The pro's and con's of facebook

[Mary_Gail_36]

Some of the remarks about FB crack me up. The conspiracy theories especially.
Facebook is just that. YOUR face to an online book. You can turn it into whatever you want. If you have a wide variety of interests, as I do, you can post those things that enrich your mind, body or spirit. You post whatever you want. YOU have control over what you post. If you don’t want drama, don’t post it and avoid it.
And for those who think its all a conspiracy.
Do you realize, just by sifting through the various posts here on CAF I can very easily get a profile of who you are, where you live, your job, your marital status, ect? It’s a lot easier than you realize.
Is CAF really CIA?

I don’t have Facebook, but I do understand that there are many privacy settings. My sister for example has facebook, the only people who can see her posts are her followers.

 

[exnihilo]

Some of the remarks about FB crack me up. The conspiracy theories especially.
Facebook is just that. YOUR face to an online book. You can turn it into whatever you want. If you have a wide variety of interests, as I do, you can post those things that enrich your mind, body or spirit. You post whatever you want. YOU have control over what you post. If you don’t want drama, don’t post it and avoid it.
And for those who think its all a conspiracy.
Do you realize, just by sifting through the various posts here on CAF I can very easily get a profile of who you are, where you live, your job, your marital status, ect? It’s a lot easier than you realize.
Is CAF really CIA?

The government would like to access all of our communication and data. Their ability to do so and practice of that was revealed by Edward Snowden. You can call that a conspiracy theory. It is in that folks in the government are conspiring to spy on us. But it is also an admitted reality.

I don’t disagree that CAF can reveal a lot of info about us. I’m sure the government would also love to have access to this info. Most of it is public so they already do. Facebook is of higher value because of the number of users and depth of content posted.

A person might make the personal decision that they don’t care that the government is able to catalogue their life. But there is nothing wrong about a person not wanting that. I’m not that old but I remember a time when it offended most people that communist governments kept records on their citizens. The beauty of the American system is that the police state is completely voluntary.

 

[Son_of_Niall]

The government would like to access all of our communication and data. Their ability to do so and practice of that was revealed by Edward Snowden. You can call that a conspiracy theory. It is in that folks in the government are conspiring to spy on us. But it is also an admitted reality.

I don’t disagree that CAF can reveal a lot of info about us. I’m sure the government would also love to have access to this info. Most of it is public so they already do. Facebook is of higher value because of the number of users and depth of content posted.

A person might make the personal decision that they don’t care that the government is able to catalogue their life. But there is nothing wrong about a person not wanting that. I’m not that old but I remember a time when it offended most people that communist governments kept records on their citizens. The beauty of the American system is that the police state is completely voluntary.

Agree and disagree.
Once a week our local news has the area’s ‘most wanted’ criminals, and if I am on my laptop at the time I look up the name on Facebook and…lo and behold there they are.
I think Snowden did a great service in exposing Government surveillance. But at the same time I can’t dig a hole and hide from the all-seeing eyes of the State. Why should I? Facebook is just a place for friends and acquaintances to get together and talk about and post things which interests them. That’s all it is to me.

 

[7_Sorrows]

no Facebook for me!

 

[anon98328916]

What about twitter and instagram? Just another way to expose your every little detail ?

 

[Greenfields]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful replies I think for my self at this stage I really need to just get back to the basics,find time for quiet and enjoy the outdoors.I am trying to reduce any screen time where I can,get back into reading books for my head and eyes.I am happiest when writing letters,talking on the phone and being face to face.
I do admire those who are capable of incorporating Facebook,Instagram and twitter into their lives using them as handy tools.
God bless .

 

[Kay_Cee]

The upside of Facebook for me is being able to announce when I’ve published a new book or when it goes on sale. I also belong to some Catholic Writers’ Groups.

The downside is certain posts, especially those that have profanity in them. I find myself often having to “hide” all the posts from certain individuals.

Another thing I can’t stand on FB is a post that wants to “guilt” you into either commenting on the post or sharing it with others. I especially hate ones that imply that if you don’t share the post, you’re not a true Christian and you’re denying Christ. I also despise ones that say, essentially, “Well, let’s just see who’s really my friend. I’ll be able to tell by who bothers to comment on my post.” Really? After all these years, I have to prove my friendship?

Anyway, I don’t let FB take over my life. I usually check it only once a day.

 

[Joe_5859]

Another thing I can’t stand on FB is a post that wants to “guilt” you into either commenting on the post or sharing it with others. I especially hate ones that imply that if you don’t share the post, you’re not a true Christian and you’re denying Christ. I also despise ones that say, essentially, “Well, let’s just see who’s really my friend. I’ll be able to tell by who bothers to comment on my post.” Really? After all these years, I have to prove my friendship?

Yes, I very deliberately do not comment or share such posts, even if the content is otherwise good. It really just migrated to Facebook from email. Back in the day, I’d always receive email forwards from people asking me to forward to 10 people, including the person who sent it to me—you know, so you realize that someone will “know” if you don’t do it—or else it means I’m ashamed of Jesus or don’t love orphaned, terminally ill children from third world countries. If someone needs to use cheap guilt tactics to get me to pass on their forward, then they’re not going to get any free publicity from me.

What really irks me are when such things are attached to prayers. There will be a nice prayer with a nice picture of Jesus or one of the saints. But then they have to ruin it by adding something at the end about how you have to share it with X amount of people or the prayer won’t work.

Sorry, rant over.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Yes, I very deliberately do not comment or share such posts, even if the content is otherwise good. It really just migrated to Facebook from email. Back in the day, I’d always receive email forwards from people asking me to forward to 10 people, including the person who sent it to me—you know, so you realize that someone will “know” if you don’t do it—or else it means I’m ashamed of Jesus or don’t love orphaned, terminally ill children from third world countries. If someone needs to use cheap guilt tactics to get me to pass on their forward, then they’re not going to get any free publicity from me.

What really irks me are when such things are attached to prayers. There will be a nice prayer with a nice picture of Jesus or one of the saints. But then they have to ruin it by adding something at the end about how you have to share it with X amount of people or the prayer won’t work.

Sorry, rant over.

Oh, don’t apologize. That sort of thing is well worth the rant.

 

[Kal2012]

I never got the point of Twitter - although some of my friends really love it.

I have an account and “follow people”, but I don’t check it a lot. Lately - it’s the best source to read about others who support the #boycotttarget movement, so I’ve been checking it a lot more lately. However, it’s mostly just annoying.

Instagram - it’s another one I don’t quite get. Some of my friends seem to like it.

Facebook is really the medium I use because it’s convenient and I’m able to keep up with my friends and family, regardless of whether they live locally or not.

I’m also able to interact with parents who have kids that have the same diagnoses and struggles as my son.

I don’t post a lot anymore, but I’m also able to meet people who have similar interests through the groups feature. And I’m able to share information - which is a huge deal to special needs parents. I’m able to give my friends in these situations support when they are going through a rough patch. I make an effort to encourage them instead of just moving on to another post because I know how valuable the “I’m not alone” feeling is in these situations.

It’s been great being able to see all the first communion photos from my friends this year - and share the ones of my son.

I especially loved the connection with the outside world when my son was younger and I was starved for adult conversation. If it was 2 am, then I could log on to facebook and find out what was going on outside of me caring for my infant.

I’m also conscious that I’m being a witness for Christ when I use it, so I try to post things that make people think about faith and I am very careful with the language I use when responding to someone.

I’ve found it’s a great way to practice arguing/defending my values and I’ve make a few Catholic/Christian friends along the way. Sometimes, I’m the only conservative and/or religious person who will respond to a post, so I make my words count because I know there are others out there who are afraid to push back on some of the more Liberal stuff. (We’ve seen how social media is just used to shame people). However, they’d like to know that their point of view is being represented. Especially in these times.

For people who love to just learn about people and what makes them tick, this is a great tool as well.

Facebook is what you make of it.

I know people who don’t post, but who read it to keep up with family and friends.

I know people who’ve given up facebook and are cool with that.

I also know people who post every thought they have in their head and I wish that they wouldn’t.

I also love that there’s a tool called “social fixer” to help me make Facebook look and work the way that I want it too.

 

[tomarin]

Something about Facebook rubs me very much the wrong way. I think it’s the way it promotes narcissism and shallowness in general.

It also bugs me that Mark Zuckerburg is treated like a boy genius when I’m fairly sure he hasn’t contributed anything to society at all (despite his smarts, and I don’t dispute his high intelligence - just that he wasted it).

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

All the content and all your contacts of any kind belong 100% solely to the company and not to you at all irrespective of any “privacy” settings.

On CAF those who always did have a legitimate interest can ask according to established procedures for your e-mail address. And then your e-mail provider can tell them a little more. Third or fourth companies have to be contacted for web searches. That’s all.

We maybe send one set of people the odd PM here about one subject area. And somewhere completely separate, completely separate PMs about something completely else. Parcelling affairs up according to purpose always was good management.

I pay money and I get a good internet service.

 

[Melodeonist]

Personally, I would never use Facebook. Facebook is a personal security concern: Someone can search your name on Google and find your Facebook. From there they can grab your address and find where you live. That’s scary if you ask me.

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

I feel the same as you. I see no pros with Facebook. Even the sharing of photos, especially of children, is dangerous. Child predators are all over Facebook, so I’ve read, and they know how to gain access of private information. I would never put a photo of a child on the Internet, period.

Some people do nothing BUT post picture of their kids on FB. Newborn baby makes a slight move and they take a picture and post it lol. Multiple pictures a day. I have seen probably up to one dozen but maybe more.

There is danger everywhere, I do not think it is any more dangerous posting a picture of ones kid on facebook than taking them to the park. Also, if one has a friends list on FB that only shows these pictures to friends and family it is not the same as randomly putting them out there for the world to see.

With that said, I do not have kids and I will not post a bunch of pics of them on FB even if I do one day not because it is so dangerous but because I know how annoying it is lol.

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

Facebook can be useful depending on what you want to use it for. To keep in touch with and see pictures of friends and family that live around the world is a pro. If you do not care about that, then you do not care about that.

Some people find groups of people with similar interests on FB. I am currently trying to find Catholic events and Catholic groups around my area. FB can be good for investigating info about certain places sometimes. Complete waste of time depends on what you are doing with it. Some might view reading a book entirely for please as a complete waste of time. Ask someone who has never read a book cover to cover in their life lol. That is not me, I love reading. If someone never ever wastes time in one way or another for leisure, I want them to be my mentor in life.

The biggest con for me is that you do indeed see a lot of stuff that is just plain out annoying. You really get to know how conceited some people are by number of pictures they put up of themselves in such a short amount of time lol.

 

[Melodeonist]

I feel the same as you. I see no pros with Facebook. Even the sharing of photos, especially of children, is dangerous. Child predators are all over Facebook, so I’ve read, and they know how to gain access of private information. I would never put a photo of a child on the Internet, period.

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe it’s possible to gain access to personal info from a picture unless the picture is also on a page containing the persons personal info. If I do a Google Images search for a picture of me it won’t find any personal info because I would never put such info out on the web. The only stuff I share is pictures and videos of me, and my interests/opinions.

 

[Joe_5859]

Personally, I would never use Facebook. Facebook is a personal security concern: Someone can search your name on Google and find your Facebook. From there they can grab your address and find where you live. That’s scary if you ask me.

Entering your address is not something you can do in your profile settings on Facebook let alone being a required part of the registration process. Someone would be more likely to find that information on whitepages.com than on Facebook.

People do have to be careful, though. I see a lot of people with posts that they “check in” to this or that location at this or that time. If your privacy settings aren’t restrictive, it would make it very easy for someone to stalk you and see when you are not at home.

 

[Joe_5859]

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe it’s possible to gain access to personal info from a picture unless the picture is also on a page containing the persons personal info. If I do a Google Images search for a picture of me it won’t find any personal info because I would never put such info out on the web. The only stuff I share is pictures and videos of me, and my interests/opinions.

It might depend on the camera you use. Sometimes, a picture file has metadata attached to it that we don’t realize. The safest thing to do would be to scrub the metadata before posting a picture online.

 

[exnihilo]

It might depend on the camera you use. Sometimes, a picture file has metadata attached to it that we don’t realize. The safest thing to do would be to scrub the metadata before posting a picture online.

All digital cameras have metadata. Included will be what kind of camera the photo was taken on. All cell phones with geolocation, at least I assume, put in the metadata your location. This is how on an iPhone you can see where a photo was taken. All big corporate websites you upload a photo to will store and index this metadata. If I uploaded a photo I would definitely scrub it.

 

[Giggly_Giraffe]

Pro & Con … You find out who amoung your friends and acquantanances believes in (religion), (politics), (cooking), and who really has a scenes of humor.