The Unthinkable

[primsong]

I've done it.

I've joined that encroaching monstrous blob called Facebook... only wanting to keep up with what's happening with my daughter could have ever made me do it.

It not being quite voluntary, I used my Nom-de-Librivox which is close enough to my real one - still, I can't tell you how nice it was to come scurrying back to the warm friendliness of LJ afterwards. It feels like the difference between sitting in the middle of a busy cafeteria in a mall with people surging around, advertisements blinking and announcements coming over the speakers all the time - and just curling up on a cozy sofa at home to talk to a few friends.

Ah. LJ flist, I wuv you!

Comments

[lothithil.livejournal.com]

*plops down on sofa next to you* I know what you mean! I got talked into MySpace... which I assiduously avoid... and Tagged... which I am still dodging. LJ is a cool lovely dream!

Love, love, love my LJ! :-D

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Seriously - I have yet to see another blogging site that feels as non-invasive and community friendly as this one. Ahhhh.

[siradaono.livejournal.com]

in the FB settings you can opt out of the features that share your and your friends info. do not fall in the trap of using the many silly applications there or you buy into the info sharing
I am Onono Laivindur there if you wanted to add me. You do not have too by any means.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

*takes wise advice and tries to figure out how to apply it*

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

very good description. Btw, I've found a way to hide all the games and memes...so that all you say are posts from friends. Will send you a friend request (or you can send me one ;) Though I will warn you now, I have been posted about health care and town halls a bit lately.

Just looked for you but couldn't find you. Are you not using your real name?

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I would love to hide all the games and memes things - will have to go poke around there again until I can figure some of that out. I think I'll pass on the friending for now - not because I don't like you my dear, but because you know how we are with politics, lol - We could sit and smack each other with nerf-bats til the cows came home!

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

I think I'll pass on the friending for now - not because I don't like you my dear, but because you know how we are with politics, lol

:( I post about other things too :( And actually, its only been this months with the town halls that I've even been posting political posts and I'm sure you will want to post about your tea parties from time to time.

As for the games, go the right of the post that has the game and a Hide button will appear with the person's name and below that, the name of the game or application. Click the name of the game and *not* the person's name. This will hide any future instances of the game from anyone on your FB without hiding the poster. I just learned that this week and have had tons of fun clearing out my FB so that I can read "real" posts.

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

If I promise not to post any comments to your tea party or related posts, will you add me?

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Aww, you look so pathetic with those puppy-dog eyes... all right...
;-)

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

Please don't add me...I don't take kindly to being called pathetic.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Sorry - I meant it in jest... my family teases one another with that and it never occurred to me that it would cause offense. :-(

I tried finding you but your name seems to be a common one - if you can email me a link or something I can try again.

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

Thank you...I have just really had it with some comments and behavior thrown my way recently....I wanted you on my FB but just really bristled at being called pathetic. Remember that comments like this can come off really different online than in person...and your family members know you better than I do of course, and know when you are kidding. I've just had too many people patronize me recently and I've had enough.

But I accept your apology and when you say it was in jest...thank you :) I guess that combined with the "hynocircles" comment a few months back just really had me going.

But I think, given this kind of miscomm that can easily happen online, maybe you were right in the first place about not being on each other's FB. Its easier to straighten things out like this on LJ than on FB. And I know you mainly want to use it to keep in touch with your daughter, and I totally understand that. I'll just see you here ;)

[estellye.livejournal.com]

That's kind of funny! Yesterday I made the decision to get rid of my Facebook page - mostly because I rarely open it and don't really use it, but partly because of privacy concerns. Nothing major has happened but it just makes me uncomfortable in a Big Brotherish sort of way. I admit it was fascinating how many people from my past, some of whom I never would have expected, friended me. It was really interesting seeing what they were up to. But it takes a huge time commitment to make the most of the site and I just don't plan to become a devoted Facebook user. LJ is definitely more my speed. I can definitely understand wanting to keep up with your daughter now that she's out of the nest, though. If I was a Mom, I'd definitely keep my Facebook! Good move using your Librivox name.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I've already had a batch of complete strangers trying to friend me - how irritating... All the folks I wanted to keep in contact with from my younger days I've kept in contact with for the most part so I have no desire to 'rediscover' all the ones I barely knew. And yes, the privacy thing is why I've shied away from it all this time. Just read an article about how some state governments are using facebook to track down tax-evaders now, ick. Not that I'm evading taxes (though there sure I times I would love to be without them!)... it's just the thought of it.

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

I joined Facebook for the same reason - to keep up with my daughter. Now that she's away at college, it's another way to keep in touch. I'm also "friends" there with several of her friends who started college too, and I like giving them a little extra support from home. I go there about once a day, when I remember. As you say, though, (click heels 3 times) there's no place like LJ.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

The trick will be to remember to look - I already have enough online places to go, one more isn't really something I wanted - but hey, we do anything for our kids, right? ;-)

[lin4gondor.livejournal.com]

I'm on Facebook under my real name, and it's a good way to keep track of our church friends from Wisconsin and also I'm finding high school classmates and friends from Pakistan! Even so, I don't spend that much time there.

I like your description of it -- it can be that way, can't it? The sheer volume of games and "find your favorite whatever" are mind boggling and I get tired just thinking about trying to keep up with everyone!

But I still like knowing I can get in touch with those folks whenever I want to. ;-)

[primsong.livejournal.com]

A couple of the ladies from my church already ferreted me out via my kid, and they aren't fazed by the different name I have because they already know I dislike my real one. I kind of like that it keeps away all the 'friends' who are really just passing acquaintances from my past. I can see where the little games might have appealed when I was younger, but they just clutter things up for me now... though I do like 'flair' - but avatars are always fun.

facebook

[chytha.livejournal.com]

I joined mainly because my family was on it and because I found out that many former college classmates were as well. It is entertaining and informative at times, but it can get to be a mess with all the games,quizzes, and other stuff. I find that it is just one tool in my internet connection with friends and family, and not get too sucked in to whatever is the current fad thread... I've always kind of liked people watching at the mall, so the analogy fits. I was kind of amused when my next-to-oldest sister got on Facebook, because she doesn't do much with internet stuff, but did it for family connections.
LJ is still better for posting and pictures, though.:)

Re: facebook

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I have a little thing called an 'address book' that keeps me in touch with my earlier friends, hah.... nice an low-tech. My daughter complained about the shallowness of some of the 'friends' there, she had people she barely had known friending her and then the only updates she'd get were something like a notice that "so-and-so has flung a dish of nachos at you" in a food-fight game. Huh? No, blinky games don't really pull me in much, though I admit to falling for writing memes over here! ;-)

Re: facebook

[chytha.livejournal.com]

I have Facebook to thank for reconnecting me with a dear sister friend from college. We had written back and forth for years, but I lost track of her when she was in Texas and the mail didn't get forwarded. I had checked our alumni directory but it had no info, but she happened to have a faceboook account and we have reconnected. I also was able to re-connect with a few other college classmates who I had lost track of over the years. That is worth the hassle of wading through the trivia that seems to clutter the place.

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

I just "chatted" for the first time with my daughter on Facebook! (Actually, it was my first chatting anywhere. I don't do IM.) We hadn't set it up, we just happened to both be on at the same time. It was fun and I look forward to doing it again.