Facebook

[MrGongGong]

Facebook is (as any fule knows) Skynet

or rather "stalkerbook" as it's know in this house
I've , so far , refused to "join" I really don't have the time for the endless mindless nonsense that it invites
what you sign up to is also more than a little iffy
having said that its great for my daughter at university who seems to use it to keep in touch with people she ACTUALLY knows !

as for twitter ????? surely that's like sending text messages to people you don't know ? the 21st Century equivalent of standing in the street ranting at passers by !

the problem with most of these things is that "user defined content" (as the BBC like to call it !) is only really interesting when the person making it has a particular unique perspective , the inarticulate ramblings of random people I don't know don't really interest me much.


I did have a plan (along the lines of "Friends Re-United") to start a website called "Enemies Best Forgotten" where you could find all the people who had bullied you at school , (or dumped you for a classier model) and boast about your successful life. Something along the lines of posting pictures of your beautiful children on holiday in the Caribbean or images of you with your beautiful partner in an open topped sports car etc ........ the spin off business was to have a photographic company that would fake the pictures for you

[BetweenTheStaves]

I refuse to join Facebook.

I will not tweet

I object to websites that implore me to sign up to their Facebook page or Witter

I don't blog

I am not on Friends(DivorcehereIcome)Reunited

[Stillhomewardbound]

Do you know, I had completely forgotten that I had set up a group on Facebook myself -

BREAKFAST ON RADIO - BACK TO THE MUSIC

Picked up three members (!) but I see that the stall was quite well set out, even if I say so myself:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107823695902334

This is a group established to petition the Controller of BBC Radio 3 and formally convey to him the concerns of many Breakfast on 3 listeners who feel that the prevalence of trails, cross-trailing, text/email chat etc. has reached a point of critical mass that has now become perilous to the enjoyment of listeners.

Our aims are to seek the following:

1 . A reduction of trailing traffic on the programme

2. An easing off of 'interactivity' such as listener feedback

3. More contemplation on the music and less chat eg. irrelevant news stories from the papers

4. The restoration of longer pieces and a more adventurous playlist

These aims will be developed and modified as the group grows and its focus becomes more refined.
Privacy Type:
Open: All content is public.

[EdgeleyRob]

I refuse to join Facebook.

I will not tweet

I object to websites that implore me to sign up to their Facebook page or Witter

I don't blog

I am not on Friends(DivorcehereIcome)Reunited

Me too. It amazes me how people find the time to do all of those things!

[Mr Pee]

Me too. It amazes me how people find the time to do all of those things!

We all find the time to post on these boards- and some even apparently find the time to report humorous and inoffensive posts.

If we can find the time for that, then why shouldn't others find the time for Facebook? I think there's a certain intellectual snobbery going on here.

At least on Facebook one can crack the odd joke without being hauled before the Headmistress.

[MrGongGong]

I think you might find that a joke is when you say something funny and OTHER PEOPLE laugh

[Panjandrum]

We all find the time to post on these boards- and some even apparently find the time to report humorous and inoffensive posts.

If we can find the time for that, then why shouldn't others find the time for Facebook? I think there's a certain intellectual snobbery going on here.

Agreed Mr Pee. Moreover, given that Roger the Dodger did away with the old MBs as the level of public criticism was embarrassing the station, Facebook presents a far better opportunity of conveying one's thoughts to management than by preaching to the converted on this forum. It's also a marvellous way of hoisting them on their own petard. Given management has explicitly stated to the BBC Trust that Facebook and Twitter are there for listerners to communicate with the station, they are basically stuck with the increasingly prominent levels of criticism which are being heaped on the Facebook wall.

I am just surprised that more forum members have not appreciated the opportunities that Facebook provides for direct communication.

[Thespian]

Facebook is a bit like a messageboard, only with no moderation. Anyone can post what they like, and once posted they cannot delete or edit it. As someone with a few teenage "friends" the rubbish that is spouted on facebook is very depressing. There is no discussion on Facebook just random "I'm tired" "I'm depressed" "I'm doing x y z tonight" One of the posts that make me laugh is someone posting at 2am (or later) "Why Can't I Sleep?" The answer which I resist to avoid a flame war is "Because you on FaceBook! Log Off! The world will still be there tomorrow telling you what it's eating for breakfast"
FaceBook is good for catching up with friends far away but most of the time it's a waste of time and seems to be addictive to some people.

[Don Petter]

I have just had a look at Facebook, for the first time ever, via Pj's link, and in spite of the welcome nature of some of the comments, it seems to consist of just the sort of babble of snippets which we are shying away from in Breakfast. I would much rather have the (usually) more reasoned debate that takes place here.

[BetweenTheStaves]

Thing is, Don, that Facebook has much more visibility and posting our concerns there gets a wider audience. The trouble is that it seems to be the same names popping up with similar comments. What's really needed to get RW's attention is for thousands of different people all agreeing that Radio 2.5 is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Viral, is the buzzword, I'm told!

[Don Petter]

Without understanding your viral reference, I just don't think I could bring myself to wade in among the Maisies and Cuthberts, however good the cause.

[hmvman]

I agree with BTS here. It would be much better if more people were to use the Facebook page to make comments - good and bad - and get a community of a sort going on there. I'm not suggesting it would be instead of the stimulating and entertaining discussions here, by the way. As Panjandrum has pointed out, the BBC has been keen to promote its Facebook and Twitter sites as THE way for listeners to 'engage' with the Corporation. Play 'em at their own game, I say!

I'd also just like to put in a good word for Friends Reunited. Just this summer I've had a contact from someone I'd not seen since I was about 17 or 18, 35 or so years ago. He happened to be in Yorkshire over this last weekend (he now lives in Cornwall) and yesterday I went to meet up with him. We had a wonderful day together reminiscing and catching up on news. I thought afterwards that the Internet isn't all bad!

[BetweenTheStaves]

Ooops...since I (like many others) believe so passionately about the current state of R3, I signed up to Facebook so I could add my comments to the Radio 3 wall. Does anyone know how you post a comment using your username rather than your real name? Lucky I signed in with a pseudonym! Mind you...the name I chose could well put the cat among the pigeons.

EDIT: This Facebook thing is scary. The only information they have about me is my email address and so how is it that FB is telling me about friends that I have on FB....who are people that I know. Presumably these people dumped the contents of their address book into Facebook's maw. If I'd known that, I'd have created an anonymous Hotmail account.

[BetweenTheStaves]

Fascinating. The Radio 3 wall is actively monitored by the Politburo and any posts deemed not to be 'on message' are deleted. So much for openness and transparency. Almost as opaque as Tony Blair's financial affairs.

[Anna]

BtS, I posted about how I'd joined FB but my posts were not visible to anyone except myself when I was logged in. Could it be that we both have our settings wrong? (Btw, I created a new anonymous email account to preserve privacy)