Well, I gave it 6 months and it's been an interesting visit but I think it's time to pull out.
I deleted my FB account last month.
Let me start with the things I liked about FB:
1. The Community.
It's almost like a big block party of all your family and friends.
The social aspect of FB is probably the thing I will miss the most.
You're communicating with people you otherwise wouldn't talk to on a regular basis.
With images and video, you're watching little ones grow up, new ones being born and old ones getting older.
You're celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, good news and reaching out when bad news shows it's ugly face.
Those are a lot of good things but it's really the only thing I liked about it.
The things I didn't care for:
1. Content
One of the things I don't like about social gatherings is small talk.
If you ever see me at a party, I'll be the guy standing (probably alone) in the corner with a fruu-fruu drink (i'm all about the sweet (Rum). Especially if it has an umbrella in it) watching everyone.
I cannot do small talk. I find it tortue to engage in polite, Seinfeld-ish conversations about nothing.
Unfortunately, that's mostly what I found there.
Micro-blogging is what I call it. Short, random, insignificant pieces of thought.
Boy, does that sound snobby. I don't mean it to sound that way but posting that you're brushing your teeth or that you're tired or that your feet hurt or whatever. I think what finally pushed me over the edge was when women started posting the color brassiere they were wearing that day.
Dude.
After that I thought "I'm outta here."
Yeah, I know it was for a good cause but really? REALLY?
Anyway, that sort of leads me to point 2.
2. Women and Children
It seems like those are the only people on FB. When I would ask my guy friends if they were on on FB they would look at me like I was wearing a dress or something. One of them said to me, "No. I got a life." So I must admit part of it was peer pressure.
At 53 I succumbed to peer pressure. Go figure.
But back to my earlier point, I guess that's what women and children talk about. Nothing. Is it?
No, no, no. That can't be true because I've had some interesting, in-depth conversations with the fairer sex.
It must be the format then. Not conducive to in-depth conversations.
Having said that, I did engage in some very interesting conversations regarding matters of faith and living in this world with a group of OCS alumni (guys) that graduated with my daughter. So it is possible. Maybe that's just not what FB is for.
3. Format
This could be the reason content is what it is.
You're limited in the number of characters you can post. No room for lengthly, thoughtful prose.
I came to FB from the Blogosphere where you could write what you wanted. No limits on how much you could write.
You also could easily add links, video, pictures and music. I know FB allowed you to do that but not in the same way the Blog could.
And maybe that was part of my problem: I wanted FB to be like Blogspot.
Maybe I'll rejoin the FB community one day but for right now I'm returning from whence I came. Back to the Blogosphere.
Anyway, that sort of leads me to point 2.
2. Women and Children
It seems like those are the only people on FB. When I would ask my guy friends if they were on on FB they would look at me like I was wearing a dress or something. One of them said to me, "No. I got a life." So I must admit part of it was peer pressure.
At 53 I succumbed to peer pressure. Go figure.
But back to my earlier point, I guess that's what women and children talk about. Nothing. Is it?
No, no, no. That can't be true because I've had some interesting, in-depth conversations with the fairer sex.
It must be the format then. Not conducive to in-depth conversations.
Having said that, I did engage in some very interesting conversations regarding matters of faith and living in this world with a group of OCS alumni (guys) that graduated with my daughter. So it is possible. Maybe that's just not what FB is for.
3. Format
This could be the reason content is what it is.
You're limited in the number of characters you can post. No room for lengthly, thoughtful prose.
I came to FB from the Blogosphere where you could write what you wanted. No limits on how much you could write.
You also could easily add links, video, pictures and music. I know FB allowed you to do that but not in the same way the Blog could.
And maybe that was part of my problem: I wanted FB to be like Blogspot.
Maybe I'll rejoin the FB community one day but for right now I'm returning from whence I came. Back to the Blogosphere.
I've got a number of fellow bloggers I like to keep up with and I'm glad they're still out there sharing their thoughts and parts of their lives.
Just don't tell me the color of your underwear. Please.
Just don't tell me the color of your underwear. Please.
