ten random things I’ve learnt from facebook
I joined Facebook about a month ago, as a kind of social experiment. Even though I’ve been pleasantly surprised to catch up with friends I last saw almost 10 years ago, I’m not about to put up embarrassing childhood photos or join redundant groups that have no relevance to my current existence. Stop sending me Werewolf Fight invites!
But catching up with all those friends, browsing through their profiles, photos, etc, has forced me to realize a few things. In no particular order, I give you, “Ten random things I’ve learnt from Facebook”:
- There is such a thing as being too idle.
A lot of people practically live on Facebook. And you can spend hours just clicking though profiles and finding out what people are upto, thus joining the ranks of the aforementioned idle. - Either life is moving too fast, or I’m moving too slow.
Almost everyone is getting married, or organizing something along those lines or having kids. Which means, something must be fundamentally wrong with me. Or not. I’m still on a lounge, not about to get married, but slow down people, will you? - I need to see the world more.
I have friends working in Japan, China, Russia, USA, Australia… and the most I’ve been to is Kenya. That super sucks, especially seeing as how I keep yapping about traveling the world. Like how next year I want to go for Diwali in India. - Goodness, there are some gorgeous women in this world!
It’s one thing seeing really beautiful women in movies n such like, but for them to be one click away from being your “friend”… No need to elaborate that one. ’nuff said. Which makes me think social networks are a privacy disaster waiting to happen. - There is waay too much information on Facebook
Sometimes I feel naked writing about some stuff on this blog. My Facebook account is very spartan. The most action it gets is feeds from this blog, and the occasional ridiculous status change. Some people on the other hand, throw their entire lives on Facebook. We’re lucky stalkers don’t take their job seriously in Uganda. - My life, as it is right now, sucks.
When you have a job like mine that involves staring at computer screens for hours, and it’s a job you love, and you are the boss / owner of the company, life somehow seems to pass you by. Case in point, I’ve been working the entire weekend, it’s Tuesday, and there’s no end in sight. The whole world seems to be having fun. Especially on Facebook. What gives? - People actually get addicted to Facebook.
Yes, some people’s grandparents are on Facebook. - Facebook is evil.
Facebook owns you. They know everything about you. Just like Google. And did you know that when you try to close your Facebook account and leave the network, your details, comments, posts, etc are not deleted. Like in the Hotel California song “You can check out, but you can never leave.” - Facebook can be ridiculously useful as a marketing tool.
My confession: The straw that broke my Facebook resisting back was the day I downloaded “Unleashing the Idea-Virus“, a fascinating book by Seth Godin. Somewhere in the book, he hints about using social networks as a medium for spreading an idea virus. I joined Facebook that night, as my small experiment, and within days, realised how huge an impact it can have in marketing. You can get the book free from here : Unleashing the Idea-Virus. - I’m not a social network person.
The novelty has worn off pretty fast. I don’t respond to invites, I leave the occasional comment, but seriously using Facebook? Naaah. I still click through friend’s profiles n stuff, but for me, I doubt I’ll be uploading my all and sundry.
So does that mean I’m not a social person? Hmmm, I wonder.
What do you think about Facebook?
—
Offtopic:
People keep asking me to join the [...] network, but I’m already part of a network, it’s called the Internet.”
- Ben Smith, paraphrased.
31 Responses to “ten random things I’ve learnt from facebook”
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tumwijuke on October 28th, 2008
I’ve said this one too many times:
Facebook is the Antichrist.
Darlkom on October 28th, 2008
@Tumwi: don’t be hatin’
@King: I also completely stopped accepting invites and I even went around de-facing people but I can’t seem to get myself to leave facebook.
petesmama on October 28th, 2008
My few day foray into Hi-5 was enough social networking for me. Have never and will never “FB”.
Mr. B2B... on October 28th, 2008
FB is a trap
at least for the peeps who get easily influenced….
ok, that was crap
second round
FB is a trap
at least for…….
shoot
third round
face book is a…
ok, i think i can’t get past it…
is could be plain to see that i am not feeling FB…
i prefer blogs, coz there is much more thought and feeling as opposed to “being invited for a werewolf fight” right??
Mr. B2B…’s last blog post..[Quoting_11_Time]
spartakuss on October 28th, 2008
what you say has the wisdom of the sages. now seriously, where are you heading in life?
FB can be anything you want to call it, but then isnt everything. if you are an in-built misanthrope, it doesnt matter how little connection you have with pple you still will be Greg House.
i guess the idea is to take ground yourself in biblical principle on this one and i quote:
” we are on faebook but we are not of facebook”, St. Paul
Sybella on October 28th, 2008
facebook is just so wrong… too much information… tis the kind of drama that can lead to judgement day termintor style…
way way too dangerous
Nevender on October 28th, 2008
Spartakuss, I love that biblical principle!
Now, King…for riyo those guys do not delete your stuff? I was thinking about abandoning fb. I always had my doubts about social networking…actually there’s a friend of mine who says he cannot join fb coz he is scared of leaving digital footprints on the internet..
But again; “we are on facebook but we are not of facebook”…
Nevender’s last blog post..Horton hears a Who!
Mudamuli on October 28th, 2008
Indeed, we are on facebook but not of facebook. I hate facebook.
Solomon King on October 28th, 2008
Hmmm…. looks like the animosity is not isolated.
@tumwijuke, lol, antichrist? I hear you though.
@Darlkom, it’s an addiction I tell you. Run for the hills!
@Mamapete, I hi5′ved for all of two weeks, then realised how redudant it was.
@B2b, dude, you sound like a closet bookie. LOL. And yeah, Facebook is kinda mind numbing.
@Sparkatuss, lol, dope quote. Like that Star Trek thing, “We are the Borg”
@Sybella, I hear you. I’ve seen/read things that I didn’t know people had the guts to put online.
@Nevender, nope, they don’t. Check out that link in the post. Apparently people have to sue to get completely off Facebook. About digital footprints on the interwebs, it depends on how you look at it and go about it.
@Mudamuli, hate without justification is true hate no? LOL.
Carlo on October 28th, 2008
There’s no way I’m leaving facebook. Just to keep in touch with my family. But everyone else can reach me on my phone, my e-mail, my home, heck even my blog!
Carlo’s last blog post..Toilet seats and Monday Mornings
Emi's on October 28th, 2008
I love face book. One month is a pretty short time to condemn it already.
I don’t mind the invites, they only show you what the other persons interest is and you could always ignore it. say if a certain miss loved skinny dipping and invited you or mr said lets go ceck out this 2009 car models. The choice is yos to decide wht to do.
Just like the bible, when you master f.b you work(control) with it to a large extent. it’s almost my 3 year running and am not quitting soon
Hi5 sucks!! i blocked all invites from it.
Emi’s’s last blog post..Looking for
chanel on October 28th, 2008
You decide what you can and cant do and put on facebook. The thing never forces you. And I see Tumwi is going to heaven she refuses to heed to the antichrist
chanel’s last blog post..BUCKET LIST: Things I must do before I kick the bucket.
P on October 28th, 2008
well i dispised fb like you 2 years ago till my friends signed me up while i was kicking and screaming..it took me a year to get into it and now when i get on the internet i check my yahoo, hotmail and fb..
The stuff you have said is well true it is addictive but you dont have to let it rule your life….there some really nice people on fb…i think you shld give it a second chance after all everyone and everything deserves a second chance….
and Hi5 definatly sucks when i got into fb i shut down hi5
antipop on October 28th, 2008
1. facebook took away my friends
2. then they tried to recruit me but i refused
3. so they stopped talking to me
4.eventually they hated me
5.they stopped taking my calls
6.even stopped reading/responding to my e-mails
7. they never let me into their houses again.
8. when i tried to knock, they told me to book an appointment via facebook
9. i did not want to lose my friends forever
10. so i did the cowardly thing, and opened an account with a psuedonym
those are my ten
antipop’s last blog post..work,bloody work, freaking bloody work
Solomon King on October 28th, 2008
LOL. People. everyone seems to have picked only one thing out of the ten.
@Carlo, the excuses we make, hehehe.
@Emi’s, I’m not condemning it after one month. I simply never liked it in the first place.
@chanel, tumwi is in bliss.
@P, it sure isn’t ruling my life. And yup, there are some nice people on facebook, like Dee and Carlo. lol
@antipop, explained like a true coward.
Solomon King’s last blog post..ten random things I’ve learnt from facebook
islander on October 28th, 2008
the trick with fb is to give only a little info. people can fill in the gaps anyway they want to…as they so often do. It is a good place to do a spy job though.
Miss Cheri on October 29th, 2008
No 2 is so true….I even feel left out.
I finally to the big leap and quit Facebook. And It feels like I lost some limbs. But I’ll get used to it.
Miss Cheri’s last blog post..For u modelizers…
nzembi on October 29th, 2008
…’Either life is moving too fast, or I’m moving too slow….’
I thought I was the only one who feels like this everytime I check into facebook! Seriously, people need to slow down. I was addicted to facebook, not anymore. infact am in the process of deleting people from ‘my friends list’. I’m kind of looking for some closure of sorts…
nzembi’s last blog post..Do You Remember?
Solomon King on October 30th, 2008
@islander, I’ve done some 007 worthy spywork in there.
@Miss Cheri, you quit? good for you!! after only 1 month, I feel like quitting too.
@nzembi, good luck with the quitting!
Teti on October 30th, 2008
Shyaa! FB rocks!
[especially when I'm in a 3 hour religious class]
*Doesn’t take much for the appeal to pall though. Lol.
Teti’s last blog post..The Rationale of Self-interest
foxylamb on October 30th, 2008
give face book a break, all peeps representing over there have not been forced.
if u cover the bad side of it, u might actually like it. just like if u hear a deep masculine sexy voice on the radio or any other media bt the real face of the deep voiced dude doesnt strike a home run, ignore the face, listen and be blown away by the voice. who knows after all shit happens in the dark. holla
foxylamb’s last blog post..those days….
Solomon King on October 30th, 2008
@Teti, but of course it does, swee’eart
right.
@foxy, lol, again, everyone is picking the one thing. But I hear you. especially about sexy female voices on the radio, then you meet the person…
val on October 30th, 2008
I just saw this after I posted my rant
I have a love-hate relationship with it
val’s last blog post..Facebook…
Sleek on October 30th, 2008
Finally i find like minded people..was starting to feel really wierd saying i’m not into the stuff..have a profile using some strange name…
Sleek’s last blog post..To all sperm lovers
Sleek on October 30th, 2008
btw, got that ideavirus book-will read
Sleek’s last blog post..To all sperm lovers
Solomon King on October 31st, 2008
@Val, read your rant. That stuff is so justified.
@sleek, I’m seriously considering chucking my profile. And you better read that book.
affiliate marketing on October 31st, 2008
affiliate marketing…
I liked the post. I’m going to stay on top of your blog….
Kiana on November 2nd, 2008
What is it about us as human beings that makes us want to peek into other people’s lives? Essentially that’s what cinema, tv, magazines, etc. are all about as well. Facebook just makes it easier and more personal. Facebook reunited me with friends from kindergarten who I never otherwise would have met again since they’re all over the world. That said, it’s essential to have a filter that limits what most people can see. DK, I’ve learnt so much more about you from your blog than from Facebook! I think it’s about how you use it.
Solomon King on November 2nd, 2008
@Kiana, I guess it would be our infinite curiousity lol. Facebook does have its merits, but for me its biggest demerit is its privacy issues.
hmmm… I should tone down on my blog eh? Just kidding.
me me me on November 3rd, 2008
wow, lot of FB haters on here. for no good reason, apparently.
I think FB is great- I get to keep in touch with family and friends who are not with me; thus saving on airtime, I check out photos and see what they’ve been up to and I like their book review app the most.
The privacy issues are all down to how much you care to reveal about yourself.
Speaking of photos, not all those “beautiful girls” are beautiful. Or girls, for that matter
Great post!
TRP on December 23rd, 2008
Soo, SK when did u write this post?
Coz i see ur piccy up on FB
TRP’s last blog post..Dents & Llamas