I got rid of Facebook. When will you?

CNBC story on Facebook wrote:

As their is no charge to be member, FB has no subscriber revenue. A question today was asked to the Microsoft CEO today: "Is Facebook really worth $50 billion — about one-fifth of Microsoft's market value?" Put that in perspective and think about the statement for a minute (about one lap on the track)..... How does a company with no generated revenue be 1/5 of Microsoft?

You could ask the same question of Google, CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox. All these companies grab public attention and sell ads. It's a lucrative business.

FB seems to be a fundamentally different situation. Can it succeed if users remain anonymous? Google and broadcast television do not need to spy on your profile and conversations to put ads in front of you.

I went from 700ish to like 387, most of them idk personally, but your guy's guess is as good as mine why people add/accept hundreds of friends. I just hide all the status posts I don't wish to see in my newsfeed. If someone is really annoying, I will block them.

Regardless of how you pick your friends, it's still obsessive behavior. You need it, you have to have it, and could not deal with it if it were gone. It is like brushing your teeth everyday, you get on Facebook everyday waiting to see if Billy Sue Ricky Bobby responded to your thought provoking comments about how long to toast your bread or your illiotibial band syndrome. If not for Facebook, you never would have shared these things, but because of it, you feel the need to share every detail.

I have friends who are on and admit they are addicted, as are many of you are. And they admit that whenever they post a picture or comment, they check repeatedly to see if anyone has made a comment. Sorry, but that's not the meaning of life and I respectfully and sincerely define that lifestyle as a sad existence.

I am on LetsRun maybe twice a week. I check my email every few days. I am not a slave to a keyboard. If you use it for work then of course that is totally different. But for personal use I'd rather spend my time interacting with real people.

Discuss meaningful things? You can do that in person and get A LOT more out of it. Even a phone call would be better. Flame away, because I won't see this thread till the weekend. I have a life to lead and that involves shutting down the computer.

Your opinion will most certainly differ, which is why it's a free world. Try closing your account for 14 days and see how your life will change. You can thank me later.

Ciao,

Gabriella

p.s. I have A LOT of friends (real ones) and they were not happy that I permanently deleted my acccount saying "you'll be back". Funny thing, we talk even more now than when I had an account. Isn't that ironic?

So what do you talk about on letsrun?

Haha, yer killing me. 100 friends across the world, chatting with them about various INTERSTING subjects most days, kinda hard to organize otherwise. This morning I discussed Fellini / his best film with some people. That makes me "addicted", or it's a meaningless conversation like yours? (Toast?)FB is what YOU make of it. People who keep reporting what is on their toast aren't my FB friends.

btw, "i know". :)

The point that you (and others) are missing is that Facebook is only as good as the friends that you have. If your friends are writing things like "how long to toast your bread or your illiotibial band syndrome," as you claim, I would not want to read that either.

People are going to be attention whores, online AND offline, you cannot change that.

Crowd sourcing is a very productive feature on Facebook. Sure you can have - and even prefer - offline conversations. I certainly prefer communicating with people face-to-face, but sometimes you can't. Sometimes you want to have a group discussion and share pictures with a bunch of people and discuss them. Face book is great for that.

A friend of mine had a baby last night. He lives across the country. I was able to see his baby, let him know that I am proud of him, congratulate his wife and talk about it with others. He doesn't want to talk to me on the phone right now. He is tired as hell and busy as hell. He needs to be with his wife and kid. It took him 5 minutes to upload the photos and let his friends know that he cares about us and wants us to see his kid.

I agree with you on some counts, but you need to understand that Facebook can be a great tool if used productively.

Facebook is for losers, but anonymous, condescending posts to people you do not know on LetsRun are perfectly acceptable. Thank you for taking the time out of your "real" and exciting life for us.

8/10

I had never heard of Barnard College and didn't know where it is, but my reading comprehension is fine, thank you. Knowledge of facts and intelligence as measured by writing ability and reading comprehension are not the same thing.

step back and breathe wrote:

MY conversations weren't toast. Seems YOU missed reading comprehension class.

I graduated from Barnard College with a 4.0. Based on your writing style and lack of simple comprehension, I think it's a safe bet to assume that you don't know where that is.

But whatever makes you feel better. I believe dollar stores sell dunce caps and you might want to look into that.

Gabby

Gabby, you were back much sooner than you alleged in your prior response. While I largely agree with the assertions you made in your first post, it's not wise to immediately stoop to "I went to a good college and got them good grades and my college is so good and elite that, like, I bet you haven't heard of it."

Responses like that really diminish your credibility. If your point is valid, it will stand on its own. Some people will agree, some will not. And I know plenty of intelligent people from "good" and "bad" colleges. Just as facebook is kind of what you make of it, so is college.

I do have to ask, what is it you do that you have the liberty of checking your email only bi-weekly or so? And yes, I am a bit envious of that indeed.

Sincerely,

Aspiring off-the-gridder

p.s. Only fat girls say "ciao."

I don't think she or anyone else said facebook is for losers, although I didn't disect every post. You're no better txrunnergirl with 2000 friends? Give me a break! Someone called you out but you didn't respond. Then at least one post called you hypocritical and you didn't respond. Call a spade a spade already. Who are you to tell anyone anything? Back to your basement.

p.s. the number of threads that you comment on doesn't make you smarter than anyone else. It's a messageboard measure of nothing.

I don't have 2000 friends. I have been on facebook since the beginning, and so have most of my high school and college friends. Then they opened it up to everyone else, so my friends list grew. Every one of my facebook friends was a conscious decision. I am not close to every single one of them, but I am interested in them all. Facebook is what you make of it.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

I don't have 2000 friends. I have been on facebook since the beginning, and so have most of my high school and college friends. Then they opened it up to everyone else, so my friends list grew. Every one of my facebook friends was a conscious decision. I am not close to every single one of them, but I am interested in them all. Facebook is what you make of it.

Soooo, how many friends do you have? How many "likes" do you have?

I have 250 friends that range from high school, college, work and running and that is waaaay too many. I would post more personal stuff on there but it would be interesting to only about 20 of my friends so in interest of my other fringe friends I do not post.

I never go to an outside source to play farmsville or answer gay questions about anyone, youre just asking for trouble. Every keystroke you make they are compiling more information on you. If you have 1000 "likes" that means you're going to be on more spam lists than if you only "like" certain things. And God please explain to me what would give anyone the urge to "like" nickleback or cheeseburgers or fresh mowed grasss or something totally random that no one on earth (including your best friend) doesnt give two shites about? Oh, you like Pabst Blue Ribbon? Great, I now hate you.

I have reconnected with friends that I wouldn't have without facebook and for that I'm grateful but I have lost respect and actually have started to hate people because they post 30+ times a day. It's not like your lady fuking gaga and it's not your diary, why post every thought that comes in your stupid little head?

tx, the worst troll in lr history is on this page, "papa kettle" being a clue just for me. Just sayin.

"i know".

Facebook is my lottery ticket. The IPO is expected in the second half of 2012. I just have to time the selling of my shares properly.

Thanks to this thread I am now "friends" with a couple more really cool people/runners. :)

(Before I friend anyone I check out mutual friends and other things, so don't bother, Troll, if you are going to say/do "that thing" again.)

I got rid of mine today and myspace :0 Hard decision after six years but I let myself become a distracted member. The face, the space, tweet, text, calls, multiple e-mail accounts, im, apartment mail box, school mail box.... its all so much.... It is helpful though...

I don't have a facebook account. I respect every person's choice to communicate through facebook. However, why do facebook users get so annoyed when they hear that I don't have a facebook account and that I'm not interested in getting a facebook account? I barely check my email!!