DISQUS

Anna · 2 years ago

Ah, dang-it, I guess I'll break down and join! *kicking at the grass*

~Anna

Anna · 2 years ago

Ah, dang-it, I guess I'll break down and join! *kicking at the grass*


~Anna

Jesse Gavin · 2 years ago

I love facebook, but one thing that really annoys me about it is that it has a messaging system. So instead of using email, I get facebook messages which then sends an email telling me that I have a message and so I have to click the link in my email, then log into facebook, then click the message THEN I can read it. How inefficient.

Facebook on the whole is friggen awesome though.

Jesse Gavin · 2 years ago

I love facebook, but one thing that really annoys me about it is that it has a messaging system. So instead of using email, I get facebook messages which then sends an email telling me that I have a message and so I have to click the link in my email, then log into facebook, then click the message THEN I can read it. How inefficient.


Facebook on the whole is friggen awesome though.

markvans · 2 years ago

I concur. Eventually, someone will release a strong competitor to Facebook that is so superior (and includes wordpress like options too) that Facebook dies. OR Facebook will need to adapt.

markvans · 2 years ago

I concur. Eventually, someone will release a strong competitor to Facebook that is so superior (and includes wordpress like options too) that Facebook dies. OR Facebook will need to adapt.

Michael Westmoreland-White · 2 years ago

I disagree totally. Facebook is pseudo-community and a way that young women are prayed upon. Christians should avoid it like the plague.

Michael Westmoreland-White · 2 years ago

I disagree totally. Facebook is pseudo-community and a way that young women are prayed upon. Christians should avoid it like the plague.

markvans · 2 years ago

Michael,

I have no information about women being preyed upon. I'm assuming that it is somewhat an issue, but Facebook is WAY better than myspace in this regard. The thing about Facebook is that you can keep all your information private and control who is able to see your info. So I'm not sure how folks get preyed upon with Facebook. Could you send me some sort of stats or links about that?

And in regards to pseudo community...so is this conversation. I'm not saying that Facebook is community. But it facilitates dialogue and communication among people I already know. Perhaps it is the difference of how I use it. And most of the folks that are friends of mine on Facebook are post-college adults.

markvans · 2 years ago

Michael,


I have no information about women being preyed upon. I'm assuming that it is somewhat an issue, but Facebook is WAY better than myspace in this regard. The thing about Facebook is that you can keep all your information private and control who is able to see your info. So I'm not sure how folks get preyed upon with Facebook. Could you send me some sort of stats or links about that?



And in regards to pseudo community...so is this conversation. I'm not saying that Facebook is community. But it facilitates dialogue and communication among people I already know. Perhaps it is the difference of how I use it. And most of the folks that are friends of mine on Facebook are post-college adults.

Michael Westmoreland-White · 2 years ago

Actually, I didn't know there were any differences between Facebook and Myspace. In general, I am simply suspicious of chatrooms and all these kind of pseudo-communities and online meeting places.

I'm not even a fan of most blogs. My friend had to work on me for 2 years before I created a blog to see if there could be an intelligent alternative. Now, I like theology blogs and related ones, but I STILL think most blogs are very destructive and even the blogging I do seems to encourage me to be very defensive and caustic instead of facilitating true dialogue.

This technology has great potential, but also great temptations and I think the temptations are winning. People are meeting others less. They are doing "online church" in place of actual Christian community. This technology has reinforced the worst of American individualism.

Michael Westmoreland-White · 2 years ago

Actually, I didn't know there were any differences between Facebook and Myspace. In general, I am simply suspicious of chatrooms and all these kind of pseudo-communities and online meeting places.


I'm not even a fan of most blogs. My friend had to work on me for 2 years before I created a blog to see if there could be an intelligent alternative. Now, I like theology blogs and related ones, but I STILL think most blogs are very destructive and even the blogging I do seems to encourage me to be very defensive and caustic instead of facilitating true dialogue.



This technology has great potential, but also great temptations and I think the temptations are winning. People are meeting others less. They are doing "online church" in place of actual Christian community. This technology has reinforced the worst of American individualism.

markvans · 2 years ago

I don't doubt your experiences or the truth of what you are saying, but my experience has been exactly the opposite. And I think you're jumping the gun with Facebook, since most of the people that I encounter on Facebook are already in real life networks with the people that are in their Facebook networks. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to be on Facebook; it presupposes real relationships. It isn't the sort of technology that one could use to meet new people--not really. Though it is, I suppose possible.

My experience of blogging has been that I've moved AWAY from individualism, largely because of the nature and content of my blog. And the people I know from blogging or I connect with through Facebook wouldn't use either as a church replacement. Again, I know that it happens, but most of the people I know that use these technologies are deeply committed to living life in some sort of community context and use these technologies to share ideas and deepen their already existing community experiences.

For example: on Facebook I have been able to reconnect with childhood friends and people I used to go to school or church with. And I've been able to stay in touch with people I've met around the country. But most of my friends on Facebook are real-life friends that I see somewhat regularly. And so, through Facebook I can share ideas and articles with these friends, or I can get invited to baby showers.

markvans · 2 years ago

I don't doubt your experiences or the truth of what you are saying, but my experience has been exactly the opposite. And I think you're jumping the gun with Facebook, since most of the people that I encounter on Facebook are already in real life networks with the people that are in their Facebook networks. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to be on Facebook; it presupposes real relationships. It isn't the sort of technology that one could use to meet new people--not really. Though it is, I suppose possible.


My experience of blogging has been that I've moved AWAY from individualism, largely because of the nature and content of my blog. And the people I know from blogging or I connect with through Facebook wouldn't use either as a church replacement. Again, I know that it happens, but most of the people I know that use these technologies are deeply committed to living life in some sort of community context and use these technologies to share ideas and deepen their already existing community experiences.



For example: on Facebook I have been able to reconnect with childhood friends and people I used to go to school or church with. And I've been able to stay in touch with people I've met around the country. But most of my friends on Facebook are real-life friends that I see somewhat regularly. And so, through Facebook I can share ideas and articles with these friends, or I can get invited to baby showers.

fargo john · 2 years ago

"or i can get invited to baby showers.".... and then quickly decline any such invitations.... haha.

i agree with you, as a typically pro-myspace guy, i am steadily shifting my loyalty towards facebook as it seems to be more functional and less meat market. myspace is kinda whorish now and have been going back and forth on getting rid of it for sometime.

have you checked out shoutlife.com at all? it's the "christian" community website. just curious as to what your thoughts on it are.

fargo john · 2 years ago

"or i can get invited to baby showers.".... and then quickly decline any such invitations.... haha.


i agree with you, as a typically pro-myspace guy, i am steadily shifting my loyalty towards facebook as it seems to be more functional and less meat market. myspace is kinda whorish now and have been going back and forth on getting rid of it for sometime.



have you checked out shoutlife.com at all? it's the "christian" community website. just curious as to what your thoughts on it are.