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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To keep Facebook for only my very close friends and family?

33 replies

NotWell · 17/02/2012 16:37

My sister thinks I am weird and antisocial because I don't add people who are aquaintences...she wanted to know why I never add any school mums to my FB.

FWIW we are new to the school and I don't add people willy nilly....I have a few photos on there and I would like them for family and close friends only...also...I comment freely (when I do which is rare) and I just don't want people seeing EVERYTHING I do.

AIBU? Odd?

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityhat · 17/02/2012 16:40

No, yanbu.

Original poster
NotWell · 17/02/2012 16:40

to clarify further...I am thinking of leaving FB anyway...modern life is annoying me at the moment. ALso...things like MoshiMonsters allowing kid of 6 and 7 to basically practice social networking....just tired of it all!

OP posts:
IndieNile · 17/02/2012 16:45

YANBU. You or not odd. I also keep FB for people I know well enough to want to share things with.

I am always sceptical about people with 400 friends. I mean, really? 400? Or do I just lead a very sheltered and anti-social life?

CrashLanded · 17/02/2012 16:46

Yanbu.

I have 40 friends and family on Facebook. I post some personally stuff, which is not really of interest to anyone else. I mean, who, other than extended family, would be interested in our family day out in York?!

Original poster
NotWell · 17/02/2012 16:48

That's right Crash!

OP posts:
HelloShitty · 17/02/2012 16:51

YANBU. I have never seen the appeal of exposing all your personal life to strangers. All of my Facebook friends are people I have a RL relationship with. My sister has 500+ "friends", but I bet she's only ever met about a tenth of them.

Original poster
NotWell · 17/02/2012 16:52

Just peeing my self over the name HelloShitty

Grin
OP posts:
EndoplasmicReticulum · 17/02/2012 17:02

I am very careful with Facebook because I am a teacher.

macbookdeath · 17/02/2012 17:05

Your sister is clearly an insecure facebook whore who places the quantity or friends above the quality of friends. She also obviously either completely thick when it comes to internet security or is happy to share her entire life with the rest of the world without much thought. Its amazing just how little information on a fb profile can be used against you

Just one example: We had one friend who was convinced his fb account had been 'hacked' as password had been changed & private information shared somewhere. DH an expert in online security said it was highly unlikely, looked at his facebook profile and immediately guessed his password at first attempt (it was his favourite football player).

Not to mention do you really think that most of your 400 'friends' really give a shit about what your current status is?

Think the rule for me is, 'Do I care what is happening in this person's life?', 'Would I want to go for a beer with them socially, and not because I'm obliged to?', 'Do I know enough about them to trust them?' and 'Am I just being polite if I add them?'.

I have about 40 FB who do include some of I haven't met in RL (mainly as they live abroad), but I trust for various reasons and would try and visit if the opportunity ever did come up.

maybenow · 17/02/2012 17:15

i use the 'would i choose to go for a beer with them' to decide if somebody's on my facebook... that still gives me about 150 'friends' but that's cause i've moved around a lot - they're all people i'd look up for a beer if i was in the town they live in.

SinicalSanta · 17/02/2012 17:19

sensible.

I went on a friend flurry at first - now I've all sorts of soccer shit, US Tea Party sloganeering Shock and all sorts of randomness about other people's kids. annoying

PeggyCarter · 17/02/2012 17:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 17/02/2012 17:22

I also operate a zero tolerance policy on those "Daily Mail status updates" - if you've seen them you'll know what I mean.

One of those gets you deleted.

InWithTheITCrowd · 17/02/2012 17:23

My BIL has 2,598 friends. "Friends". He's got about 4 in rl

MissSayuri · 17/02/2012 17:23

YANBU, in fact you are being wise and responsible unlike about 99% of the FB using population.

Peekabooooo · 17/02/2012 17:24

YANBU.
I only add family, close friends or people that I would give time of day to if I saw them in the street.

diddl · 17/02/2012 17:26

That´s all I have as well, OP.

I´m abroad & it´s an easy way to keep in touch/post pics.

You can see a whole new side to people-most of it cringeworthy(imo)!

I´ve never posted a status-how weird am I?

ToxicToria · 17/02/2012 17:32

YANBU I keep mine for only family and close friends to see, I do not want strangers seeing pictures of my family or know where I am or what I am doing.

Smokedsalmonbagel · 17/02/2012 17:33

YANBU

I hate about 140 friends but decided to delete loads and am down to about 80.

I have kept family, long distance friends, a few mum friends and a few people whose lives I am a bit nosey about!!!

I recently deleted a couple of local mum friends. They are both really nice but they always commented on each others photos and statuses and ignored mine. I feel better for it.

NatashaBee · 17/02/2012 17:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MateyMooo · 17/02/2012 17:37

i have 18 friends, 4 of these are my scrabble buddies who i've never met.
all of the others, i would say are very good friends, but who live 300 miles away.
it makes me feel less alone.

Smokedsalmonbagel · 17/02/2012 17:37

Should say had rather than hate.

Don't think there is anyone on there I hate!

KWL51 · 17/02/2012 17:45

My fb is just friends and family and not that many family as most too sensible to have an account.
Fb is evil for a lot of people in the wrong hands. So many children bullied online as well as at school now.
I do have another fb account that I don't post anything personal on and has no information other than my name which is for the online 'friends' who I've collected from parenting forums. One or two have graduated to my real fb once we've actually met and become real friends.
Their was one woman of a forum that had al let 1500 'friends' who would complain about men hitting on her but an open wall and endless pictures of her pouting and posing, I soon deleted her.

ParanoidAnnie · 17/02/2012 17:49

I agree. I am just about to have a FB cull. All the school mums are going, it is so bitchy - ignoring posts, posting photos of kids parties etc etc.. Boasting about clever kids. They're all getting deleted tonight!!

nobodyspecial · 17/02/2012 17:52

I'm not friends with my sister on fb because we used to end up fighting over it every time we added each other..(think: "why did you delete my message but leave hers?")

I haven't put up a status update for months and months. I hate FB. It's just a popularity contest, and the fact that it caused me not to speak to my sister for about 2 years is enough to put anyone off it.