***Warning. Rambling ahead. Possibly incoherent.
Increasingly Social Media, particularly Facebook, has gotten on my nerves. You see, I don’t use Social Media.
I tried Facebook. I lost respect or got annoyed by many people. I honestly don’t care about your wacked out political views, your eating habits, or what the latest tool you dated did to you. I honestly couldn’t believe the over-the-top narcissistic behavior that went on. I came to believe that the majority of people didn’t give a crap about what you posted, they just wanted you to give a crap about what they posted. To be fair, I’m a bit of a smart-ass so I’m sure I rubbed people the wrong way too. Then there was the privacy issues…
So I quit.
Later I tried integrating Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ into this site. I signed up for Twitter and Google+. I reactivated my Facebook account, unfriended everyone, and locked my profile down. I didn’t get much traffic or interaction off Social Media so I just said the heck with it. Maybe this site is just to small. Maybe my audience is more privacy focused. I dunno.
I didn’t mind Twitter that much except with the odd followers that you know aren’t real people. Speaking of which, why do so many sites buy fake followers. It looks to me as if the vast majority of tech type Twitter accounts do this. I was approached by someone offering such a service. I said “No thanks”. He came back with, “If you change your mind let me know. I did it for ‘XYZ.com, 123.com‘, etc. and added 1000’s of followers”. He actually listed several sites. They weren’t top tier sites but sites similar to mine. I couldn’t help but wonder why someone would do this?
Anyway, back to the annoying part. I’m frequently left out of many conversations or even informative posts.
Want to see what’s up at your local brewery? Sure, but you’ll need Facebook or you’ll get a “Sorry this page isn’t available” message. I reckon it has something to do with a under 21 lockout.
How about commenting on an article in your local paper? Sure, Facebook only.
Lots of sites use Facebook only commenting. Still, others found that Facebook only commenting drove away traffic and ditched it.
So I ask you, “Do you use Social Media?” Why or why not?
Do You Use Social Media?
Social media… ugh. I tried Facebook as our kids were having kids so, any grandparent would like to see lots of pictures and Facebook was going to be the answer! Yeah… that lasted twenty minutes. I signed up, tried a few things, read up on all the “privacy” information and dumped it. Told the kids to email or snail mail me pix as I was not going to get involved with any of the crap I saw. As for Twitter – I just don’t get it. I think, who cares? I can’t come up with a good answer so it’s never been anything I saw that had true value.
Younger folks I work with often tell me how ‘wonderful’ Twitter, Facebook, etc. is but when I ask them to really explain the value it provides that isn’t available in other ways I don’t get any sort of coherent response but… connected! I’m just getting old I guess – anyone I need/want to be “connected” with I am and I sure don’t need any social media to do it. I think (it’s only a theory) the whole idea has been sold and is just a commercial enterprise. Also, the supposed young social media computer savvy generation – they are totally helpless when the app breaks or if they have to do something outside of the pre-scripted settings.
YES: Mainly to keep in contact with friends and family scattered throughout this great country!!! Miles separate us, but technology brings us together………FACEBOOK.
The big problem with Facebook is almost non-existent filtering of junk coming my way. Once you make friends with someone, you are blasted with all their junk weather you want it or not. You cannot filter out the junk you don’t want. It’s all or nothing.
And, once you create a page, they cripple you with stupid requests wanting to charge you for getting more visibility in your neck of the woods only. I created my FB pages to be visible globally and they have no price breakdown for that.
Two days ago, I got infected by FB messanger malware adding virus links to my contacts mailboxes. FB offered no insight where this malware came from except to lock me out for 2 days with a warning.
FB is really an overblown monster that keeps feeding of the frenzy of uninformed users. And they are making a big buck at it.
I really do strive to stay away from any social media as much as I can. A few years back I decided to try Facebook, and ended up unsubscribing after 1 day, because I had accumulated dozens of likes from people who I didn’t know and I found it all too intrusive and creepy. I do have a twitter account which I never use except for accumulating points for the occasional giveaway. So, in this day and age, I guess that makes me a social media hermit. Because, the less anyone knows about me the better.
Only to get connected with people that it’s easier to talk in fb that by phone… (For distances there are alternatives but they don’t care about privacy issues and the others only see fb in front of them…).
I can’t even make most of my social group to use signal, because they don’t care about privacy and abuse from facebook, whatsapp…
I only use twitter(tweetdeck) and only follow finance/economy related people. Never post anything myself but there´s a lot of good information if you follow the right people.
Thinking some more on it… “Social Media” is a current trend and I truly don’t “get it”. I was a child of the 60’s and then it was face to face discussions and working with groups of people… actual persons in the room. Go out into the physical community and hold a rally, protest, gathering… Think Woodstock here. The whole electronic community is so artificial and un-realistic that I just don’t think they are truly real. The commitment is just time on a keyboard and no real involvement… no tear gas, no night stick bruises or blood on the ground.
While it may result in some/all of the above, it is also very transient and fleeting with no ongoing commitment. Flame someone on-line and/or be a social justice warrior because it makes you feel good but where is the actual commitment? So – no “social media” for me unless it is really a tool to bring together (in a physical manner) people to commit to an action. The American Minute Men took part in “social media” at the tavern during the American Revolutionary War and didn’t need a computer to do it.
Ah yes Social Media. I do have a Facebook account and until about a month ago I gave it up for approx. 6 years. After trying it again it reminds me of why I gave it up in the 1st place.
I be danged if it doesn’t seems like some people (who are friends) just surf the net all day every day just to post a share. I COULD CARE LESS!!!
Then you have some that claim if you don’t like their posts that says I bet you don’t reply you don’t like me post. PLEASE GET A LIFE!!!
Oh and the friends who spam you wanting to play FB games and always posting their achievements. ANOYING!!!
I rarely if ever post to my page, and find myself everyday going to FB less and less.
As far as other social media, I am not interested. That’s my rant.
Never had a FB or Twitter account. I do use Diaspora to promote my website; it’s reasonable. I did join Minds.com though. It’s been a couple of weeks for me at Minds…it’s tolerable.
Not even if it promoted world peace (whereas it seems to promote the exact opposite) IMHO its full of people who are so far up themselves its beyond belief.
Mostly small minded people who think they are better than everyone else put together.
I can appreciate your opinion of me James, even though we have never met. I don’t suppose this forum is a sort of social media…or is it.
I suppose this small mind has little to offer, but I thank you for your contribution.