to think people think I have something to hide because I'm not on fb

[HuntingforBunting]

Right. I've been off it for years but I get the feeling that people are actually a bit suspicious of me for not being on it. I get weird looks when I start talking about privacy and the weirdness of looking at other people's pictures endlessly. Aibu? I have also realised that my friends mainly keep in touch through fb so I'm missing out.

So am I being bu to think this and any tips on how to handle fb so I don't find it unsettling. Thanking you!!

All of my closest friends are on FB with one exception. She has major paranoia about security which is absolutley fair enough, it's her choice. But then she does get a bit arsey when it becomes clear that we've all discussed/shared something on FB which she doesn't know about. So she is missing out but it's her choice.

My friends are always asking when I am going to get on FB. Um, when hell freezes over?

I have seen enough of teenage DS1's to know it's not for me. if I want to 'share' I have email/text/Skype and a telephone. I don't have friends or relatives abroad.

I really don't get it.

There's nothing weird abut being on it, or not, or the many reasons that you may use it. It's not unsettling, have your rules and stick to them.

I use it to communicate with close family and friends. My profile is locked down. Never had a problem explaining.

I've worked with people who've had a much more open profile, & accept all invites, that's their choice. I say sorry, my grandma is on FB. No, to your request but please feel free to use linkedin.

A friend of mine has just lost his job (and promising career) because of what he posted on FB.

I don't want to go into details - but he didn't reveal anything explicit - just made a few disparaging remarks that you wouldn't want to become public (he thought it was among close friends) and sadly they did. Years of work, study and commitment were wiped away - and nobody ever asked if he was good at his job. Be careful out there.

Potential employers look at FB profiles as well. That drunken picture of you wearing a traffic cone on your head may not be what they were after.....

People need to learn how to use FB.

It ain't hard

It possible to use social media without posting anything terrible, or making it public.

If people are so dim they leave their profile public, they need to step away from the internet.

I'm on fbook, I enjoy it by and large. Some of my friends are some aren't. It's not a big deal at all. If you don't want to be on fbook then don't feel pressurised to.

Glitterfeet - I agree, in principle. But what if you are just letting off steam from your work - who hasn't ever had a bad day with colleagues/boss/clients? You use FB to have a moan about it - like most people do down the pub.

The problem is - it isn't down the pub. People can access it somehow or other. The bloke I talk about is one of the soundest, most intelligent blokes in the business. He has worked hard, against the odds, to get where he is and he is better than 99.9% of his peers (in my humble opinion). - it's all for nothing now. His career is now over - because of a few anonymous posts about clients that someone hacked into.
Be Careful

Don't moan about work on FB. Everyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that.

Skype? My kidS don't use FB to chat but they'll message in many ways, including Skype chat. I know that they know that I have half an eye on that ;) FB seems very safe, it's how they say thanks to grandma these days. My FB account has minimum details on.

Put what you want out there and use it.

I'm quite liberal but we have blocks to some internet traffic blocked via our router. It works because it doesn't matter what device anyone is on at that time. The rest is down to teaching our children, and us, about how to behave online.

I know many people who have two or more different accounts. Say nothing about work if you're account if in anyway linked backed to you.

I've seen it happen, don't do it.

I don't think there's anything odd about not using FB, but if a lot of your social group use it for communicating there is the risk of being left out. The group conversation element can be very useful and easier to manage than a large series of email especially when people ddon't update titles and reply off irrelevant topics.

Most of the complaints people have are easily managed by controlling their friends list, newsfeed and privacy settings.

I love the ability to have a general trivial long distance chat with friends that I rarely get to see in person.