Live data from Hacker News

Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

news.ycombinator.com

61–70 of 94 posts

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#61

I have one and I love it. I find an enormous amount of hostility on HN towards facebook, even going so far as a lot of people proudly mentioning that they will never touch it. I don't see why it gets such scorn, I think its a wonderful site. Some notes on my usage, though: All of my privacy options are on the lowest possible setting. I treat anything that occurs on the site as if it were public. I don't see why not,…

Two Things:

* In the ordinary world, public searchable.

* People forget things. The Internet doesn't.

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#62

Yes, but I never use it and I locked the security down so tight I don't even know if I have permission to post on my own wall anymore.

Ditto. This should be an option on the poll. Every time I log on I see tons of useless, inane comments from people I barely know and I quickly leave again. I mainly have an account so people know I exist (ie. it's almost a social faux pas not to have one.)

Logging on is like flicking quickly past a TV channel that is aimed those who watch reality tv. No thanks.

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#63

I'll be honest. The main reason I deleted my Facebook accounts is because I didn't want to socialize with the people that I added as friends there. It was Twitter for people that didn't get the Internet, and that resulted in a lot of garbage to wade through. Also, apps and their spam were intolerable. Finally, it's written in PHP and the way they draw people in Farmville weirds me out. At some point I thought I was b…

Finally, it's written in PHP and the way they draw people in Farmville weirds me out.

are you seriously saying that the language they use has anything to do with you not using it?

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#64

I read their terms and conditions. After that, I deleted my account.

I realise this may have been a while ago, but do you remember a particular provision or theme amongst provisions that caused you to do that? When was it?

(I work at Facebook, but I'm mostly just asking for my own interest.)

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#66

Perhaps expand the options? Like you, I had but then deleted my facebook account; however, a professor of my grad school class requires one, so I created a temporary account.

A professor requires a facebook account? Could you elaborate?

He prefers it to blackboard. It's a very idiosyncratic preference, IMO. I'm pretty sure I could refuse and he would have to oblige me; however, maintaining a facebook account with 1 friend isn't a big problem.

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#67
post #57
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook is useful for letting you know when it is your friends' birthdays. Ironically, I don't list my birthday on Fb, because that's one piece of information that is relevant for identity fraud.

In this day and age, if you think you can contain basic info such as your birth date unknown you are deluding yourself. It's as findable as you full name. Just go to the right background check company. They will have your birth date and much more.

For some reason, I still remember most of the birth dates of the people whom are the same age as me that I went to school with. Probably because we celebrated their birthdays in class each and every year.

It's amazing to think that some consider it private information.

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#68

I have one and I love it. I find an enormous amount of hostility on HN towards facebook, even going so far as a lot of people proudly mentioning that they will never touch it. I don't see why it gets such scorn, I think its a wonderful site. Some notes on my usage, though: All of my privacy options are on the lowest possible setting. I treat anything that occurs on the site as if it were public. I don't see why not,…

You can do that on Google+ too but with the privacy of not letting certain "circles" know things you don't want them to know or it's irrelevant.

Except for the fact that none of the people who would give me the updates I'm interested in are on Google+...

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#69

I'm on the hatin' side actually. Locked down privacy to the max, only to find it all re-opened again when FB changed their privacy options. That happened 3 times. Those shenanigans finally stopped, but then I'd be browsing the web and find comments like 'Your friend x likes this page.' It's creepy that to see that on a site I've never visited before when I have my FB locked down completely. I understand the technolog…

>it said she was in Country Y, city Z on date D, with ME

This has nothing to do with whether or not you have a Facebook account, but rather is based on the behavior of your friends.

Re: Poll: Do you have a Facebook account?

#70

Sorry, the 32 of you (as of this moment, out of 152) who claim to never have had a facebook account. I call shenanigans. I don't believe for one second that 20% of a sample of hacker news readers never, ever had a facebook account.

As I posted below (and seemingly got downvoted for it), "Never had one, Never will"

The people I want to stay in touch with, I stay in touch with. Those I don't, I don't.

It really is that simple. You don't need facebook, or anything else, to stay in touch with the people who are important to you.

I call shenanigans on anyone who thinks facebook is a required part of life. Or Twitter. Or any other "social network" for that matter.

If you use it and enjoy it, that's great for you. Keep using it, keep enjoying it.

I'll stick to emails, phonecalls, IMs, and text messages. Hasn't failed me yet.

Post reply on HN