them from seeing my posts, someone usually brings up something I said saying "Hey did you see what he said?", and then once again I get a message/ text/ or call asking why I blocked them. It's a lot like that episode of South Park. Also, my dad adds all my friends and comments on my female friends photo's telling them how good looking they are and also insuls people on their life choices on a party photo or whatever. I honestly wish myspace was still the thing. I always enjoyed personalizing my page and adding music along with not having to have everyone see what I'm doing or what music I'm listening too.... Got busted for some guilty pleasures lol

Have two accounts, one for friends and one for family.

[samsonlonghair]

I can honestly say that even after all these years, I still don't have a facebook; I never had a myspace; I don't even know what vine is.

I certainly don't need twitter; I already know enough twits in real life.

I find the whole thing creepy. Why would you share private details of your life online? You may as well take the curtains off your windows if you value your privacy so little.

On the other hand, this slashdot article seems to indicate that I'm the creepy one for not having facebook.