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More Users Are Shunning Facebook
Hugh Pickens writes "Blake Snow writes that evidence suggests that a small but increasing number of users — at least in North America, where Facebook use is especially saturated — may be shunning the site with Facebook losing nearly 6 million users, falling from 155.2 million at the start of May to 149.4 million at the end of the month, the first time the US has lost users in the past year. Some users complain they're spending so much time on Facebook that they're short-changing the rest of their lives. 'I figured out that I wouldn't look back as an old man and wish I had spent more time on Facebook,' says David Cole, an IT manager from Boston, adding that he believes the popular social-networking site is a useful tool, but not a replacement for what he calls 'realbook' experiences. Kip Krieger, a college student from Virginia, says Facebook has become predictable. 'It's really gotten to a point where I know pretty much what my friends are going to post. They usually just write the same thing over and over again, and I am getting sick of that.' Still there are a lot more satisfied customers of Facebook than disgruntled ones, so are Facebook shunners a tiny minority or part of a growing trend? 'Having that connection with others is a very powerful thing,' says Toby Bushman who felt so much pressure that she decided to rejoin Facebook, and is glad she did. 'It makes me feel like I'm a part of something bigger and more grand than just my life as a stay-at-home mother.'"
Sure, having a "life" is all well and good for my friends. But have they paused for even a moment and thought about what will become of my farm?!?!?
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Seems to be chock full of stalkers, spammers and generally maladjusted people talking to themselves via status updates
Why are these people in your friends list in the first place? The whole internet is full of stalkers, spammers and generally maladjusted people. The point of Facebook (or any other messenger service) is that you only white-list those you want to associate with.
which is totally what she said
I have personally not dropped my facebook page but I visit a lot less often now. I've closed my blog page and I have returned to writing letters. I'm an IT admin so its a little difficult relearning to "write" with a pen so that others can read it. But a lot of my friends world-wide like the letter with the clipped photos and other things I send. There is something more personable in a letter that someone actually wrote and handled. i also got a custom wax stamp so i send them out with wax seals like they used to 100 years ago.
The funny thing about this is that it's all predictable. I like to call this the Uncle Johnny Factor. Why you ask? Well, I have an uncle who's name happens to be Johnny who happens to hop on to tech trends at the very tail end. He set up a Geocities account in 2003, moved to MySpace in 2008, and got onto Facebook just recently. So, for all intents and purposes, he serves for me as a canary in the coal mine -- whenever he signs up for something, you know it's no longer cool.
"Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick any two" -- RFC 1925
Does having wives in different countries qualify as Bigamy?
No, its a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Wives or a RAIW. Some encourage RAIW-5 although I've heard RAIW-1 with two identical twins is pretty hot. As often said on /., you need to realize that RAIW is a high availability solution not a backup solution, they hate being told they are the backup device, they all want to think they're the primary.
BTW if anyone out there can explain how to "underclock" my wife from "normal wife" to "inexpensive wife" let me know. I'm sure its all about soldering a jumper somewhere or uploading new BIOS firmware (Is this where the ethernet cable is inserted?)
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger