[LittleForgetMeNot]

Oh sigh. Facebook, every week you give me a reason why I dislike you. One day it's drama, the next it's horrible pictures, today it's my two cousins from opposite sides of the family who have NEVER MET EACH OTHER IN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES adding one another. Their only connection is me. Facebook, why have you allowed people to add other people who they don't even know?

[lone_twin4]

I hear you, I hate Facebook and am constantly saying I will delete my account but it's got such a hold on me!! There's so much drama just from Facebook, and I can't even remember some of the people I have on my 'friends' list.

[LittleForgetMeNot]

Yeah, I've been trying to cut down on a lot of it by only adding family that I have met face to face. For friends, I add them if we are friends and I see them everyday or talk to them often, but if like a year goes by, and we don't ever speak again or anything then I'll delete them to keep it current. I have only around 30 people on my facebook and I'm fine with that. However I have a problem with the people I know adding other people from my list who they don't know at all. Sometimes it's an online friend adding a real life friend who they've never spoken to, sometimes it's my cousins from opposite side of the family, or friends adding my mother? I sort of keep people in bubbles, my dad's family is one bubble, my mom's is a another, friends, online, etc. When these bubbles mix (and they're really not supposed to) it irritates me for some reason, I haven't a clue why.

I wish I could delete my facebook, but it's the only place that I can put up pictures and not worry about my computer blowing up and loosing them all and it's the only way for me to keep in touch with some people since I refuse to have a cellphone until I'm a busy business lady and can't keep track of my life. I think if I was a facebook creator I would love myself for the perfect trap that facebook is; you want to leave but you can't because it's your only way of ___ with certain people. But since I'm not I can't help but hate it!!

[Fresia]

I'm sorry you have this in your life and have it to contend with. Facebook can be good in how it brings some together and depending on how you use it.

I have to have facebook for a school organization that I am in and once out of the org so that I can be reached supposedly, I cannot wait to get out. I hope that I can delete it. Between the things that I see going on people's pages, that supposed friends post on mine, and getting contacted from people that I don't know and other's that I have avoided over the years, it has not been a positive experience. I can see benefits for some in sharing photos and experiences for family and friends, and such but, oy, overall it has not been worth the drama to have it my life anymore. June it is gone, hopefully.

Hmm. When I saw the thread title, at first I thought "oh Facebook" was a new way of non-cussing, like when you want to say "oh (something else)" instead, but you're being polite.

[eskielover]

no problem with facebook here. It allows me to keep in touch with those I want to....even lets me keep in touch with my daughter more than before......so I really like it. Haven't had any problems or drama. Can also keep track of what's going on at the ranch where my horses are boarded in California.....I live in KY...moved here away from everyone that I ever knew 4 years ago when I left my husband......can keep in touch with those I want to & not bother with others. It also let me get in touch with others that I had lost contact with over the years after college. I am very selective about who I interface with, so it works very well for me.

Sorry you are struggling with it in your life.....many things that are good for some aren't for others.

[painhurtsme]

Facebook, why are you soo addicting?
oh well, i can stay in touch with my friends that way. only way i have.

[bebop]

I love my facebook. I keep in touch with long lost family members and friends from years ago. I don't mind others grabbing my friends or family. example here to explain a bit more...
my brother has had no contact with his oldest daughter since she was around 8 or 9. none of our family could get in touch with her. facebook has brought us all together with the exception of my brother and his newer family and that is fine too. I love my niece and my other cousins are meeting her and showing her family love now.

I think it is great! you can always make your stuff private.

[seeker1950]

When I joined Facebook, I was immediately dismayed by the public nature of it. I deleted my membership. People tell me, but, oh, you can "control" who sees you. How about the people who are seeing you? It goes on and on, and creates anxiety.

[LittleForgetMeNot]

Yeah. The drama that's from facebook is really because my family is full of drama. They're just a tornado of it. It was easier to ignore when it wasn't in your face everyday.

[lone_twin4]

The drama from mine is ridiculous. I loved it at first but I hate the way I've allowed it to seep into my real life with all its addictive little things! When there is Facebook-related drama it's always from one of my housemates saying "guess what I saw so-and-so posting on this other person's wall?!" it breeds gossip. But it is my fault for letting it carry on >.< I have friends from study abroad that I keep in touch with from it... but it would probably be better if we just wrote letters or Skyped.

Excellent procrastination tool though! And good for reuniting people and promoting good causes But I think it would make a good cussword substitute... xD

[Liberada]

I have a whopping 66 "friends" on FB. There may be 12-15 that post on a regular basis. Mostly friends (online friends but I've had lunch with about 18 of them, they are from a local forum) but a good portion of my contacts are long lost cousins, cousins of DH's or childhood friends that I haven't seen in 35 years. We don't really communicate. We might comment here and there... But it's nice to know that even after so many years I still have something on the other end of the line. and I've discovered that my Family Tree is more of a Rainbow! And NONE of them know I'm bipolar. When I get too posty I try to step away from the computer before I make myself look stupid to someone who wouldn't understand what was going on.... not so much on the local forum. They just think I'm flaky...maybe even funny from time to time. But I'm shy...scared I'll look stupid. If I had a dime for how much I've deleted as opposed to how much I've actually posted I'd be rich!

[Shangrala]

Originally Posted by eskielover

no problem with facebook here. It allows me to keep in touch with those I want to....even lets me keep in touch with my daughter more than before......so I really like it. Haven't had any problems or drama. Can also keep track of what's going on at the ranch where my horses are boarded in California.....I live in KY...moved here away from everyone that I ever knew 4 years ago when I left my husband......can keep in touch with those I want to & not bother with others. It also let me get in touch with others that I had lost contact with over the years after college. I am very selective about who I interface with, so it works very well for me.

Sorry you are struggling with it in your life.....many things that are good for some aren't for others.

I agree. I have no problem with it, either. It allows me to keep a close watch on my daughter's activity, (not that she really needs it), but it's nice to be in the know of things.
It's also allowed me to rekindle some good friendships I've lost track with over the years.
Only drag about it, for me is, I keep getting tons of friendship requests. I'm social, but not so much so that I want to be friends with ppl just so they can add another to their head count. I swear, for many it seems its only a competition of who has more "friends"..lol

Shangrala

[AAAAA]

The thing that bothers me about facebook is that other people can access my "friends" list. Why is it anyone else's business who my friends are? You should have an option to hide your friends list. Also, every time they make an "improvement" I am lost.

[avoice]

I have no problem on fb love it meat friends

I don't allow drama on my FB page, unless it's my own.

They've adjusted it now to where you can hide an individual post without hiding everything posted by that person, or defriending entirely. I take advantage of that option a lot. For example, if something shows up on my page that is full of anger or profanity, I'll hide it without answering, I don't care who it is, or how they are related to me. I've always been told, if something offends me, to "just ignore it," and hiding the post is one way I can.

[Elana05]

I quit facebook. Not sure what point I am making here. But I don't miss it. I found it too shallow. On the other hand, I found a very old friend before I quit. Guess nothing is all bad or all good.

Originally Posted by Elana05

I quit facebook. Not sure what point I am making here. But I don't miss it. I found it too shallow. On the other hand, I found a very old friend before I quit. Guess nothing is all bad or all good.

I understand, but Facebook is the only way I have of keeping in touch with some family members, including two cousins I hadn't seen since childhood. And a couple of other cousins I wouldn't even know otherwise. It turned out that a favorite uncle who passed away years ago had two more kids I didn't know about, but they're on my Facebook page now.

[DancingAlone]

FYI: Take Control of Your Facebook Account

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_108_use-facebook.html

also, from what i'm learning so far (i'm a newbie there), under "Account", then "Account settings" you can choose "custom" and choose your privacy preferences. that let's you choose who sees what, from "everybody", all the way to "only me". i did that "only me" with my email address, and "friends only" on most of the others.