to think that without sites like facebook, there would be less arguments/upset in the world?

[wannaBe]

daily on here I read that "dh has been chatting to an ex on facebook/have caught up with this one on facebook is this the beginning of the end of my marriage" and now have just read the thread about someone not being in someone else's photo album on ... facebook!

Now I have no doubt that facebook has its uses (have an account but rarely go on there), but I do wonder whether these sites are potentially more harm than good because people are making their lives so transparrent through them, and the ability to upset people is so much greater.

opinions?

facebook is beyond me, maybe i'm too old or cynical. but i saw a programme the other week about it. it's purely done to market stuff.

to personally advertise to you.

I think so many people wasting their time is more of a problem.
Go outside and take a walk or curl up and read a book people!!!!

Agree with lapin

people messed around and had affairs and did inappopriate things before the advent of the internet

they used go betweens in the olden days, so i think this sort of behaviour has been around since the dawn of time and this has just made it easier

people had affairs before the internet

I quite like the fact that you can find and email friends you have lost contact with, or just have chit chat with people. What annoys me is when people are constantly updating their status with stupid statements like 'so and so is holding it together' or 'so and so is watching the football'
Pointless and meaningless to anyone but them.
I also hate getting invites to join groups and add applications.

I just spent ages trying to write in a really complicated way what littlelapin just said in a really clear way!:

"It's just another medium. I don't think you're going to have an affair because of Facebook if you weren't predisposed to have one anyway."

I think that's true.

Yes, very good point.

But also, my house would be tidier/my eyebrows would be regularly plucked/etc if it wasn't for my mumsnet habit

If you are at work in front of a computer all day is easier. I almost never log in onto facebook at home. I love it.. it's more silly fun than anything..if you are going to be naughty online you can do it also in RL.. this websites are not to blame is the person that decides to be naughty using whichever medium.

tbh i joined fb just to have a back up in case mn goes down. so I only talk to mn people on there.

it all seems a bit big brother to me.

People have totally different views with what is acceptable on the internet which is why it often causes arguments, to some it is hugely serious and an extension of a real life relationship, to others it is purely a means to communicate, to some it is a fantasy world and they obly use it to communicate with people they would never consider meeting offline, that IMO is what causes the arguments, not the internet sites themselves, btu peoples differing views and expectations regarding the usage of them.

FB is fun and a great way for catching up with old mates that you would never bother ringing up as wou;d be too awkward.
You can't be too sensitive esp if you get a friend request rejected

I joined to see what the fuss was about.

dh joined to see what the fuss was about and within a month he had over 40 friends and is now addicted nothing untuard though.

but i can't help wondering if we've entered this world where people don't have to communicate face to face any more because they can communicate via myspace/facebook/whatever the other sites are called. isn't that just a bit sad?

even texting has taken away our ability to communicate - how many people send a text rather than ringing someone to speak to them? and yes am equally guilty of that.

Facebook is brilliant if, like me, you live abroad. I can keep in instant touch with old friends and it stops me feeling so lonely and far away. I love it.

I don't thuibnk there would be fewer arguments and affairs. Many ways to skin a cat and all that.

They just expose people so much, that's why I don't like them. Anyone can read it. And generally they sound wanky. I don't even like the idea of message boards that much.

I like facebook, I spend a lot of time on there. DH thinks it's pants, but I always invite him over and encourage him to get an account. In fact I am more open to DH about my dealings on facebook than I am on MN (because I talk about what's he's done to annoy me and about his mother )

Plus it's fun there's loads of silly quizzes and - my saving grace Scrabble!