Why all the hostility to social networking?

j1smithy

Was looking through another thread and noticed quite a bit of hostility towards people who say they have facebook accounts, and moreso towards those that use bebo. So are some of the posters here "above" social networking? What exactly is the shame in admitting to use one of them or to having an account?

I also couldn't get over the irony of the criticism when boards.ie also fits the general definition of a social networking site.

Abi

j1smithy wrote: »

Was looking through another thread and noticed quite a bit of hostility towards people who say they have facebook accounts, and moreso towards those that use bebo. So are some of the posters here "above" social networking? What exactly is the shame in admitting to use one of them or to having an account?

I also couldn't get over the irony of the criticism when boards.ie also fits the general definition of a social networking site.

Why didn't you ask over there?

j1smithy

Abigayle wrote: »

Why didn't you ask over there?

It would have been OT, like this post

orestes

j1smithy wrote: »

I also couldn't get over the irony of the criticism when boards.ie also fits the general definition of a social networking site.

Boards is a discussion site, not a social networking site, people really should learn to tell the diference

AlmightyCushion

It's just old people being bitter because they aren't cool any more.

cherryghost

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's just old people being bitter because they aren't cool any more.

Think I'll twitter that :pac:

Abi

j1smithy wrote: »

It would have been OT, like this post

It's your own post, why would it be OT?

RadioGaGa

Speaking for myself here, I hate the vanity of it all. People with numerous photos of themselves taken either by the mirror method or the arm's length one. I know people who obsess over over the amount of friends they have or the amount of comments they have which is ridiculous. The whole point of keeping in touch with friends is removed which makes them sh1t. Just my two cents.

TheZohanS

j1smithy wrote: »

Was looking through another thread and noticed quite a bit of hostility towards people who say they have facebook accounts, and moreso towards those that use bebo. So are some of the posters here "above" social networking? What exactly is the shame in admitting to use one of them or to having an account?

I also couldn't get over the irony of the criticism when boards.ie also fits the general definition of a social networking site.

You must be using the old theme, use the new one

It's because other social networking sites like Facebook are the competition.

See here

AlmightyCushion

orestes wrote: »

Boards is a discussion site, not a social networking site, people really should learn to tell the diference

You have a friends list here, you have a friends list on bebo/facebook.
You can post pictures on your profile here, you can post pictures on bebo facebook.
People can leave comments on your profile here and they can do the same on bebo/facebook.
We even have social groups here, similar to bebo/facebook.
We also have dedicated social forums here that have chat threads which would be akin to social networking.

So sites like boards and social networks share a lot in common. If you use any of the above features on boards and still call facebook/bebo users retards then it's pretty hypocritical.

j1smithy

orestes wrote: »

Boards is a discussion site, not a social networking site, people really should learn to tell the diference

There is a broad overlap in my opinion. Sites where one can comment and discuss, share media as well as interact with one another are what I would describe as social networking. Isn't that what boards.ie is?

Is it really a case of internet snobbery, the I'm too good to be involved in that "fad"?

4zn76tysfajdxp

It's just some good ol' fashioned snobbery.

j1smithy

RadioGaGa wrote: »

Speaking for myself here, I hate the vanity of it all. People with numerous photos of themselves taken either by the mirror method or the arm's length one. I know people who obsess over over the amount of friends they have or the amount of comments they have which is ridiculous. The whole point of keeping in touch with friends is removed which makes them sh1t. Just my two cents.

You could say the same about boards... the vanity in having a high post count, and the most thanks? I have seen a considerable increase in the amount of posts that just seem to be looking for "thanks". Would one not agree?

orestes

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

You have a friends list here, you have a friends list on bebo/facebook.
You can post pictures on your profile here, you can post pictures on bebo facebook.
People can leave comments on your profile here and they can do the same on bebo/facebook.
We even have social groups here, similar to bebo/facebook.
We also have dedicated social forums here that have chat threads which would be akin to social networking.

So sites like boards and social networks share a lot in common. If you use any of the above features on boards and still call facebook/bebo users retards then it's pretty hypocritical.

I accept friends requests and social group invitations here because I think it would be rude of me not to.
I reply to comments left on my profile because I think it would be rude not to.
I rarely participate in any of the social forums here anymore.
Apart from that the only time I would visit anyones profile page is if it had something to do with modding.

Yes boards has certain features that can be used in the same way as social networking sites, but it is first and foremost a discussion site.

RadioGaGa

j1smithy wrote: »

You could say the same about boards... the vanity in having a high post count, and the most thanks? I have seen a considerable increase in the amount of posts that just seem to be looking for "thanks". Would one not agree?

I'd say a minority of boards users join just to get a big post count and thanks's. The majority join to discuss stuff. Though as you can see I have no worries of a high post count or thanks;)

AlmightyCushion

RadioGaGa wrote: »

I'd say a minority of boards users join just to get a big post count and thanks's. The majority join to discuss stuff. Though as you can see I have no worries of a high post count or thanks;)

I'd say the minority join bebo are the attention whores (unfortunately they are a much bigger minority I'd say) where as the majority just want to keep in touch with their friends.

cherryghost

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I'd say the minority join bebo are the attention whores (unfortunately they are a much bigger minority I'd say) where as the majority just want to keep in touch with their friends.

omg liek wtf todaaiii i saw akon in conzert twas savaaage, luk at my pics!

SoupyNorman

cherryghost wrote: »

omg liek wtf todaaiii i saw akon in conzert twas savaaage, luk at my pics!

U gimmie luv an ill giv u luv. KTHXBAI

Overheal

j1smithy wrote: »

Was looking through another thread and noticed quite a bit of hostility towards people who say they have facebook accounts, and moreso towards those that use bebo. So are some of the posters here "above" social networking? What exactly is the shame in admitting to use one of them or to having an account?

I also couldn't get over the irony of the criticism when boards.ie also fits the general definition of a social networking site.

i 2 hav no idea y ppl wud h8 bebo

j1smithy

SoupyNorman wrote: »

U gimmie luv an ill giv u luv. KTHXBAI

Honestly, I've never come across that on any of the bebo profiles I look at. Maybe thats because my friends are literate. If thats the problem you have with social networking, then the problem is with the friends you have rather than the site?

Rabies

Bebo seems to be more aimed at kids. The text speak generation. I did have an account a few years ago but deleted it, the place fvcked me off.
About a year ago I joined Facebook, g/f of the time was a member and she was often playing games. Its the only reason I joined. Now I use it for work and to play Mafia Wars

SoupyNorman

j1smithy wrote: »

Honestly, I've never come across that on any of the bebo profiles I look at. Maybe thats because my friends are literate. If thats the problem you have with social networking, then the problem is with the friends you have rather than the site?

You misunderstand, I have a Bebo, I dont use it anymore as me and all my friends have flown the coop and onto Facebook (cause we've matured and that). Bebo has been colonized by the d'teens.

I think the main hostility is towards the A typical Bebo page, you know the ones with a baby name generator, a pic of a baby with a Hitler mustache giving the finger, 4million pics of their ugly babies, the 'put this symbol on ur page for all people who smoke John Player Blue' symbols and no page would be complete without the heart wrenching Hallmark life statement in the 'About Me' section.

4zn76tysfajdxp

SoupyNorman wrote: »

and no page would be complete without the heart wrenching Hallmark life statement in the 'About Me' section.

God, they really piss me off. They can be seen on Facebook too, underneath the "Favourite quotations" section.

Jet Black

The whole social networking is great for a bit of stalking:pac::pac::pac:

nitrogen

orestes wrote: »

Boards is a discussion site, not a social networking site, people really should learn to tell the diference

You sound like Moss from The IT Crowd.

An Fear Aniar

I have a false Facebook account to monitor people. Facebook is not for me, but it does allow me to get some creepy voyeurism in every now and gain.:)


.

fryup

because some people on sns are deluded thinking "oh golly ive got so many friends im so popular"

get real ffs can u phone them up and go for a drink?? or even talk to them face to face..... no

Wibbs

It's the lack of elegance to the concept. It's the BS under the concept and it's the sheer mundanity of it all. Yep it can be useful for keeping in touch but for me in 90% of cases these things feel like a tarted up solution to a non existent problem.

I reserve my real ire for twitter though. Jesus. The pointless disseminated to the mundane.

Though I am old so.....

nitrogen

I have a theory that the amount of friends on someone's facebook profile is inversely proportional to how genuine that individual is.

AnonoBoy

I just don't want people f*cking contacting me all the time. Bleurgh.

Get away from me peasants.

iregk

I think a lot of it stems from the way people organise their world around it. I know a guy who was updating his facebook site while sitting in a court-house on jury selection day. Why oh why would you bother?

He obsessed and tells us all with great pride that he has a 130+ friends. Now lets be real, they aren't real friends are they. Your not going to invite them to your wedding or anything like that. Nobody really has that many "good" friends so why keep obsessing about it.

Me personally I've enough going on with my life and actually enjoy my life that I don't need to keep a social circle on some website. The likes of boards gets me through quiet days in work and can be fun seeign someone get torn apart on this forum

Bebo = kids site. Twitter = the most useless waiste of good silicon chips in the history of the word. Facebook = meh. Myspace = help i've no friends I need something in my life.

The only one worth any sort of salt at all in linkedin as its a professional one used for work not socialising.

Nalz

iregk wrote: »

The only one worth any sort of salt at all in linkedin as its a professional one used for work not socialising.

Is it really any use? I have one about 2 years, havent benifited or heard anyone that has yet.

I had a bebo account for like 4 months back in 2005, couldnt stand it. I've a facebook account for almost a year, and dont really use it. It is handy for keepin in touch and the way you can limit your account to what you can show and see and updates you can avoid/block is a decent feature.

If I see somethin like "do my quiz" or "how gay are you" applications I just ignore them, no need to "ah for f'uck sake" whinge about them

nitrogen

It depends on how you use Twitter, as a social networking site, it's pathetic. Twitter as a RSS feed is great.

iregk

Trilla wrote: »

Is it really any use? I have one about 2 years, havent benifited or heard anyone that has yet.

Have to say I have had good things come out of it and good contacts etc...

Earthhorse

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's just old people being bitter because they aren't cool any more.

That's just not true.











I was never cool.

My name is URL

ego-masturbation

K4t

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

I have a false Facebook account to monitor people.
.

Classic. I did the same thing on bebo for a few years.

sam34

i dislike them because i think they are an invasion of privacy.

i was convinced by a friend once to join facebook, as she was moving to the states and thought it would be a great way to stay in touch. the trouble was it also put me in touch with people from college who i hadnt seen in ten years, never even liked in teh first place and certainly didnt want to hear from again.

i was getting profile updates along the lines of "x is having a bad day sob sob" four or five times a day - after three days of that crap i closed my account.

the "im so cool" affected messages people leave on others pages really annoyed me too.

AlmightyCushion

Wibbs wrote: »

I reserve my real ire for twitter though. Jesus. The pointless disseminated to the mundane.

I'm gonna make my own version of twitter. It'll be a micro micro blogging site. You'll only be allowed to post a 0 or a 1. I'll call it bitter.*






*The geeks will get it.

AlmightyCushion

sam34 wrote: »

i dislike them because i think they are an invasion of privacy.

i was convinced by a friend once to join facebook, as she was moving to the states and thought it would be a great way to stay in touch. the trouble was it also put me in touch with people from college who i hadnt seen in ten years, never even liked in teh first place and certainly didnt want to hear from again.

i was getting profile updates along the lines of "x is having a bad day sob sob" four or five times a day - after three days of that crap i closed my account.

the "im so cool" affected messages people leave on others pages really annoyed me too.

Why would you bother adding people you don't want to hear from. Just don't agree to be friends with them.

Earthhorse

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

I have a false Facebook account to monitor people. Facebook is not for me, but it does allow me to get some creepy voyeurism in every now and gain.

K4t wrote: »

Classic. I did the same thing on bebo for a few years.

Don't people have to add you as a friend on Facebook before you can really see anything though?

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I'm gonna make my own version of twitter. It'll be a micro micro blogging site. You'll only be allowed to post a 0 or a 1. I'll call it bitter.

Hahaha. Yeah, I get it.

It's because you're bitter about life, right?

Wibbs

Just thinking about this(clearly bored). I know why I despise twitter. It's like one of those "joke" txts or "Happy New Year!" that are mass texted to everyone in their phone. Only worse.

Look at the reasons they give as to why;

* Eating soup? Research shows that moms want to know.
* Running late to a meeting? Your co–workers might find that useful.
* Partying? Your friends may want to join you.

Holy fu....

OK the meeting one may have a use. Partying? Eh that's what I dunno phones texts and such are for. Though as a filter it may have it's uses.. So twitter everyone and whomever shows up and gives twitter as the reason, refuse entry. Cut down on the knob quotient. Eating soup..... Oh. My. God.

sam34

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Why would you bother adding people you don't want to hear from. Just don't agree to be friends with them.

i was a noobie and too nice to ignore their requests!

Jigsaw

Yes, yes it is indeed.

Mask wrote: »

The whole social networking is great for a bit of stalking:pac::pac::pac:

AlmightyCushion

Jigsaw wrote: »

Yes, yes it is indeed.

How's Emer?

Aidric

Bebo is a joke shop these days. I rarely log on anymore but when I do I'm faced with friend requests from spamming cnuts.

Jigsaw

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

How's Emer?

She's ok but is getting quite pale and Maddie's starting to get on her nerves.

AlmightyCushion

Aidric wrote: »

Bebo is a joke shop these days. I rarely log on anymore but when I do I'm faced with friend requests from spamming cnuts.

Yeah I remember going out one night and got ballistically drunk. Couldn't remember anything after about 1am. Checked my emails the next day and I had about 10 friend requests from bebo, all from girls and I didn't recognise any of the names. I thought I had chatted up all these girls the night before or something like that. Turned out they were all cam whores spamming the place.