What are your views on Facebook?

[Accipiter]

Facebook is pretty much still getting onto its feet, what is your personal opinion on how it is used, is it a positive thing to have in life, or do you see its effects as negative? Does it annoy you? Do you see a change in personalities between friends who use it?

Pretty much I'm writing a research paper & making a factual pro-gramme for college, and I need some Primary Research.

My opinion on it at current is pretty pessimistic, I see it being used for self-expression of your minds perception of yourself, I see it as annoying, and forgive me for saying, ******ed. Users can't help but add friends, that they've never met, or only had brief introductions with. I know its called a Social network, but I don't see it as very social, I see it as self-centered.

So what are your views on Facebook? You're welcome to disagree with mine.

[matt$]

I think of it as a great way to communicate with friends although annoying when some find that they have to make a status about there bf/gf or how they aren't feeling great every 10mins... Like you said it also opens up gateways for stalkers to track you down, rape, kill then eat you.

[Accipiter]

I agree, it is being used for a great communications device, just now that people can't customise their Facebook page with ****** MySpace sparkles or backgrounds of cannabis leaves they seem to customise it more through status' that annoy me more than sparkles & cannabis leaves.

It also seems the mass use of it is peoples painless self harming drug to get the attention from a status rather from a slit.

This American spell checker on here is having my life.

[beth]

"users can't help but add people they've only briefly met."

well this is rubbish. i don't add people unless i'm at least firm friends with them.

[Accipiter]

Take a glance onto your Facebook, I'm sure you'll know someone who adds people you've introduced them too for 5 minutes, or had 1 night out with, hardly friends.

[Neversoft]

I think facebook is a vey useful and convenient website for keeping in touch with friends, but that's also why I hate it. Too many people have become reliant on it and it exposes some for the true attention seekers they are. For me personally, it's more hassle than it's worth. I also agree with what you said about the social aspect being very self-centered. The quote below sums it up, really.

"We are tribal people, and while the blogosphere and social networking sites help us keep in touch with our tribes, there's a danger of dispersing ourselves amongst too many contacts. Extroverts are often described as having broad but shallow contacts, while introverts tend to have few but deep relationships. Facebook seems to be making virtual extroverts of us all. In some ways, collecting hundreds of friends dilutes the very concept of friendship. If I'm friends with everybody, am I really friends with anybody?"

[Accipiter]

I agree with all of that, especially the quote, I'm an introvert and I'd rather keep it that way because I favor my own company at times. So I wonder if its mainly introverts that disagree with the way Facebook is used by its mass.

It also attacks the nature of group mentalities which have always been a social survival skill since the first tribes, people are starting to conform and idolise people who they wouldn't normally idolise because their view is pressed onto them via Facebook. A bit like how the distribution industry works with music, putting it everywhere they possibly can to large audiences so people start to believe they like it because their peers do.

[dbgtz]

well its good for stalking people and looking at pictures of those you are stalking

[Accipiter]

Yes, people also stalk others profiles, usually when they see them as a threat, a bit like nature, if you saw someone as a threat you'd check them out. Just Facebook has made it a **** load easier.

[cocaine]

Facebook is pretty much still getting onto its feet

hardly? its 7 years old and has half a billion active users...