Live data from Hacker News

Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?

news.ycombinator.com

11–20 of 43 posts

Re: Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?

#12
I've signed up and have tried to get something useful out of facebook and the other major ones, but nothing productive has really come of any of it. I suppose if I were in college and it was the central repository for events or if I was looking for dates, maybe I would find something useful there. But college was a long time ago at this point and I'm married.

I hope they prove me wrong though. It would be nice if out of the blue I met someone interesting through one of these sites.

Re: Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?

#13
post #7

Social networks should evolve into a more specific community. For example, a business network where you can collaborate with co-workers around the world to improve your marketing strategy among other things. It just don't make sense to me looking at people I don't care about.

Bingo. So far, social networks haven't organized themselves into specific internal communities which have a goal.

Re: Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?

#17
I don't care about FB either. I probably should, because it's a huge phenomenon, but, no matter how hard I try, I just can't.

In the first place, all these pure social networking sites (i.e. those that don't do much useful if you're the only user) rub me slightly the wrong way. I feel I'm being asked to invest my effort into creating value for someone else, and that I'm being locked into a single-vendor implementation. It's not a good feeling.

In the second place, I just don't see what FB _does_ for me that I can't do more simply some other way.

Although I can't remember name of the fellow who said it, or the exact wording, I share the sentiment that "I already belong to a social network. It's called the Internet." I've got an e-mail address, and a (few!) websites. I don't see why I should have to play in somebody's walled garden to connect with other people who've got the same.

Re: Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?

#18
I think one should distinguish between 'care about' and 'like.'

Facebook has utility as a constantly updated online address book. It also has tremendous market share and the Facebook API could lead to much of social-networking for the next half-decade being trapped in the Facebook world. Consequently, I care about Facebook.

I do not like Facebook. I do not like Zuckerberg. I do not use any Facebook applications because they all seem to be ridiculous time wasters. Maybe at some point this will change and there will be social-networking with greater utility.

I certainly hope it is sooner rather than later.

Re: Am I the only one who doesn't care about Facebook?

#20
Facebook is a utility, not just a frivolous form of entertainment. Users depend on the service to manage contacts, share photos, and meet new people. A lot of important information flows through the facebook social graph.

The posts here remind me of the guy who loves to brag about how he doesn't have a TV in his house. To each his own, but television has had a huge impact on business and culture world-wide.

So even if you don't personally want to be a Facebook user, you might think about how it is transforming the way a whole generation of people interact socially, recognize the business and cultural impact, and conclude that you should care about it anyway.

Post reply on HN