Thursday, February 19, 2009

I Don't Get Facebook

I just don't get Facebook. I feel like an 8th grader standing at the math teacher's desk.
"I don't GET it! And I've tri-i-i-ied."

I don't even know what questions to ask, to help alleviate my ignorance. It seems like everyone I talk to is a huge fan. They connect with old friends. They keep up with family discussions. They even look at people's vacation photos....

I've tried to get it. But maybe I'm doing it wrong.

See every time I log in to Facebook, all I see are status updates and friend suggestions. And notifications that someone has sent me a little green plant. And pretty much right now my Facebook time centers around returning pokes and commenting on people's status updates.

As nearly as I can tell, to actually make Facebook a usable and informative part of my life, I would have to spend hours on my "friends'" Facebook pages, browsing through their writings and photos.

I don't even want to browse through my own photos.

And then, I don't really give a rip about notifications like:
"Tara doesn't feel like working out today."
or
"Rodney just became a fan of Cheese."

Is it just me? I want to like it. I want to connect with people. But if the Facebook time cuts into the blogging time?

Well, obviously...

39 comments:

Kristina P. said...

I'm with you. I definitely prefer blogging to Facebook. It can be fun to connect with people who don't have blogs, and so forth, and it's easier to find people from your past, but now that they blocked it from work, I only check a couple times a week.

Heather said...

Did you get the one where I became a fan of cheese??

Maybe you need to unsubscribe from some applications and notifications. Maybe those YW could help in that dept.

Julie Barfuss said...

I couldn't agree more! I don't "get" facebook either. :)

The Mom said...

LOL I was thinking about blogging about this today! I don't get it either. It has been great to find old friends, but other than that...now what?

Annette Lyon said...

No kidding. I ignore most requests like the pokes and plants and such. I don't get them, and to me, they're a waste of my time. But it has been fun to reconnect with people here and there.

Like KristinaP, I'm not on there all that often.

Dave said...

here's how I use it.

-- I subscribe to the status update RSS

-- I get email notification when someone posts to my wall, sends message, comments on my stuff

-- I totally wish I could also get a news RSS feed, so I could tell when people post photos and such

-- I block those annoying applications like mob wars, super poke, knighthood, etc...


This methodology has allowed me to keep track of most things while using the least amount of time. I love it.

Hope my thoughts help. I totally get what you mean about spending too much time on there. Blog stalking takes enough time without adding fb stalking too XD

jjstringham said...

I second Dave's comment. :-D

And you have to stay on FB so that we can continue getting your Friday Flair posts.

LisAway said...

AMEN! I only go on facebook to add people who've requested me as a friend or to respond to messages from friends. I was into facebook before I started blogging but I've grown up since then. ;)

Chellie said...

I get your point, but I guess I like it. More than anything... just catching up with old friends has been great. I don't necessarily pay attention to somebody's status, etc. But do love finding old friends...

Hey I tried to find you on there and couldn't...

Jennie said...

LOL - This cracked me up!! For the record, I don't get it either!

Amy Peterson said...

Dave has got it right! I'm with you on the plant thing-- I don't care who has sent me a little green plant, and NO I am not sending one back!

I love facebook, because you can be as involved as you want to! I love that I can not log on for 2 weeks, and jump right back on board!

Jillybean said...

I don't get it either. Of course, I've never actually seen Facebook. I just keep hearing how everyone who gets an account immediately starts spending all of their time there.
As of now, I don't need to sign up for anything that has the potential to keep me busier than I already am.
What is this poking that I keep hearing about?

RoeH said...

Oh thank heaven I'm not the only one. I have tried since October to figure it out and I can't get past all those silly one liner comments everybody has to put in there. I do not GET it. And I guess I think it's just plain silly. I much prefer blogging. At least it makes sense to me. Facebook just doesn't have it.

Jillybean said...

And why would you need to declare that you're a fan of cheese?

Alison Wonderland said...

I have a group with my sisters and I play scrabble with a girlfriend and that's my only reason to facebook.

wenderful said...

I like it. It's the only way I keep up with friends that don't blog. I like that I've found many old friends that I thought I'd never "see" again.
I don't throw snowballs or poke people or superpoke people, but I like the flair.

Jana said...

Thank you!!!! I was thinking it was only me that didn't understand the attraction to having a facebook account for those of us older than college age. (I would have said "more mature" but we're still young....right?)

Heidi said...

You don't need to comment on all the status stuff, just the ones that inspire you. Once in a while, click on someone's name, ideally someone you want to catch up with, and view their photos, perhaps make a comment. Totally ignore the pokes, the plants, the requests to do this and that and whatever you do don't get involved with the whole gift giving and/or tag thing. Big time wasters. Unlike blogging which requires participation (I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine) facebook is all about how much you want to do. Or not. I mostly choose not.

Heidi said...

Oh pooh, I have been repeating everyone else, huh?

Barbaloot said...

I like it---but that may be because of the current single-ness that is my life. Who knows?

Yvonne said...

I got on facebook to check out what it was all about (because Kyle was on). I would much rather blog. But, it has been fun to find young women I taught years and years and years ago.

mormonhermitmom said...

Don't even want to go there. Don't want to look up people, don't want certain people to find me, don't want future, future employers to use it against me. I'll stay in my cave thank you very much.

Loralee and the gang... said...

I have a post in draft about this very thing...you may see it someday if I can come up with something original (i.e. something you haven't already said in this post) to say.
:~D

NatureGirl said...

I feel like an alien who finally found a group of people who speak my language. I got a FB page about 2 weeks ago at the urging of friends and family who just raved about it. But, um, I don't get it either! What you said about it, sums it up perfectly. I have not looked at it in days and I am pretty sure I haven't missed anything. Bloggers rock!

Caroline C. Bingham said...

I always hit "ignore all"

It makes me feel superpowerful and stuff.

Christy said...

AMEN!!! It's my belief that facebook is for people too lazy to blog!

Stacey said...

You mean you don't care that "Stacey just threw up tonight's dinner"? (hee hee)

I have fun on FB,but I don't do most of the applications. I just like to make smart alecky comments.

BTW-I was a fan of cheese long before Rodney was..he is such a copycat.

Super Happy Girl said...

" It seems like everyone I talk to is a huge fan."

I am not a fan at all. So I say we hang out together and be a couple of losers.

Super Happy Girl said...

It's mainly because my life is busy as it is with blogging to add a bunch of ""Rodney just became a fan of Cheese" stuff.

;)
Loser on purpose.

Super Happy Girl said...

"I block those annoying applications like mob wars, super poke, knighthood, etc..."

Word.

Krystal said...

I don't get it either. Whenever I log on, I think, "Now what am I supposed to do?" I ignore everyone's requests, except the add a friend ones. I would rather read an old friend's blog than a status update...why doesn't everyone just blog instead? :)

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Amen!

I'm on there, of course, it's the only way I know what my younger siblings are up to, sadly, but it's quite the time sucker even for those like me who are mildly annoyed by it all.

You are not alone!

Anonymous said...

Wow. It was like you were reading my mind. I was laughing so hard saying oh my gosh that is actually how I feel.. I dislike Facebook. I feel as if I am back in high school. Thanks for the giggle.

goddessdivine said...

I don't even have a facebook account. I know, I'm like the only person left on the planet w/o one (well, except for my parents....)

As if I need another thing to zap my time.....

Arya said...

I don't get it either...but I do like the games...those are fun to do, but the rest is all just odd and I hate that I can't really make it my own, say like blogger or myspace...(both of which I do have and have made my own...well sorta)

Nancy Face said...

I don't do the facebook thing! I'd rather be blogging! :)

That Girl said...

I like Facebook strictly to connect with people - no pokes or plants or fightingforcauses AT ALL.

I think Facebook is for people who don't get blogging.

buck4055 said...

Maybe I shouldn't make comments here as my opinions are in stark contrast to those of your other friends' reaction to this post. I have to tell you, I love Facebook. Not that you have to spend much time on it, but I have found so many people I thought I had lost contact with forever. Maybe that's the draw of Facebook: only for people who are dumb enough to, through time and space, lose track of the people the love. Hey, even if you're all caught up, I love make Peanu Gallery remarks on all the 'updates' people post. It stretches my funny bone a bit (which really needs stretching) and allows me to poke fun at all my friends without really being mean.

Stephanie said...

My favorite button on facebook: "IGNORE."

But I do treat it like a giant address book. Quick easy way to send someone a message or touch base occasionally.