Facebook

[Joy2day]

Hi everyone, does anyone go on Facebook? & if so how do u use it? Is it a good way to keep in touch with people you don’t see, especially at this time of year?

 

[friardchips]

Hi everyone, does anyone go on Facebook? & if so how do u use it? Is it a good way to keep in touch with people you don’t see, especially at this time of year?

Hi. It is basic to set up. All the instructions are step-by-step within the profile page from what I remember.

Think it would be better for businesses only or people who live far from one another but not for people close by because it can be addictive and it is also gold mine for personal info. But this is my personal opinion. People do use it. Also I don’t like playing into multi-business venture hands; however, this is fairly unavoidable, but at the very least I don’t like making it easy for these capitalist kingpins and their manipulative monopolising ventures.

Email all the way and nothing like receiving a good old-fashioned letter through the post.

 

[Obsidion]

Hi everyone, does anyone go on Facebook? & if so how do u use it? Is it a good way to keep in touch with people you don’t see, especially at this time of year?

No, I do not have a Facebook myself, or any social media profiles at all for that matter. I’m not against social media in and of itself, but I personally don’t want one for myself because, for one, I’m naturally a very aloof person, and don’t want people who I dislike spying on me via social media. The second big reason why I don’t have any social media is due to fears about posting up something inappropriate that could come back to bite me later.

I do think it’s a good way to keep up with people you don’t see, but I feel that you can also accomplish that in other, more personal, ways like texting someone one-on-one instead (my favorite way).

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Yes, Facebook can be a way to keep in touch with distant people. One must be very careful, however. Facebook makes its’ money by collecting personal information on you, your family, and friends, and selling it. Be very careful about disclosing any information about yourself or others online. Information that may seem harmless to you; addresses, birthdays, employers, is eagerly sought by criminals.

I greatly prefer Twitter myself. A great source of information and breaking news.

Catholic Answers
twitter.com/catholiccom

Jimmy Akin
twitter.com/jimmyakin3000

Patrick Coffin
twitter.com/patrick_coffin

 

[Bonnie]

I started facebook not long ago, and I’m not seeing the point. Maybe I just have boring friends & relatives, but mostly it’s cute pictures, very little that’s personal. It can be a little helpful - when I tried to contact a cousin by e-mail, she didn’t reply. So I tried facebook e-mail (or whatever it’s called) & she replied.

I guess that’s a way of say YMMV.

 

[mikekle]

You should know, once you create a page for yourself, there is no going back, you cannot delete it once its created…thats something that makes me suspicious of FB, another thing is so many law enforcement agencies seem to love it, Ive heard a few agents say its making their jobs much easier, so that is probably not a good thing for the public, who knows what they are really doing with all the information.

 

[didymus]

Hi everyone, does anyone go on Facebook? & if so how do u use it? Is it a good way to keep in touch with people you don’t see, especially at this time of year?

I’ve been on for a little over a year. It’s good to catch up with extended family I’d lost touch with.

One thing, when you sign up make sure you go thru your privacy settings to control who can see your posts, photos &c.

 

[Mary_Estelle]

I have had FB for years. I do not put a lot of personal info. into the profile. If you sign up download an ad blocker. If you look any ads. other ads will attach and follow into FB. The proliferation of ads will slow your computer down. I use my FB to stay in touch with family who live far away, and for soft, gentle evangelizing. Use a “handle” for FB, rather than you real name. Like anything in life-it can be good, bad or your drug of choice. Peace.

 

[AttendeDomine]

My wife has a Facebook account, and I don’t, although I used to.

She basically uses it as a way to message with co-workers and family and friends via her cell phone. I suppose simply using text-messages would suffice, but alas.

Facebook can be an interesting way to get news, so long as you “follow” or “like” the relevant sources. It’s also a neat way to get in touch with people you haven’t seen in years and years. Like lots of other tools, it can be useful, but it can also be abused.

I elected to close my account, amongst other reasons, simply because I don’t particularly have a need for one.

 

[john1513]

Photos. Family and friends love them. I have Instagram which automatically posts to facebook and other sites. Photos and videos are fantastic ways to share the truth, goodness, and beauty of the faith. Also following great Catholic pages like The Catholic Gentleman and Catholic Memes.

If you find yourself checking it uncontrollably set time limits such as 15 min a day, only on Saturdays/Sundays, etc. It’s a great way to evangelize and we should evangelize online but it’s usually not as effective as serving the person sitting next to you.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I have had FB for years. I do not put a lot of personal info. into the profile. If you sign up download an ad blocker. If you look any ads. other ads will attach and follow into FB. The proliferation of ads will slow your computer down. I use my FB to stay in touch with family who live far away, and for soft, gentle evangelizing. ** Use a “handle” for FB, rather than you real name. ** Like anything in life-it can be good, bad or your drug of choice. Peace.

OP, re: the bolded - Facebook requires your “authentic identity” which was the reason I didn’t sign up until recently. If one does choose a handle choose one that sounds real, isn’t another person (good luck with achieving both). If you choose a handle be prepared to lose your account if someone reports you, which they might if they don’t like what you stand for. JFYI

 

[Bruised_Reed]

You should know, once you create a page for yourself, there is no going back, you cannot delete it once its created…thats something that makes me suspicious of FB, another thing is so many law enforcement agencies seem to love it, Ive heard a few agents say its making their jobs much easier, so that is probably not a good thing for the public, who knows what they are really doing with all the information.

I don’t know what you mean by deleting a page. When I first tried Facebook I deactivated my account after 4 days. I couldn’t find my info and neither could my friends. Also, I clicked a link to someone’s FB page yesterday and I got a message that the page no longer existed. Now if you mean that FB keeps an archive of deactivated accounts, yeah, they probably do. BTW, I got the link I mentioned above from a “police report” page (not actually LE, more of a vigilante page). Ohmigosh, it had screen caps from facebook pages of stupid things people posted for their statuses. I also know social services finds useful information on Facebook, too. If you are court ordered to stay away from alcohol and establishments that serve it and are seen in a picture in a bar or holding a beer, it will not help your case.

 

[Paganus]

Hi everyone, does anyone go on Facebook? & if so how do u use it? Is it a good way to keep in touch with people you don’t see, especially at this time of year?

It’s a great way to remember why it is that you don’t see those people anymore.

 

[Mary_Estelle]

OP, re: the bolded - Facebook requires your “authentic identity” which was the reason I didn’t sign up until recently. If one does choose a handle choose one that sounds real, isn’t another person (good luck with achieving both). If you choose a handle be prepared to lose your account if someone reports you, which they might if they don’t like what you stand for. JFYI

When you first sign up you are required to use you real name, but they make it possible to set you page to a handle to help with your security. You don’t have to use you real name on your page. Friends and family will know who you are if you chose to tell them; to others you are perhaps an interesting stranger. Peace.

 

[Forestarius]

I never had any interest in Facebook. Then a 2nd cousin asked me to join her Facebook genealogy group. I had to join in order to see the group. Now I’m in contact with distant cousins related to ancestors from the 1800s. I’ve shared old photos and letters my great grandmother born in 1869 saved all her life that didn’t survive in other branches of the family. And now I have stories of her mother home alone with the children fleeing the house when indians attacked. I often chat on Facebook with a 3rd cousin. Another great grandmother born in 1851 had a brother born in 1850 that she is descended from. She had never seen a picture of him and I happen to have one.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

When you first sign up you are required to use you real name, but they make it possible to set you page to a handle to help with your security. You don’t have to use you real name on your page. Friends and family will know who you are if you chose to tell them; to others you are perhaps an interesting stranger. Peace.

Perhaps that was true in the past but not so now.

What names are allowed on Facebook?

Facebook is a community where people use their authentic identities. We require people to provide the name they use in real life;** that way, you always know who you’re connecting with**. This helps keep our community safe.

Please refrain from adding any of these to your name:

Symbols, numbers, unusual capitalization, repeating characters or punctuation.
Characters from multiple languages.
Titles of any kind (ex: professional, religious).
Words or phrases in place of a middle name.
Offensive or suggestive words of any kind.
Other things to keep in mind:

The name you use should be your authentic identity; as your friends call you in real life and as our acceptable identification forms would show.
Nicknames can be used as a first or middle name if they’re a variation of your authentic name (like Bob instead of Robert).
You can also list an additional name on your account (ex: maiden name, nickname, professional name).
Profiles are for individual use only. We offer Pages for professional personas, organizations and businesses.
Pretending to be anything or anyone isn’t allowed.
**If your authentic name isn’t listed on your account, please change your name. If you’re unable to change it, learn more.
**

Using one’s real name may even compromise a one’s safety but Facebook still requires it.

But Lily’s ex might never have been able to find her profile in the first place if Facebook hadn’t asked her to display her “authentic name” in order to reopen her account, which had been suspended in December of last year over her use of a pseudonym.

If using one’s real name was required only at the time of sign up then the following would not need to be stated to contrast with Facebook’s policies.

Of the major social networking services, Facebook alone requires users to use an “authentic name” as listed on an “acceptable” form of identification such as a driver’s license, a passport, or a bill. LinkedIn’s User Agreement asks for a “real name” but does not specify any required documentation. Twitter, Instagram, and—as of 2014—Google Plus all allow pseudonyms.

You can can still use a pseudonym but it’s against Facebook’s rules but you risk having your account shut down and lose pictures, conversations, and contacts you have made over time. I have very few friends on Facebook, my albums have more memes than personal photos, and I the contacts I want to keep are people I actually know. Having my account shut down would be no big deal especially since I find the use of Facebook rather dubious. I use Twitter and Instagram far more and I have way more fun cuz I feel like I can let my freak flag fly.

 

[friardchips]

You can can still use a pseudonym but it’s against Facebook’s rules but you risk having your account shut down and lose pictures, conversations, and contacts you have made over time…

So…wouldn’t purposefully setting up an obviously fake account be a good idea if one was worried about information not having being deleted by FB. Just make it obvious that an account is fake, attach it very obviously to an old account - so they know its the same person - and then…the rest is beyond history?!

 

[Bruised_Reed]

So…wouldn’t purposefully setting up an obviously fake account be a good idea if one was worried about information not having being deleted by FB. Just make it obvious that an account is fake, attach it very obviously to an old account - so they know its the same person - and then…the rest is beyond history?!

Do you mean if I had an account with my name and I wanted to make it really go away, I should change the name on the account to something that breaks the rules hoping Facebook will deleted the account? I wouldn’t count on that. Facebook will suspend an account giving the person a chance to verify that it is a real name or the opportunity to change the name to a real one.

And who knows when they will change their policy; besides people avoiding stalkers and abusers there are drag queens and trans-people who want to use names other than what is on their driver license who are fighting this rule. I think there is some leeway for these but the rules I quoted above are from Facebook and it makes no mention of exceptions. Also, if they change this policy, the account Facebook suspended may suddenly become public again.

 

[mikekle]

I don’t know what you mean by deleting a page. When I first tried Facebook I deactivated my account after 4 days. I couldn’t find my info and neither could my friends. Also, I clicked a link to someone’s FB page yesterday and I got a message that the page no longer existed. Now if you mean that FB keeps an archive of deactivated accounts, yeah, they probably do. BTW, I got the link I mentioned above from a “police report” page (not actually LE, more of a vigilante page). Ohmigosh, it had screen caps from facebook pages of stupid things people posted for their statuses. I also know social services finds useful information on Facebook, too. If you are court ordered to stay away from alcohol and establishments that serve it and are seen in a picture in a bar or holding a beer, it will not help your case.

why should FB retain records if the person decides to delete it? I do not think law enforcement should be able to use this tool either, nor prospective employers, bosses, etc.

 

[CradleJourney]

Hi everyone, does anyone go on Facebook? & if so how do u use it? Is it a good way to keep in touch with people you don’t see, especially at this time of year?

I go on FB daily. I use it for a few purposes -

1. To see, enjoy and share pictures of friends and family,
2. To keep up with what’s going on in my area (I belong to various groups - one of only members of my neighborhood, one of parents who have kids in our school district, one of members of our parish’s moms group, one for crime-stopper type info for the township I live in, etc).
3. It’s a fast, easy way to communicate with parents of my kid’s friends - to find out an assignment, verify a date, check a schedule. I’ve lost track of who still has a home phone, who gets texts, who got a new number or email addy, etc. Easier just to message them directly thru FB, or toss up a post and see who responds with an answer.
4. In that same concept, each of my kid’s schools has a FB page and I follow their feeds to get the daily update so I know what’s going on. No more school newsletters get sent home and I don’t have to go to four different websites to get the info.
5. I play games.
6. I find things that make me laugh.

Truly, I’d be lost without it. With it, I’m “in the know” for what’s happening at the schools, in my subdivision, in my township, in my very large extended family, etc.

All that said - it is only good for communication if the people you need to communicate with are using it (obviously, here it’s reasonably popular). And yes, you have to be careful of your security settings and what info you put out there.