After a week of being a Facebook member I am ready to give my final review. It is no secret that I was very skeptical of creating a page on this widely popular website. Every day I would have my cousin or a friend tell me that I need to join FB but I would always shoot them down. Each time I did, I would get an earful of how awesome it is and that I would truly love it. I have come to find out through my research that it is seriously the place to be.
I never understood why anyone would want to put every detail of their lives out there for everyone to see. It just never really appealed to me. I was really struggling with if this social networking site would cater to my friendship needs. A lot of my skepticism also had to with not wanting certain people to find or know about my life. However, I have come to find that there are ways to keep people who you do not want to be friends with from seeing what is on your page. I have to say that I am definitely intrigued by FB.
I never understood why anyone would want to put every detail of their lives out there for everyone to see. It just never really appealed to me. I was really struggling with if this social networking site would cater to my friendship needs. A lot of my skepticism also had to with not wanting certain people to find or know about my life. However, I have come to find that there are ways to keep people who you do not want to be friends with from seeing what is on your page. I have to say that I am definitely intrigued by FB.
As I navigated to the FB page I had many thoughts racing through my mind. Knowing how to use the site was at the top. When I signed up for Facebook, I had a list of expectations. First and foremost would be the security.
photo from www.secforall.info/tag/hackerWith pictures of my kids and personal information listed, I wanted to make sure that I would be safe. Next on my list was whether or not the site is easy to navigate. I am not very website savvy and I wanted to know whether or not I would be able to use it on a day to day basis. Next would be how accessible the website is. Can I view and write posts from my mobile phone? I am not always home and I would like to be able to check my page when I'm sitting at the doctors office or waiting in line for coffee. I also wanted to know what all the hype is about. Is it really the best invention since the telephone? Well there was only one way to find out!!!!!!! Last but not least.....does Facebook fall under the category of writing space or writing tool? Why don't we get started!
This is what Facebook looks like when you sign on to your page.
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It is actually very easy to use. You fill out the information that you want to be be seen on your page. After you get to your wall, it gives you a list of people who you might know and would want to friend. I couldn't believe how accurate it was! Under settings, you are able to control who can see your page as well as what you are posting. It was just what I wanted. I set mine to friends only. Meaning only people whom I friend can view what I am writing and posting. It's nice to share pictures of your kids with your friends who live in a different state and Facebook allows me to do this in a manner that is secure. I am in total control of my information and that works wonders for me. If you are still confused on how to start a Facebook page, the website techsoup.org has created a how-to guide which gives step by step instructions. The guide includes pictures of fake pages to help you see exactly how your page will look. It is very a very helpful guide, especially for people who are not very tech savvy. Now that we have logging in taken care of, lets see how accessible FB really is.
Logging on to FB from my computer is as easy as pie! : ) I have an FB bookmark on my toolbar that allows me to quickly get to the site. Of course, the website is made for easy accessbility from a computer but how about form your phone? Well, if you have a smart phone or android, you are in luck. Once I signed up for the website, I got on my phone and found an FB application available for download. Within a couple of minutes I was now able to chenck my FB page from my android phone! From there, I am able to check my page, write a post and post photos. It is awesome! Now when I am bored and away from my computer, I just whip out my phone and hop on FB!!! What could be better?! So does it live up to the hype?
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I would have say that FB definitely lives up to the hype! I am so ecstatic that I joined this very contagious website. Yes, it's true. It is very addictive and spreads like the plague. Through this website, I have reconnected with both friends and family that I have not spoken to in at least three years. I say forget my ten year high school reunion ( yes I am that old!) because I have just reunited with my entire senior class!! It is amazing how this one place can connect you to people from not just your backyard but from all over the world. I am definitely a huge fan of FB and I will continue to use it for as long as it is available.
After using this highway of shared information, I have come to the conclusion that FB is more of a writing space than a writing tool. A writing to should help enhance your writing and I do not believe that Facebook does that. I believe that since this is a social networking site, it is just a space to connect with people. An example of a writing tool to me would Google Wave or even just a blog. As a writing space, FB gives me a place to express myself in any way I want.On this site I am able to voice my opinions about what's going on in the world or just how my kids are driving me crazy. It is a nice place to send a quick hello to a friend or make plans with someone. While most people keep their posts short, you are actually able to write a nice amount of words. I like it because you can just give a quick update about your day or how you are feeling. It is a nice place to vent.
I am fully enjoying what FB is giving me the power to do. It was a shock to learn that FB was created by a teenager! Why couldn't it have been me!!! j/k : D. If you don't already have a Facebook page, I strongly recommend creating one!
Tara-
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you are now part of this world of sober addiction. It's definitely a nice high, but don't get too attached because the initial allure will slowly fade away over the next year. I took me about two full years to persuade my boyfriend to join the facebook world. His biggest initial hesitation about the site seems to be yours as well: security. The great thing about Facebook is that it gives you the user tools to regulate your information from getting into the hands of unwanted guests. Can't wait to see pictures of your beautiful family!
Julia
Tara, I too am glad that you found facebook to be fun. Some of my son's friends have posting down to a performance art. Lot's of clever people out there. Facebook has had an interesting evolution. My older son is still ticked that they let the crowds in. He thought it should be just the cool college kids:) His group doesn't post near as much now that they have become self-conscious. They really don't like academia and the corporate world looking into their social profiles. My younger son joined knowing that everyone was reading him! He can't get enough attention. He is slowing down now that he has so much work to do.
ReplyDeleteSince you plan to be a teacher, it has been interesting to see the legal ramifications of public posting by teachers. My brother is a police officer and did a stint rotating through the high schools and teaching the ROP criminal justice program, and he says you would not believe the stuff that they have to tell teachers to shut down that they think is private but all the kids know about. Funny and tragic really.
Wow! I forgot how my facebook page might interfere with my teaching. Of course I have set my settings to friends only but it makes me think how I will be judged for having an FB page. I would like to think that since it is my personal life it shouldn't affect me but you never know! I have to agree that it is tragic.
ReplyDeleteIts good to see you have a good positive encounter with the new digital drug du jour! XD
ReplyDeleteSomething I did learn (but have not quite figured out how to do yet) was that some friends who write blogs can tag all their friends through FB which gives us sort of a message alert to when they post something new. That way I don't have to wander about through my whole blog roll to see who's posted something new. Using FB this way, its a great way to bridge your writing spaces!
I am so glad you decided to create a Facebook! It really is a great social networking site. I myself was quite attached to Myspace for so long I never wanted to get a Facebook and when I first did I hated it and argued with everyone that Myspace was better but after learning how the site works and how easy it is to connect with so many of my friends and family through it, I really can't stay away from it. Facebook truly is an addiction for many people. I have friends who check it every five seconds and its actually kind of sad sometimes that while hanging out in groups people would rather be checking their Facebook than joining in conversation. We have actually had conversations through comments and status updates on Facebook while we were all sitting together for dinner. I am not sure if this addiction is a positive one or not but there are definitely perks to having a Facebook and I hope it continues to be a positive experience for you. :)
ReplyDeleteTwo months have gone by since I took the plunge into the social networking world and I have to say that FB has lost it's shiny new toy appeal. While I still enjoy seeing how my friends are doing, I find that I don't post to it as often as I used to. The security, accessibility and security features have all remained the same over the past couple of months. Actually, FB has added new security features to better keep it's clients safe. I am happy to see that they are continually making an effort to protect me as well as everyone else who use this incredible site. Despite my decline in usage, I have decided to keep my FB page.
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