Ed Dale Is Firing Facebook
Well..
Not really.
But Ed totally has a point. Read his blog post at http://tubbynerd.com/2009/02/10/its-not-you-its-me-my-goodbye-to-facebook-friends/#comment-6149124
When you’re so big that you’re at your 5,000 friend limit, most of what you’re getting in your update stream is stuff you know little or nothing about. You can’t use Facebook the way it was meant to be used, which as Ed says is keeping up with friends and just kind of virtually hanging out.
He’s right.
I don’t know at least a quarter of the people that are my friends at Facebook. I mean, I’d like to get to know them better, but all they seem to do is invite me to stuff I could care less about or flood my inbox with garbage. They mean well, I guess, but I’m not interested in their marketing messages. I’m interested in knowing them as people.
One of my high school (actually grade school) friends found me there and an old neighbor, which was totally cool. I’d love to stay in touch with them and see what’s going on in their lives. But what? It’s nuts. Barbara, my high school friend, wrote to me and said, “I still have no idea of what you do.”
Hmm…
Neither does my family or anyone outside of the Internet marketing arena. It’s really funny when they say that because what do I tell them? I write in my blog every day? I help people to set up autoresponders? I’m immersed in Web 2.0? Ha! That would mean what to them?
So, Ed, I totally get it. You can delete me, if we are friends. Not sure we are. I’m don’t usually just ask people to be my friend because I know who they are. I know Ed Dale well, but not personally. I just think he’s a smart guy and I like his style. Anyway, I won’t be offended, if you divorce me, Ed, because you don’t know me from the guy that mows my lawn.
And you shouldn’t be offended either. Let Ed use Facebook the way it was meant to be used, and stop sending me stupid crap that I don’t give two hoots about. I don’t want any more plants. No more eggs. No more STUFF. I’d rather have a message that says, “Hey, Pat, How’s it going, girl? I am yadda, yadda, and I like cats.” Now, that’s someone I can relate to. Anyone who likes cats can totally be my friend.
Molly
February 17th, 2009 at 5:52 pm #
I totally agree! I would say i have about 300 friends, but I will NOT add people that i don’t know, and each day I try to delete a few people that were “guilty adds”… Facebook’s idea was great in the beginning, but now my grandma and mom have joined… I can’t say what I used to on there, and its frustrating.
I second friends that like cats! xD
Pat Marcello
February 17th, 2009 at 6:17 pm #
Kewl!
Facebook is really fun for me when old friends connect. I belonged to a writers’ group in Usenet way back in 1996 until about 2003 or 2004. Then, it just got this negative undertone and the people I enjoyed had migrated elsewhere. The group just got to the point that it wasn’t worth the wars it deteriorated into.
But some of them found me on Facebook, which thrilled me. Now, I can be friends with the folks that I like and not have to deal with the others. I love it! I’ve missed those folks and it’s very cool to connect back up with them. The ones who wanted to be my “friends,” and were as two-faced or mentally deficient for whatever reason, I can IGNORE them. It rocks.
How many cats? I have two, but I’ve had 1-3 over the past 35 years. I couldn’t live without them, though I’m horribly allergic. Argh. Asthma. I shouldn’t have any at all, but well…
Like I said, can’t live without ‘em.
- – Pat