Heya all,
Apologies for no ABC Wednesday this week, life has been busy. However today I wanted to discuss the modern topic of Facebook and other social networking sites. Around 3 to 4 months ago I was beginning to find that I was getting so many requests to join Facebook that it began driving me quite literally BANANAS. Also I was finding that not only was I being bombarded with emails, however also people began bombarding me in person as well with “Have you joined Facebook… no… YOU SO HAVE TO JOIN”.
Anyhoo, mainly to stop people harassing me so much I thought… OK why not I will. Since that time I have begun connecting with old friends from high school. My Step Brother and a host of other people. Today I had the pleasure of meeting back up with a friend whom I have not seen in 5 years. We began chatting on Facebook and ended up going out and about in Sydney for the day.
So in part I have to say that the whole idea of Facebook has been an interesting one and it does have its benefits. However on the flip side I am finding that so many components of Facebook are just a MASSIVE waste of time and bandwidth. So many of the applications seem to be built to boost one’s ego or break down another’s. On top of this I am finding that each year there is the social networking flavour of the month so to speak (however in this case it is flavour of the year). Last year was the once flourishing MySpace, this year it is Facebook and what will it be next year?
I am finding that each year a new social networking site is popping up as the favourite and each year I am having to create a new profile on a new site to please the masses. As a note I must admit that Facebook is the first that I have really been into and started logging in regularly. I find that for the most part it is a lot less “spammy” in its look so to speak. There is a relatively standard page design that people must go for which means there are a lot less crazy pages filled with never ending music and flashing lights and text, and so on and so fourth.
So I pose the rhetorical question to you today (or if you would like to answer, give an opinion etc please do leave a comment)… Is Facebook just the Flavour of the year and will we all be signing up to the next Facebook derivative within the next 12 odd months or do you think Facebook is here to stay?
I am curious to hear your opinions, or at the least plant the thought in your noggins.
Have a good one all
Stuart 
7 Comments
I can say that Facebook is certainly far from being an online popularity contest like Friendster or MySpace (at the moment, that is). I’m not really that much into it, because its main purpose to me is to keep track of my workmates. Other than that, I have no complaints about it.
Facebook’s pretty much here to stay… until the next fad comes along, that is.
Like all these things it is a matter of being wary of just how much personal information you want to put out and to whom - I never jump into any of these things until they have been going a while - I got tempted into joining Facebook a short while ago and have mixed reservations about it — I don’t actually work so if I waste time with it that only concerns me but I can see how it easily distract and distrupt working folk.
hey… i’m new to the abc wednesday thing so i’m trying to introduce myself to those involved.
its funny you posted about frustrations with internet…
heres a long rant about my problems with technology too if you’re interested it talks about facebook/myspace.
http://jimbakerphotography.blogspot.com/2007/12/uncooked.html
jim baker
In the “beginning” Facebook was exclusive to college students. It has obviously expanded. Once it sucked up the high schoolers away from the now less cool MySpace, it ventured on to include the more mature. A lot of older adults have it all now: Facebook, Myspace, AIM or SMS, which kind of gives me the creeps. I think it’s like buying the latest technology. Of course it’s going to change, but it won’t get any cheaper.
I work at a school and we find that MySpace, Facebook etc. is pretty awful for our students who are sucked into it and lots of info that should not be revealed is…I would not waste my time when I have a perfectly good blog to go and waste my time but actually learn things!lol
i still find orkut better than facebook..
Heya all,
Some very interesting comments there. I have to agree I have seen some statistics of just how much bandwith it consumes for some organisations and to say the least it is not good lol.
Stuart