What precisely is Facebook for?

[Umbran]

But...
Couldn't you get the same information through email or picking up the phone?

Sure. But that requires a separate activity for each person, and you have to remember to do so.

If you followed a number of technical blogs, you'd probably want to look into an RSS aggregator - to put all the stuff you want to get at in one place, right? Same idea here - all that information is in one place, where you can look most of it over in one fell swoop.

Isn't that a far more substantive form of contact?

A large part of the time, people don't want more substantive contact, for a number of reasons - some of them even good reasons.

And if you don't get along with people...why do you care when they get married?

I don't know about Majoru, but family obligations abide for many, even if they aren't terribly fond of said family.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ZzP_69ZTFk

Very nice! I don't use Facebook myself but my wife joined up a few weeks ago (mainly so that she could view other peoples' profiles). She hates her friends sending her all those quizes, plants, gifts, etc., One friend in particular (a close friend in real life) sends her so many of those things that she wonders if she has a life outside of Facebook!

Olaf the Stout

 

[STARP_Social_Officer]

I think I have it.
In this instance, the problem is me.
Umbran's post is what has made me see the light. What I hadn't taken into account is that Facebook, and to a lesser extent MySpace etc., have created an entirely different kind of human relationship. "Substantive contact" as we've put it involves a degree of emotional investment. Facebook allows continuous social interaction without that emotional investment. Many of your Facebook "friends" aren't really friends at all - you have something between wellwishing and friendship. You get to see what their up to and have limited contact with them, but it's still contact and avoids having to become involved with their life the way you do with a "real" friend.
The site's purpose is therefore to fill the need for social interaction. Some people crave social interaction like I crave chocolate, Coca-Cola and a place to sit down. Socialisation and human contact, any human contact, sustains some people as vitally as does oxygen and food. They need it, maybe not to survive but certainly for their spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Facebook caters for exactly that personaloty type - it taps into these new relationships and the need for continuous social interaction. For those like me who prefer the emotional investment, who have a few close friends rather than many casual ones, the site has a limited usefulness - that's why I couldn't understand the appeal.
Do I have it right?

 

[Tewligan]

I think I have it.
In this instance, the problem is me.
Umbran's post is what has made me see the light. What I hadn't taken into account is that Facebook, and to a lesser extent MySpace etc., have created an entirely different kind of human relationship. "Substantive contact" as we've put it involves a degree of emotional investment. Facebook allows continuous social interaction without that emotional investment. Many of your Facebook "friends" aren't really friends at all - you have something between wellwishing and friendship. You get to see what their up to and have limited contact with them, but it's still contact and avoids having to become involved with their life the way you do with a "real" friend.
The site's purpose is therefore to fill the need for social interaction. Some people crave social interaction like I crave chocolate, Coca-Cola and a place to sit down. Socialisation and human contact, any human contact, sustains some people as vitally as does oxygen and food. They need it, maybe not to survive but certainly for their spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Facebook caters for exactly that personaloty type - it taps into these new relationships and the need for continuous social interaction. For those like me who prefer the emotional investment, who have a few close friends rather than many casual ones, the site has a limited usefulness - that's why I couldn't understand the appeal.
Do I have it right?

No, no, I'm pretty sure it exists just to irritate me. Nothing else.

 

[FickleGM]

It allows you to play Chess, Scrabble and Reversi/Othello against your friends, brothers and parents (and in-laws) - frankly, that's all I need.

There are a few RPG-esque games on there too.

I use it to play Scamble against a friend...that's about it...

Of course, she always beats me because I suck.

 

[Spud]

Its a great way of avoiding work, Mob wars im looking at you.

That and keeping track of friends who live/work over in different countries.

 

[megamania]

Facebook allows continuous social interaction without that emotional investment. Many of your Facebook "friends" aren't really friends at all - you have something between wellwishing and friendship. You get to see what their up to and have limited contact with them, but it's still contact and avoids having to become involved with their life the way you do with a "real" friend.

And this is what the world is coming to. While remaining "friendly" we avoid all social contact with the said person thus have no true feelings or care for said person. We are rapidly becoming a lazy, anti-social group. Look at DnD / 4e. They are trying to make the game the same way. We will have no social contact with the other players thru Gleemax. Games are ABOUT social contact. Enough preaching.

 

[Relique du Madde]

And this is what the world is coming to. While remaining "friendly" we avoid all social contact with the said person thus have no true feelings or care for said person. We are rapidly becoming a lazy, anti-social group. Look at DnD / 4e. They are trying to make the game the same way. We will have no social contact with the other players thru Gleemax. Games are ABOUT social contact. Enough preaching.

Don't you see, THEY want us to become anti-social! Facebook, Myspace, etc are just societal control mechanisms designed to keep us passive because lazy, anti-social, sedentary individuals who do nothing but watch TV, play video games and blog endlessly about inane topics are less likely to stand and revolt against the societal injustices which are handed down to us by our governmental alien overlords.

Don't buy the hype, facebook was not created by HARVARD STUDENT! No.. it was created by the CRAB PEOPLE!!

</paranoia>

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

it was created by the CRAB PEOPLE!!

They prefer to be called Tcnpath and they're not really so bad, but they smell kind of odd.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I use it to play Scamble against a friend...that's about it...

Of course, she always beats me because I suck.

I tend to have similar problems with online games on Facebook. Espeically when it comes to being beaten by MerricB at Chess.