Am I missing out by not being on Facebook, Twitter etc?

ArtyM

I don't have a Facebook profile, nor do I have a Twitter account.
I honestly don't want either, but it seems like everybody else has at least one.
I do understand the potential value of something like facebook - particularly to people with friends and family abroad.
I use Skype and email, they feel more personal, more one on one.
Twitter, I just don't get.
My Question....
Am I missing out or am I better off?

kfallon

I don't have FB either so if you're missing out console yourself with the fact that I am too!

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I don't use them either. Bring back the telegram!

Bad Santa

I have 724 Friends on Facebook and I love it.

No friends in real life though, so there's that.

Roadtrippin

ArtyM wrote: »

I don't have a Facebook profile, nor do I have a Twitter account.
I honestly don't want either, but it seems like everybody else has at least one.
I do understand the potential value of something like facebook - particularly to people with friends and family abroad.
I use Skype and email, they feel more personal, more one on one.
Twitter, I just don't get.
My Question....
Am I missing out or am I better off?

In some ways I reckon you're better off without FB but at the same time a lot of people are relying on it these days more so than emails or even texts to stay in touch with their friends. It all depends on how many of your friends are regularly using it.
I sometimes wish people weren't so obsessed with FB because that way they wouldn't over-rely on it for announcing birthday parties or engagements and the likes... That's the only reason I am still on FB these days, because I'd feel I wouldn't find out about some major things happening in my friends' lives, i.e. particularly friends that I don't see regularly.

Twitter is a different story. I reckon it can be incredibly useful for some things like keeping up to date with developments in your study/work area or even just news etc.

keith16

You are definitely not missing out with FB, if you keep in touch with your nearest and dearest anyway using email, FB isn't going to enhance that. Skype / email is perfectly acceptable. Even if you do find an old friend on FB, so what, they are likely old friends for a reason.

In any case, FB news feed is full of people liking / sharing stupid company photos in the hope of winning some crap.

Twitter is a different kettle of fish IMO. Some really funny and interesting people / organisations worth following, it's not all mindless celebrity / footballer talking crap.

ArtyM

kfallon wrote: »

I don't have FB either so if you're missing out console yourself with the fact that I am too!

Liked!

girl2

Stay away from it all.

Just stay here on Boards

Where To

I don't even have internet.

castletownman

But how are your friends meant to know how you got on in the gym etc. if you can't post it on facebook?

Roadtrippin

castletownman wrote: »

But how are your friends meant to know how you got on in the gym etc. if you can't post it on facebook?

Yes, exactly!

And how are they ever gonna find out what you had for dinner yesterday or who was when where at what time?
Another annoying FB feature you can do without: Checking in people at places! Why, I ask, why?

beanie10

The wife of a friend of mine posted on fb that they were heading down the country for weekend "talk to ye when we get back".
He went nuts but she put his mind at ease said he was over-reacting.
They came back on Monday afternoon- house broke into torn upside down.

YFlyer

beanie10 wrote: »

The wife of a friend of mine posted on fb that they were heading down the country for weekend "talk to ye when we get back".
He went nuts but she put his mind at ease said he was over-reacting.
They came back on Monday afternoon- house broke into torn upside down.

Did she say a party in her house?

kfallon

girl2 wrote: »

Stay away from it all.

Just stay here on Boards

+1 to what Larry says there :pac:

Roadtrippin

beanie10 wrote: »

The wife of a friend of mine posted on fb that they were heading down the country for weekend "talk to ye when we get back".
He went nuts but she put his mind at ease said he was over-reacting.
They came back on Monday afternoon- house broke into torn upside down.

Seriously? Did that actually happen? That's mad, isn't it?
But just goes to show that people volunteer way too much information on FB sometimes.

Madam_X

Yes you are missing out IMO. Facebook is enjoyable and it is entirely up to yourself what you make of it as there are numerous settings to tailor it according to what the individual wants.

People who moan about Facebook, and are on Facebook... are bemusing.

KERSPLAT!

Handy to keep in contact with friends abroad and share photos etc. I'd normally only check mine once a week, have a quick gander and log back out

I have a Twitter account but I don't use it at all

Miss Lockhart

I don't know OP, I don't have either. I don't feel I'm missing out but I guess without trying them I'll never know.

I can't understand the appeal of FB at all, but I can see the attraction to twitter. I read tweets sometimes from people I'm interested in. You don't have to be a member to read most people's tweets.

beanie10

She never looked at it that she was telling the whole world they were gone.

Roadtrippin

Madam_X wrote: »

People who moan about Facebook, and are on Facebook... are bemusing.

There are a lot of those these days, you'll find. I still use it to keep in touch with my friends in one way or another but I am not the biggest fan of FB privacy policy (or lack thereof) and other features on it.

Supraman

Depends what you see value in as regards missing out . I don't have a facebook as I don't need anyone to know my business . I don't need 5000 internet acquaintances , I don't need to live vicariously through other peoples pages .

If you happen to see other "values" in facebook then maybe you are missing out ?

Earthhorse

Both services are free so why don't you try them for yourself and actually find out the answer to your question?

Bad Santa

I follow all these famous, rich and successful people on Twitter and then I sit back and watch all that they say fill up my timeline.

Makes me feel like I know them.

Well, I guess I do in a way, the only way that matters in fact.

Sometimes I will even tweet stuff like:

"Oh, Stephen Fry, you so crazy" or "Jim Carrey, you should have been a comedian".

They don't reply but I know they would if they had the time and that they laugh so hard when they read my tweets.

Roadtrippin

Earthhorse wrote: »

Both services are free so why don't you try them for yourself and actually find out the answer to your question?

That's a good idea.
Just be warned, once you start with FB you'll never get off it
All the colourful photos and status updates are just too exciting to not look at! I should know

endacl

Its only a matter of time before YouTube, Twitter and Facebook merge.





YouTwitFace!







Gets coat...

CrazyRabbit

Facebook has a grand total of one useful feature; It reminds me of my friends birthdays.

Other than that, it's a pile of ****e and I really don't understand why it is so popular.

keith16

Madam_X wrote: »

Yes you are missing out IMO. Facebook is enjoyable and it is entirely up to yourself what you make of it as there are numerous settings to tailor it according to what the individual wants.

People who moan about Facebook, and are on Facebook... are bemusing.

You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm bemusing how, I mean bemusing like I'm a clown, I bemuse you? I'm here to fuckin' bemuse you? What do you mean bemusing, bemusing how? How am I bemusing?

endacl

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Facebook has a grand total of one useful feature; It reminds me of my friends birthdays.

I've a piece of paper that does the same thing!

Mr.Plough

I use Facebook to keep up to date with people I don't get to see often, and for creeping.

ArtyM

Mr.Plough wrote: »

I use Facebook to keep up to date with people I don't get to see often, and for creeping.

Note to self, Keep some stuff to self.

EoghanIRL

No, they are so bad now . I just use the messenger to save credit .

RADIUS

Where To wrote: »

I don't even have internet.

Me too, and I'm illiterate.

tenton

ArtyM wrote: »

I don't have a Facebook profile, nor do I have a Twitter account.
I honestly don't want either, but it seems like everybody else has at least one.
.....................................................
My Question....
Am I missing out or am I better off?

short answer....you are better off.

gidget

It actually took me a long enough time to sign up for fb. Now that the whole family has grown up & everyone's getting married, having kids & moving abroad it's the only decent contact we all have with each other. Heck i'm more in touch with my cousins nowadays than i was over the years. That would be the only reason i use it.

As for Twitter, signed up to that in Dec, to see what all the fuss was about. As a previous poster said, i would also use it to follow people i'd be interested in.

brummytom

God, I hate people who whinge about Facebook.

No, you don't have to have 1,000s of friends on it. No, you don't have to share every bit of information about yourself. Most people I know would never put up what they had for dinner or the ilk, that's stupid.

It's good for staying in touch with friends (particularly when you're at uni and friends are all over the country) or family abroad, it's handy for finding out about events, and it's good for finding stupid pictures.

You don't have to use it, I don't really care whether people do or don't, but I fucking hate people who constantly have to belittle those who do use it - which is most of the world.

newmug

I'm surprised at the positive reaction to twitter, and the so-so to FB! I thought it would be the other way around. IMO twitter is the greatest pile of manure since 10-10-20

Roadtrippin

brummytom wrote: »

God, I hate people who whinge about Facebook.

No, you don't have to have 1,000s of friends on it. No, you don't have to share every bit of information about yourself. Most people I know would never put up what they had for dinner or the ilk, that's stupid.

I wouldn't belittle anyone that uses it (I use it myself) but I do find some parts of FB annoying.
And yes, you don't have to have thousands of 'friends on it or need to share every detail.
Some of my friends do though They share every frigging detail or photo and also info that nobody gives a flying **** about. I started hiding their status updates so I don't get tempted to say something sarcastic when they tweet about their latest food intake etc. And I also know a couple of people that constantly check into places and not just themselves, their partners and friends etc. It doesn't bother me because I am hardly ever on FB anymore but it did because some people live their lives through FB entirely :rolleyes:

newmug wrote: »

I'm surprised at the positive reaction to twitter, and the so-so to FB! I thought it would be the other way around. IMO twitter is the greatest pile of manure since 10-10-20

For a long time, I used to think that too but I find Twitter can be very good for keeping you up to date with things you work on, study or general kind of entertainment (quotes from Stephen Fry and Stewie are the best ).
I find it helps me keep up to date with some stuff for work, for example, and with the latest research in some areas.

sbsquarepants

ArtyM wrote: »

I don't have a Facebook profile, nor do I have a Twitter account.
I honestly don't want either, but it seems like everybody else has at least one.
I do understand the potential value of something like facebook - particularly to people with friends and family abroad.
I use Skype and email, they feel more personal, more one on one.
Twitter, I just don't get.
My Question....
Am I missing out or am I better off?

Not me.
Facebook just seems entirely sad and pointless to me. My missus and my kids are on it, kids actually think the world will end if they can't get on facebook for even a few hours. My 15 year old son was showing me something on it a while back and he had something like 1500+ "friends". I'm heading for 40 and i probably have less than 100 people i would even consider aquaintances, actual friends - maybe 20 or so. It's just total bullshít, who cares what strangers are doing! That's what they are strangers, not friends! Or maybe i'm just a big loner:D
Twitter, maybe someday but then i seem to be getting by without it just fine, so maybe not too!

AirBiscuit

Twitter is just terrible, you're not missing much. People say "Oh it's great for news and celebrities", well so is the rest of the internet.

Gauss

newmug wrote: »

I'm surprised at the positive reaction to twitter, and the so-so to FB! I thought it would be the other way around. IMO twitter is the greatest pile of manure since 10-10-20

People on boards generally like what's least popular as they feel like they aren't "cool". It's their way of getting back at the "cool" people.

Duggy747

I used to hip and happening but now it's all MyBook, FaceSpace, and Diet Bebo with No Added Sugar.

Back in my day, when you wanted to talk to someone you had to wait 8 weeks for the other person to hear what you had to say and vice versa..........even if he was your fecking neighbour!! No high-speed bandbroad back then, just the fine speed of a donkey.............and that's how we likesd it!

"Liking a status" meant you supported whatever the local priest was fiercely against, like raspberries or the capital letter "M"................so March and May were replaced with "Jesus" & "Octember"

Tweeting meant strangling birds with shoe-laces, too. A local past-time for the kids.

Co. Roscommon back in 2003 was a different place, I tells ya.