Do you Facebook, Twitter, etc?

[slomotion]

None of the above.

I do have a flip-phone, does that count?

[special-K]

I went down this morning to make coffee and out my window were 4 of my neighbor's chickens scratching up my grass under the bird feeder. I quietly opened the door, grabbed the hoe I keep there for them, and ran after them in my underwear. I barely nicked one before he went up over the fence. Man those things had me zig-zagging all over my yard. But wait, I didn't really want to share that

I get annoyed on FB. I guess I'm not one for the big crowd mentality. I realize it is part me and part people can act stupid in company of others. I see many seem to have a need to be a star/have fans and this is a way to have their own TV show. I lack a good social life in this situation I live in and am trying, as of the last couple weeks, to get used to FB. I've been on there since my daughter set me up around this time '09. In Jan I met a gal from 8th grade (who's daughter had just set her up) and we hooked up for a few years. I never got into FB and it became everything to her. Kinda weird I think. But I'm trying to look past the annoying stuff, don't have to comment on everything I see. I figure being more active I might run across another gal I already know something about and hopefully, once I start an album, more jobs will come my way once my work is made available to so many who still live in the general area I work in.

So, after having barely more than happy birthday wishes on my wall since '10 and the same picture, I figured I'd put up a more recent one. Boy, out of the woodwork they come, like instantly. Friendly bunch, those FB people.

I don't know what's so hard about a forum like this compared to that other stuff, but I guess I'm not the kind of person who is constantly seeking "easier". I'm not a stranger to effort and like it that way. I don't measure time in seconds and hardly by minutes. How much easier do things have to get?

[Ol Blue K20]

Nope, this is as social media as I get. My kids say I need to join them but I'm just resisting. Doing a fine job of it too.....

[hewittca]

Originally Posted by special-K

I don't know what's so hard about a forum like this compared to that other stuff, but I guess I'm not the kind of person who is constantly seeking "easier". I'm not a stranger to effort and like it that way. I don't measure time in seconds and hardly by minutes. How much easier do things have to get?

I think you nailed it. The forum isn't "easy", whereas social media taps directly into instant gratification. Post a pic, get X number of likes from your "friends" rolling in instantly. It becomes an addiction and you're always looking for that perfect pic to get as many likes as you can. What especially annoys me is when people start tagging brands in their posts to try and boost likes even further. Yeah, they may get brand XYZ to like their post (wow what an honor!) but guess how much free advertising you just did!

Forums are not set up for instant gratification and I don't think comparing them to social media is really all that fair to begin with. This is a source of in depth information and comradery between others with a deep interest in a specific topic. I think the reason it feels like they are neglected is because so many people are hooked on the instant gratification that social media provides, so those are inherently more popular than the forums. But I don't think forums are any less popular than they ever were to begin with. There is still a very healthy community here and I don't care what others prefer, the forum is still my favorite socially connected place on the internet.

[special-K]

Facebook, Instagram, twitter are like cars and this forum is like a pickup truck. A truck can do everything a car can but a car can't do all a truck can. I'd rather show up to church in a pickup truck than hang on to a mattress on top of my car . There are faster cars, but my trucks have no problem getting where they need to go and they aren't slow. And neither is this forum. It allows me time to live a life. I post way too much and that is only morning and evening...unless I'm not out working on a job. If I'm home I'll pop in and check. If I do get a smart phone (probably next phone) I won't be using it for this site or other social media. Home at the laptop is my place for all that. Besides, there isn't a smart phone with a screen anywhere near as big as my laptop. I know the meaning of content and I am content with how I use the internet right now. No need for more faster better.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

I don't see why not. Most people on FB don't even know their friends. How can you have 10,000 friends? Punch him out and then send him a picture of what you had for dinner. It'll be fine.

I told my wife to friend my ex Only because I thought it would be entertaining to watch the cat fight.

I'd just have to remember my password.

By the way. Here's what I had for dinner. I know everybody's really interested.

I ate at that place once. The burger tasted like it was grilled with the fish, the fries were cold, and when I complained, the manager wouldn't knock anything off the bill. I ate mine and what was left of the kids before I noticed how terrible it was.

I will never go back.

[Coley]

Very interesting responses on this so far...
It looks like about 75% of us don't really do the facebook/twitter/etc thing...but the ones that do, really like it.

Hewittca's comments about instant hit and gratification elements are really interesting too.
The younger generation often live for this facebook 'hits/likes' element within their increasingly restricted lives where they are getting their social hits from the internet....not from actual face to face social gatherings....unless their parents pre-organized a 'play date' for them...lol

The (clearly) older generation that is on this website generally have not lived the digital 'instant gratification/instant feedback' life...so this is probably why they (we?) are not compelled to be readily drawn into it.
We, have not developed our concept of life gratification from this....I suppose we found it in other tactile forms...'offline', perhaps in the odd truck project (lol)

That said, TBones comments about it being great for business is something I've heard on several occasions.
My wife has a business...and she is not on facebook or overly bent for the 'digital life'.
However, she has now picked up a few more clients from positive postings on facebook from some of her past clients that are on facebook and that liked her work.
As a result she is rethinking this...and may join it to get additional business rolling.
I mean...who doesn't want to do more business??

That is a different thing tho'...the business element.

Interesting stuff...
Coley

[davischevy]

I don't engage people normally on FB, and I can't stand the drama, but here's a story.

Last spring we had a dump truck stolen. I posted a picture of the truak on FB with an alert to watch for it.

I couldn't believe how many responded that saw that truck. One woman said it was parked in her driveway at noon. We got like 60,000 hits on that post, and people were sharing it as far away as FL and AZ.

The crack heads ran a school bus off the road and got busted, but we knew all day what area our truck was in.

[special-K]

Yep, a widespread mobile individual communications network it certainly is. And with all the far reaching connections you make you can still keep it at on FB is the only contact info others have. It's not like you are giving your address, phone number. or e-mail out.

I'd us FB more if the people in real life I wish I was in touch with are not on FB.

[richard2717]

Bringing this back to the top. Just had a "wow.... really" experience on one of the C10 pages this morning. 1st time I have been accused of being an Authoritarian. Won't mention the page but apparently the only opinions that matter there are the owner of the page. Any other real life experiences should not be mentioned to someone asking a question of what people think. I was not rude or out of line or even joking. I guess I was banned from the page since i can't see it now. There are quite a few decent pages on FB but it only takes one to make you want to not even log on. I don't post on any of them unless I feel I am contributing to the question. I see too many times one person out of 100 will give the right answer and they are the only one that is ignored. Oh well carry on I guess. Ya can't please everyone

[Ol Blue K20]

I have never been on any other pages

[Greg58]

My only social media is Forums. About subjects I'm interested in.
My family is all on FB, insta-gram, twitter etc. I tell them they waste too much time, and nobody cares what they did today!!
There is too much tracking of our lives already, why would I willingly sign off to these people?

Greg

[slowcpe]

I do FB for friends and relatives. Some of the groups are nice, especially the local C10 Clubs as its an easy way to get to know local truck guys and find out what's going on.

Instagram is great for following builds and see pics of cool trucks and things.

I don't do Twitter. Never found the appeal to it.

For my business, most of our new potential clients call because of our FB page.

I still like the forums for in-depth tech. FB or Instagram really lack any real tech knowledge.

[In The Ten Ring]

Richard,

Your experience on Facebook is very common. If I was a psychology major, I'd do my Master's thesis on how social media brings out the worst in people. I've put a lot of thought into it and I believe your experience is due to three things.

1). People view social media as a sort of personal advertisement. Any disagreement "insults the brand." These people do not yet understand that disagreement is not a personal attack.

2). Schools in America have stopped teaching how to debate. Thus, instead of logical reasoning being used to justify positions, we get name-calling and other hyperbole.

3). Being unable to debate, the offended person must look strong in the face of other friends (who may read the exchange and also comment) so they tend to block or "unfriend" the offender. Imagine having a problem with a coworker but instead of drawing them into private for your "one on one" you chastised them in front of others. In private they wouldn't have been embarrassed but in public they are and you're likely to have a fight on your hands.

[fecklessgadfly]

Social media is a blessing and a curse. I've been on Facebook since 2004, back when you had to be in college to join. It's changed a lot since then. I manage pages for a lot of local groups and my own business. It can be a good tool, but people get real stupid, real fast.

Twitter is good for complaining about companies. They respond quickly when their name is trashed in public. I use it to get around the dreaded customer service call. They call me.

I love Instagram. Much less drama than the others, and you can make it where you only see pics from people that you want (and a few ads). My wife and I use it to message each other when we can't get cell service.

Snapchat... let's not go there.