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Our friends are really into this, so a few years ago we signed up, did the page, added all our "friends".. but anymore seldom visit it because the comments are generally short and mundane. "Hi ya! what's going on?"
I'd rather do personal emails to my friends than post my daily comments online for everyone to see.
Most of what I see seems so superficial and impersonal.
I love facebook to the point where I now find emails bothersome. Yes, it's shallow, but it's an easy way to check in daily (or whenever) and let people know you're alive and vice versa. I've reconnected with some great friends via FB and I'll say from personal experience that whenever someone wants to move the communications over to email, it dies. There's not enough stuff you can put into frequent emails to someone you haven't seen for 40 something years. Shallow works when you're reminiscing about bygone years.
I love staying connected to friends and family, especially the pix. My nieces and nephews and cousins. Normally, I would never be able to "watch" them grow and marry and have kids. I feel much closer to them than I did before Facebook.
My wife uses it several times a day to stay in touch with family members which is a specific group. I looked at Facebook a few times but found it of no interest to me.
I do participate in many chats (like this one), but they are more subject specific verus personal stuff. Once someone crooses the line from informational/fun/interest to personal stuff then, I have little interest.
Without Facebook I wouldn't have found my sister I lost contact with 24yrs ago. I searched like crazy, no luck. Our mom died in 87', that was last time I saw her. A year later I was married, w a new name & moved. Jane moved at the same time & also got a new name. Since mom was fine that was no longer one central person to keep us together so we lost contact, which isn't what we wanted to happen. I was looking on Facebook, bored one day, for a brother that I only met once (long story but years ago, 1952 or so) my 3 oldest sibling's dad kidnapped them, mom didn't find them until Jane, the oldest, contacted her. Their dad gave Jane mom's info for her 21st birthday) . My brother & older sister never maintained any contact but I essentially grew up with Jane in my life. I was looking, thought I found my brother, sure enough, THERE WAS MY SISTER! I still have never heard from the other two but within 24hr Jane & I were in the phone. A few months later we spent a week together, in Vegas, where she now lives & much of my family is from. SO FUN! My sis is mid 60's & the same crazy lady she's always been.
Because of Facebook my cousin got in contact with his mom, reconnected after 50 yrs.
Because of Facebook I now have great relationships with many cousins that I hadn't seen since we were kids or in the one case, never met. My 88yr old aunt is even on there, she lives the farthest away from us, in MO. I have 50 family members on my list, we all tease & post with each other on a regular basis. I can sit for 1-2hrs constantly posting with family, teasing & laughing. I Also have gotten to know a niece I never had a chance to meet, my sister's daughter who was a baby when mom died so Jane didn't bring her (from Wyoming, we are in WA) for the services.
It's also been very helpful when there is a family illness. Instead of hours calling everyone, repeating the situation, we do post on Facebook for the updates. It's been fantastic.
Besides my family my inlays also are on Facebook, about 20 or so, all of us keep up with each other, plan get togethers. It's so easy.
Facebook has also been a nice way to share photos vs a big email full of them.
I did finally create a Facebook page a few years ago when my sister from afar posted photos she wanted me to view. I had to create the page to view them. I don't spend much time with my FB page...but it is about the only way my wife and I can communicate with some of our nieces and nephews. They no longer "do" emails and don't answer phone calls. It's been the only way we've been able to see photos of their kids.
"Friends" is an interesting concept on FB. Long-lost cousins from afar came out of the woodwork and became my "friends." Now that I've seen their postings for a few years, I realize I wouldn't want to have anything to do with some of them...and they probably wouldn't want anything to do with me if we lived near one another. I'm not going to be so tacky as to "defriend" them...and perhaps they are thinking the same thing.
Some of my "friends" seem to live somewhere IN Facebook. They are always there...posting everything from what they are cooking for dinner to how crowded the Walmart parking lot was today. I hope I never get that desperate for something to do!
I thoroughly enjoy FB and believe it is what you make it. Not only have I reconnected with friends from the far past, I've joined numerous groups and learn so much, every day. I also love the interaction with individuals from other countries who share my interests in such things as middle eastern music, Rusyn culture, dogs, horses, gardening, linear A&B, etc. I think it is easier to post photos on FB, just once, and that way, any family members who are interested, can check my page to look in.
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