I don't use Facebook...

...or myspace, or pretty much any social media. As a fact this is the ONLY website I actually have a current subscription to; everything else I simply lurk. I suppose that makes me antisocial, but in this day and age of declining, if not completely nonexistent privacy, I can think of nothing else I'd rather do.

Does this make me a dinosaur, a square, or something else all together?

If this is a place for confessions, I refuse to own a cell phone.









. . . but you gotta love Facebook and Skype for keeping track of the kids and grandkids.

Facebook has been a great way for me to stay connected with more geographically distant relatives.

I don't use them either.

Someone wrote a book on this and I don't know who but likened todays social media like being in a high school like social environment on a permanent basis by allowing yourself to be grouped and classed by others and have bad influences in your life for much longer than you should.

I enjoy my anonymity.

Facebook revolutionized the way out-of-town relatives stalk my children. If it wasn't for the snap and upload feature on my smartphone, I would probably drop or severely limit my facebook presence.

Priivacy should be a calculated tradeoff. Make sure what you are getting exceeds what you are giving. SSN and credit report for a mortgage? No question. Everything about me for access to a video game? Maybe not.

I am hopelessly intertwined with google. Gmail, calendar, docs, maps, Android phone...totally worth it for the convenience for me, but my 17-year-old self is b!&%* slapping me with a paperback copy of Orwell's 1984 wondering what the hell happened.

There's no privacy on in internet no matter what you do. Google is one of the worst offenders.

sudsmcgee said:

There's no privacy on in internet no matter what you do. Google is one of the worst offenders.

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Absolutely true. Google and FB make huge profits selling your personal information to advertisers and there is very little you can do about it. However, I should mention that you can Opt-out of Google's tracking cookies and you can change some of what is shared under Ad Preferences. Still, I don't know how much this actually helps.

Europe's laws protect its citizens a little better than ours do. At least they get to know where and how their data is being used.

I've cut WAY back on the FB. Once in a while if I'm bored or really need to send a message to someone I'll get on it.

Their policies and practices have begun to upset me.

I make a living on the web and social media is huge in terms of expanding your reach and promoting yourself, product, or service. That being said, all of the social sites are mainly used for business and networking, and not for sitting around playing farmville or tweeting about what I just ate for lunch.

I don't use them either, but to answer your question, it does make us dinosaurs. They are the way of the future (and present).

No Facebook here......

No facebook. I think it's funny to see peoples reactions when they ask and I tell them no. I have no desire to tell everyone I'm not really friends with where I am and what I am doing 24/7.

No Facebook,no cellphone here.I like it that way;
I guess I`m livin` in the stone age.Or showin` my age.

marubozo said:

I make a living on the web and social media is huge in terms of expanding your reach and promoting yourself, product, or service. That being said, all of the social sites are mainly used for business and networking, and not for sitting around playing farmville or tweeting about what I just ate for lunch.

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I deserve a cut for constantly sharing your updates on FB.



To the OP, you only expose what you want on any of these sites. Don't upload anything you wouldn't want your wife, mother and priest(whatever) to know.

Like...

hahahahaha

Anyway, I'm the only one in my circle of friends/co-workers and family that does not have a facebook page.

SWMBO has a FaceBook page and she posts pics of vacation and checks in at occasional unique locations on vacation. One time she checked in at Suck Bang Blow when vacationing in Myrtle Beach. I said great honey, it sounds like you're at a porn convention instead of a bar. LOL.

I think there are 4 camps of people in regards to social networking, and they are very much like the camps of television viewership.

1) uses facebook constantly. Posts all the things. Stalks all the exes and plays all the games. Has 4000 pictures posted, most of them in the bathroom mirror. This is similar to the guy who watches 80 hours of reality tv a week. Basically, an annoying person.

2) uses facebook to listen to new music, post an old song his friends might have forgotten about, or to tell his friends his wife just had the baby. Nothing offensive here, just decides to utilize this "tool". This is like a tv watcher who has some favorite shows... and watches them.

3) doesnt use facebook because it doesnt really fit into their lifestyle. Doesnt have time for it, or nothing about it really speaks to them. To each his own. Ditto with the guy who doesnt own a tv or just owns one with a dvd player because he doesnt care for tv or cant find anything he deems worth watching.

4) The hipster moose ******. Makes a statement of not owning a tv or using facebook because they thing it somehow makes them a more interesting person. And they are right, a few fellow moose *****es find them interesting. The rest of us roll our eyes.

Looks to me like the OP is in the 3rd camp.

due to friends who only post pictured on Facebook, we (SWMBO and I) finally broke down and created an account. Of course we used our Dogs name and photo, so if we don't really want someone to find us, they won't. I have no desire to have everything we do, and all of our photos posted on facebook, where they will never go away. I do have a site for photo sharing, that we actually pay for so we can put high res pics for family on, without them being indexed by google and put out for everyone to see.

I can find post that I put on usenet back in 93 and 94 during college. It may be parinoia, but anything you put on the web, is there forever. Kids today, have no idea what kind of problems that may cause for them in 10 years or so.

CreamyGoodness said:

3) doesnt use facebook because it doesnt really fit into their lifestyle. Doesnt have time for it, or nothing about it really speaks to them. To each his own. Ditto with the guy who doesnt own a tv or just owns one with a dvd player because he doesnt care for tv or cant find anything he deems worth watching.

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I'm in camp 3, and so is my wife. When TV went all digital, we went Netflix and DVD only. I do not have a fb or anything ; people can call me or tell me on person about their "updates" if they are really that important.

No Facebook here.

I really don't care what my friends had for dinner, when where or if they went to the bathroom, or if they like lindsay lohan. Also I would really prefer less advertising in my life not more. Not to mention there are thousands of people I have come in contact in my life that I really don't want finding me again. If I wanted to keep in contact with the smelly kid that sat next to me in 2nd grade, I probably would have. I don't wish to have him look me up on facebook.

I have a cell because it is cheaper than a land phone for me. Have no use for FB. If some one wants me, they call or send an email. I don't need to be seen, brag, or have anyone mind my business for me.

Why do you have to keep in touch with the smelly kid from 2nd grade? FB doesn't force you to be friends with these people. I use FB to keep in touch with my friends who over the years have spread out all over the country. Before I got into FB my best-friends were almost strangers...Now I get to talk to them all the time and we can keep up with each others lives.

I ♥ Facebook!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Lunchtime said:

Why do you have to keep in touch with the smelly kid from 2nd grade? FB doesn't force you to be friends with these people. I use FB to keep in touch with my friends who over the years have spread out all over the country. Before I got into FB my best-friends were almost strangers...Now I get to talk to them all the time and we can keep up with each others lives.

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I don't keep in touch with him, nor do I wish for him to inject himself back into my life.

Airplanedoc said:

I don't keep in touch with him, nor do I wish for him to inject himself back into my life.

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FB has nothing to do with that...If you don't add him on FB, he isn't a part of your life. You can't act like having a FB automatically means this kid is back in your business.

No Facebook here. I keep a Tracfone in the car for emergencies. Only use Netflix and physical media to watch stuff (aside from YouTube or whatever). Call me what you will.

lol facebook.. had it for like 2 months.. sure sure its good for keeping in touch with family i guess... but so is email.. just without the stupid update status and avatar pic. facebook is just something people use to be more fake then they already are... sho9uld be called fakebook.. ohh look i got in contact with all these people from highschool.. said hi and never talked to them again. im soo popular!!!! oh and your so called old highschool friends aren't keeping in touch with you. There assuring themselves they have done so much better then you based on the pictures you post lol

Greenbasterd said:

lol facebook.. had it for like 2 months.. sure sure its good for keeping in touch with family i guess... but so is email.. just without the stupid update status and avatar pic. facebook is just something people use to be more fake then they already are... sho9uld be called fakebook.. ohh look i got in contact with all these people from highschool.. said hi and never talked to them again. im soo popular!!!! oh and your so called old highschool friends aren't keeping in touch with you. There assuring themselves they have done so much better then you based on the pictures you post lol

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You must have some terrible people involved in your life...

I honestly have no use for any social media. I grew up in the computer age and still won't use it. I see my son on it most of the day just wasting time and not doing anything productive. He's now an adult so it's his choice but I just do not see a purpose in it for myself. The funny thing is that I work on peoples PCs and laptops from time to time so most give me a hard time for "not being in the loop with Facebook." If I want to get a hold of someone or chat with them, then I will give them a phone call. I have no interest in airing my dirty laundry for everyone else to see, nor do I have any interest in anyone elses crap. Also my own parents are on Facebook. I still won't sign up.

beerloaf

No Facebook here either.

I'm normally a big proponent of technology, but this just doesn't speak to me.

I'd rather keep in touch directly (phone, email, in person) than in this manner. I don't have a problem with the concept but it just isn't for me.

I do like Facebook / Twitter from a business standpoint. It allows my favorite restaurants & bars to quickly update their menu, draft specials, new products, etc quickly and easily. Unfortunately some business don't make their Facebook materials public, as such I can't see the info (no Facebook account here remember), so my business tends to go elsewhere.

CreamyGoodness said:

3) doesnt use facebook because it doesnt really fit into their lifestyle. Doesnt have time for it, or nothing about it really speaks to them. To each his own. Ditto with the guy who doesnt own a tv or just owns one with a dvd player because he doesnt care for tv or cant find anything he deems worth watching.

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This is pretty much me. I don't have some huge urge to tell people every detail of my boring assed life. Sorry to disappoint you all, but it really is that non-exciting. At this point, I kind of use it as a litmus test of sorts. If people seem to think I'm some sort of social reject, or if they would rather FB or txt people instead of actually talk, then they are pretty much someone that I would rather not know. If for no other reason than it is too difficult to decipher mood or inflection through technology.

I also don't have cable or satellite to my tv. Mostly because the vast majority of what I have seen on those channels are mind numbing or filled with misinformation. If that was what I am truly looking for I would get myself a Facebook account.

Where's the category "I'm a man and facebook is for women"?

I'm on facebook, but I don't really use it often. I check it every other week or so. It's not a hinderance or bother to my life. On several occasions I've had a group of friends that I have not talked to in a while decide to get together, and I had a blast. This likely wouldn't have happened without facebook.

If the guy who blew snot on me in 2nd grade asks to be my friend, I simply reject his request. So only the people I choose get to see what little info I have on my page.

You don't have to be on it all the time, or even spend that much time updating and creating it to reap the benefits. There is nothing wrong with not having it though. If it's not your thing, then it's not your thing.

I don't use social media, and I've recently found out that many people are using it to say when beer is available. I called my local bottle shop to see if a beer was available, and they told me it was sold out in 4 hours It's the only reasonable way (that I can think of) that so many people would be aware of a release. Now I'm considering making an account or something just so I can get updates...oh yeah, and people releasing Facebook only coupons...wtf?

JohnTheBrewist said:

Where's the category "I'm a man and facebook is for women"?

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It's located right next to the historical fact that typically only women made their own beer many years ago.

Lunchtime said:

You must have some terrible people involved in your life...

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ahh yea went to a big school.. there weren't all perfect. certainly dont need them judging me everyday.. thanks

i have about 7 good friends in "real life".. let me guess you have 900 facebook friends all really close to you? lol

AnOldUR said:

If this is a place for confessions, I refuse to own a cell phone.









. . . but you gotta love Facebook and Skype for keeping track of the kids and grandkids.

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No FB, No cell phone, no TV, and proud of it. Not bragging, just proud.

Skype...yes because my wife is attending grad school at McGill in Montreal and we are living apart...

I am with Pappers:

I have relatives (wife's family) on the other side of the country. I don't share much (read: BORING), but I really care about my nieces and nephews. They use Facebook the way it should be used, without all the "I am at Starbucks BS". I get photos of their kids, get to see photos of them at family gatherings, etc. I absolutely LOVE it for that.

I cannot imagine not being able to see a glimpse into their lives. It makes me feel like I am a part of something with that side of my family.

I totally get the OP's point, but when used right, social media is awesome...

I don't use FB, and don't mind people who do, to a certain point. I had a friend recently get miffed that I didn't have FB. He said I wasn't a very good friend because I wasn't on FB, so I could be subject to all the group's mass-invites for events. I told him if my presence wasn't important enough to warrant a phone call, a text, or an email, then I was plenty happy to pick up a RedBox and drink a few HBs with the wife.

I had MySpace a half-dozen years back and found it worthless. Current FB users say that's my problem. I'm not sure there's as big a difference between the two as they maintain.

Homercidal said:

I've cut WAY back on the FB. Once in a while if I'm bored or really need to send a message to someone I'll get on it.

Their policies and practices have begun to upset me.

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Same here. It upsets my friends and family when I don't immediately respond to their (typically) inane quote-posting or forwarded jokes. I tell them that - should they need to get a hold of me for something important - they can .... drum roll.... pick up the phone. Novel idea, really.

And then, of course, I may or may not choose to answer it....