Tuesday, April 21, 2009

To Facebook or not to Facebook?

Are you on Facebook? I seem to be the only one who isn't, and I have been avoiding it like the plague. I have a blog (2 actually), email, I'm on LinkedIn (although I never look at it), and I'm on GoodReads (although I only update it once every month or two). How am I ever going to have time to update Facebook? It's another time drain, right? Besides, now I don't want to succumb to peer pressure.

I would like an honest opinion from the 5 people who read this blog to tell me what to do since my brother (my only other hold out) told me he just signed up and that he friended (is that word?) my mom.

Facebook? Yes or No?

22 comments:

Michelly said...

This is my facebook story: I originally got on facebook sometime last year and really didn't do anything with it. My 20 year reunion is coming up so in January I started looking for classmates since I am the head of the reunion committee. It was great for finding old classmates. Now there is always good with the bad. The good thing is that I got back in touch with a boy that I had a junior high crush on back in 1985. We started "chatting" on Facebook and we noticed that we were only chatting with each other. For hours. And hours. Since he doesn't live in Panama City it was nice. We got to know each other again. He came to Panama City at the end of March and let me tell you it was wonderful. Jon and I fell in love and we have Facebook and a 20 year reunion to thank. So that is the good, the very, very good. The bad is that it is very time consuming, addictive and at times rather high schoolish. But I would not change a thing now. Since you are already in love and have a beautiful child together it is a toss up!

Kristyn said...

I gave in...its actually been pretty cool to keep in touch with people (since kids don't make regular phone calls or e-mail very easy). I can just get on real quick and see what people are up to and make comments....I actually know a little about what is going on in friends' lives for a change!! It took me awhile to get into it and figure it out (seemed too time consuming), but once I figured it out I now spend a couple minutes a day checking in on it and thats generally it. Dave on the other hand thinks its stupid, says he's in touch with those he cares to be already and wants to cancel his account! ;)

Unknown said...

Its just like any other technology. It's good in moderation. It's actually GREAT in moderation. I love FB. This is Brooke Hart in Las Vegas by the way.:)

Ashley said...

I had the same feelings but ended up joining. I'm so happy I did since I've reconnected with friends long lost from high school etc. For that reason alone I'd say do it. And yes, I check into Facebook once a month or so.

Janice said...

I'm married Cameron's cousin, Chris (the dentist) and I found you through Lindsay. I avoided facebook for over a year but now that I am on it, I love it. That is just my two cents. (I also am on LinkedIn and never check it.)

familia Bybaran said...

I say yes. For someone like me who moved around so much growing up and has such hard time keeping in touch with old friends, FB has been awesome. I have reconnected with old friends and found people I thought I had lost forever. I am not on there often, but I have reconnected with at least 2 or three people who were very important to me and that I had just forgotten about. There are degrees of engagement once you are on FB. Some people are daily Facebookers. I would say, I am monthly or maybe weekly, but it was really fun those first few weeks I joined just finding people. Now, that has worn off, but I do not regret joining.

The Smiths said...

I held out forever! I just signed up last week and I have to limit myself to 30 minutes for blog/facebook a day - and I try to stick to it, but man they all take time!

Marci + Dan said...

Don't do it.

You and I will be the 2 people who aren't on facebook :)

Ann said...

I say no. I'm not the "chatting" type. I like to write and that's why I decided to start a blog. I actually do have a facebook account, but I only opened one because I had a friend that wanted me to look at her page and I couldn't without having my account. I never use it and so it's fairly annoying to always be getting these emails that say that so and so requested you as a friend or so and so sent you a kidnap request or whatever. Not my cup of tea.

E.F.G. said...

i'm on and sometimes wish i wasn't. no major reason, i just can't maintain another portal... let alone spend the time to figure out how it works. i can barely manage adding friends.

Brooke said...

I love it because I have found old childhood, High School, and college friends I thought I'd never see again. I like being a "fly on the wall" to see what everyone else does with their lives. I don't keep it updated very well so don't let that be the reason you fight it. I'll be watching for you to join and we can be friends. :)

Tristen said...

Nikki,

I'm sure I'm not one of the five responses you were looking for, but I thought I would chime in-- I joined Facebook this year after holding out. Turns out it's a great resource, it's crazy the old friends that I have found and caught up with. It's been nice to have a way to keep in touch with everyone, so in that way it's a great thing. But I know other people who log on to Facebook all of the time to check for changes, etc... and I just don't do that. Don't have time, and frankly am not all that interested. So for some it's a huge time waster. But once you set up a profile and connect with friends (big time waster up front, warning) it's worth it, I think. You can spend as much or as little time on it as you need! I prefer the "little" side, since like you said, the internet can be a real time drain.

I say open an account, find your old friends, and then use it only as much as you want to.

Will and Natalie Giddens said...

I'm on Facebook and I really enjoy it. I'm not one of these obsessed Facebookers who are constantly updating their status or who are always uploading pictures. I just think it's fun.
I've reconnected with friends from elementary, middle and high school as well as college. Plus old YW leaders, kids that used to be in my ward, old college professors (Brother Gholdston's on there). It's great!
And not that I want to know everything about any of those people, because I don't, but I do like knowing, "Oh, so-and-so is married and they have kids the same age as mine." Or, "Oh, so-and-so works for that company, I'd bet they'd be a good contact for me." etc. As a journalism gal (like youself), something about knowing so much really appeals to me.
Go for it! It really is amazing how many people are on there and you will never believe who you'll run into.
As far as privacy issues, you're the one who decides how much to put out there, and you do have the option of putting your profile so that only those you approve of as friends can see your info.

Eliza said...

Hey Nikks,

Just so you know, your brother isn't the only hold out. I too am not on face book. I go back and forth about it, but currently I am not signing up b/c I am afraid that I don't have the discipline not to be on it ALL the time. I think it is a really fun thing and I am not opposed to it for any moral reasons, I just know myself and I think I can't handle the temptation of it.

I don't think there is a right or a wrong answer here- but I know that feeling of "what the heck! the entire world is on face book! Maybe I should just bite the bullet and join?!" and every day you hear of yet another person who has signed up.

I think I might join up eventually, but I will do it when I feel ready to do it and when I have the desire...by which point I bet there will be something cooler that everyone will have moved onto.

For what it is worth - you are not alone. (Your mother-in-law is also NOT on face book, so that makes three of us - wink, wink.)

Unknown said...

OK, so I am Cam's friend from Ricks and I keep up with him and you and that beautiful baby boy :)primarily through your blog but love facebook b/c it is so easy to see what EVERYONE is doing without having to go to each individual blog. Have fun deciding!

Unknown said...

Nikki, Not sure if you are looking for my opinion or not, but I felt like I was a hold out. I didn't join until Ryan joined. It has been fun, I found out about my HS reunion just in time to attend it over Christmas, but mostly use it as another way to keep in touch with the people I already keep in touch with (if that makes sense). I like being on it, because I can put a little note here or there, but don't do a ton of chatting on it, mostly I look at people's status updates and stuff like that. I don't have a lot of pictures, but will put things on there that I want my friends to see (my parents and in-laws are not on it) or appreciate, and keep the blog pretty upbeat and positive all the time. I post quirkier things on f/b than I do on the blog. I hope this helps. My blog is more historical, and f/b is more "now", if that makes sense. There are also some nice privacy settings on f/b that can keep things set so only certain people can see them. I am not good at those, and probably broadcast everything to the world anyway.

Emily P said...

I have a love/hate relationship with facebook. Mostly hate, but we are making progress. I love having a way to keep track of people from all the places I have ever lived, but that is about it. It was really overwhelming at first because I felt like I didnt really get all the extra stuff. Once I decided just to ignore all the add ons, I am much happier. I don't really like putting all my info out to third parties anyway. For now it is just one more thing I reel bad for ignoring...like email and blogging...but I am trying to get better. Call me sometime and we can talk more.

Mercedes said...

I'm not on facebook either! Stay Strong!

D-9 said...

Facebook is not as fun as it used to be. I still look at it a few times a week, but Twitter is much more fun.

(BTW--this is Lindsey, not Fred.)

emily said...

I say, it is what you make of it. If you just want to use it as a time killer every once in awhile to connect with some old friends, it'll be that. If you want to waste hours on it everyday playing facebook quizzes, it'll be that. It just depends what you're looking for. The only reason I'm glad I have it is for some old friends I've been able to reconnect with and keeping in touch with some current friends who live far away.

Nicole Cave said...

It just depends on what your intentions are. I had a facebook and myspace account all for the reason of keeping in touch with a few family members who were on them. Long story short...I felt like I was using so much of my time on the computer, which is not what I started it for. I like blogging because I think of it more as a journal and I can print it out for keepsake. But, I felt as though the other networks were more for chatting and keeping in touch with people that probally really don't care what the heck I am up to. It felt like I was back in High School and although I love many people from those days, my family keeps me content and busy enough. Ashton is actually the one who asked me to stop facebook and myspace. It was actually easy for me to stop because like I said before....I was spending too much time on them.

The Photo Pharm said...

Hey don't know if you remember me from NY 8th Ward, when I got baptized out there. I say yes to facebook but no to its addiction. If you do get one, make a goal to use it in moderation. :)

-Jenna (Liles) Miller