Us old guys who HATE Facebook aren't always Dinosaurs.

As far as I'm concerned, if you have one best friend and three or four good friends, you are indeed fortunate.

Anymore than that and people are just hangers-on who want to stick their nose into your personal affairs.

And don't forget, a friend in need is a pain in the butt, so it doesn't pay to have too many.

Facebook? Twitter? You can shove 'em where the sun doesn't shine!

If that makes me a dinosaur, I don't care, I'm one of the biggest!

Plus for added security only let friends see you info plus after sign in there is another page that will pop up and you have to put the name of your computer or what ever name you chose so if someone signs into your account or tries to it will send an email to you that someone signed in to your account with no name entered or something you do not recognize. Its under Login notifications and Login Approvals for added security.

DustSailor said:

but everyone does realize that you can choose who sees anything you put on facebook right? Anything from posts to personal information can be hidden from whoever you like at your leisure. They can be friends, or the public...

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Exactly. I love when the news stories warn, "Perspective employers will look at facebook before they hire you and anything you can can be seen by them". Um, not unless you post things publicly, or the prospective employer is in your friends list.

If you want to see what can be seen by the public, go here;
https://www.facebook.com/about/control
Then, click the link for the VIEW AS tool in the middle of the page.

Then, change the top to say "public". And you will see exactly what the public can see. And if you see something you don't want, you can go back and change it.

My profile shows what city I grew up in (Great for friends looking for me, so they know they got the right person). My current city (questionable whether that provides any needed value...but they can also search me using an online white pages lookup...so I don't see the harm in having my city listed here.). Where I went to high school and where I went to college, who my friends are, and what my favorite quotations are. Nothing too special there.

There is so much personal info online anyway, it's scary. For example, I mentioned a white pages search above..try it yourself.

Go to www.whitepages.com, put in your first and last name and the State you live in.
The results for me provide

• My Name
• My address
• My Home Phone
• My Age Bracket
• The Complete names of my parents
• My wife's full name
• Full names of my siblings
• And a BING map showing exactly where my house is.

I never have used such sites. They are where the sun don't shine and will stay there.Those sites are hacked more that Windows and Adobe are.

I love my anonimity and don't want to put my information, habits, friends, and my other private information etc on one of these social networking sites. So it is a strict No No for these sites. I use to use Yahoo IM a lot before five years ago. but after coming and living in Middle East, I fell out of the IM habit and now I don't have Yahoo IM on my system. The only way I keep in touch with my friends is through Skype and Google talk (voice only).

Layback Bear said:

I never have used such sites...Those sites are hacked more that (sic) Windows and Adobe are.

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True, but mostly because people use those "apps". I block all apps, and haven't been hacked yet. Like java and adobe, the more apps you have, the more vulnerable you are. Just don't use them.

You can even block specific people, or you can block certain content from specific people. Different locks for different people. Really, its as safe as email if you heed my warning about those apps. And you don't have to put all your personal information on it in the first place. Its great because it acts as a more interactive email for me, rather than sending unfeeling emails or having to talk long hours with someone i really don't want to talk to. It makes typing more personal. I hate skype

Seems different people prefer talking to texting/typing, or vice versa

@Dustsailor
I really don't understand that:
"................rather than sending unfeeling emails or having to talk long hours with someone I really don't want to talk to".
Why bother at all? I don't get this.

FranzB said:

@Dustsailor
I really don't understand that:
"................rather than sending unfeeling emails or having to talk long hours with someone I really don't want to talk to".
Why bother at all? I don't get this.

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Ah, perhaps I am just strange. I prefer writing to my collegues than speaking to them on a computer. However, I more than anything prefer a real life conversation. Facebook is a personalized email, adding your face besides what you write to them and more. It lists interests (if you add them), where you work, etc. for your close friends to see (remember, you choose who sees what in privacy settings). Its easy to use, easy to find friends. Instead of a long list of email addresses you have to request, you can add them as a friend on facebook, and send messages to them, back and forth. It also has a live chat feature and you choose who can live chat with you, or if you disable that feature.There is also video chat, if you couple it with skype. And it is secure if you don't click on everything, much like email (don't click the "win a macbook pro". It should be common knowledge). Many people are using it instead of email, switching over completely.

Shouldn't your close friends (already) know where you live and work, what your interests are, maybe even have pictures with you and them, etc.etc.? That would be my definition of close friends.
But i agree with you that real life conversation, even by phone, cannot be beaten. Even emails are not all that bad, especially if you don't use this "undisclosed recipients" because everyone is a special, unique person after all. To one you can say something that another will not understand or misinterpret. And more important, one close friend might not even get along with another of your close friends. That's the way i feel about it.

Yes, close friends should know who you are, but you can have anything from co-workers, to past friends, and old teachers and more as "friends" in facebook, but it is up to you who sees what. You can also deny friendship requests if you don't know someone. I have my profile hidden only from the public, as I am not that worried about information getting leaked, as I don't put banking info, etc. on facebook. I was trying to refute claims that facebook is not secure. It is only as secure as we make it. I hold no qualms about letting my old 3rd grade teacher see my profile pictures. Now, it is not recommended that you put "party" pictures on facebook. If you do, consider hiding them from your boss.. and your momma

FranzB said:

Slowly but surely i am wondering more and more about this whole sysytem of passwords. Surely if someone is trying to crack a password many tries have to be made. Why are you then not warned that a wrong password is entered over and over again? Ok, this warning could be turned off or circumvented but only after the break-in has been sucessful. Sometimes you can not continue giving in wrong passwords after the 5-th try and you have to wait 30 minutes or so. But you are only made aware that something is wrong when you yourself give in the password and are told you have to wait a certain time. You do not get the warning if you are not logging in during those 30 minutes waiting time. What would be so difficult about arranging such a warning???

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ye that's is why i got multiple passwords.Like one pass for my email, one for the forum and another pass for a different site ect. I don't like using the same password.