To Andreas' point that Facebook is just a "toy" as a rebuttal to my point that quitting is not a feasible option for many: "Toy" could restated as saying Facebook is a "tool". <br><br>First, youth today are growing into a world where knowing how to navigate imperfect and profit-centered social networking sites will be an important skill. That is, knowing how to live in public to make friends and other social connections effectively in spite of Facebook's privacy snafus will be increasingly important. <br>
<br>Second, and less strategically, if one's friends are all using Facebook to share photos, create event invitations, etc, it would be socially detrimental to quit. <br><br>And, thirdly, Bourdieu taught us well how my first and second points are actually quite interrelated - that youth will need to learn a successful social media habitus to perform well in the world of the future (or present?). ~nathan<br>
<br>>>>>>><br>Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 11:13:52 -0700<br>
From: Andreas Schiffler <<a href="mailto:aschiffler@ferzkopp.net">aschiffler@ferzkopp.net</a>><br><div id=":1dl" class="ii gt">
<br>
Isn't the problem one of collective inflexibility. As Nathan wrote:<br>
"however, for many, quitting facebook is not really an option (e.g.,<br>
because all of your peers use it)."<br>
<br>
Why is it not an option? Isn't facebook just a "toy", seemingly<br>
empowered by its reach? And if it isn't a toy, what does it really "do"<br>
for the users? Quitters need only look for substitute of these "do's"<br>
they'd give up online, or maybe more importantly offline as Geert<br>
pointed out.<br>
<br>
--Andreas<br>
<br>
> On 31 May 2010, at 3:57 PM, nathan jurgenson wrote:<br>
><br>
><br>
>> love Dockray's "FACEBOOK SUICIDE (BOMB) MANIFESTO" and the
point<br>
>> that we can stick it to facebook by gumming up their system.<br>
>> database vandalism!<br>
>><br>
>> however, for many, quitting facebook is not really an option
(e.g.,<br>
>> because all of your peers use it). another less extreme route
is to<br>
>> simply have a "fakebook" where you do not use your real name
and<br>
>> fill your profile with nonsense information. your real friends
will<br>
>> still know who you are. you can still use the site to network
and<br>
>> enjoy what it offers while simultaneously sticking it to
facebook a<br>
>> bit by inserting so much false information (not to mention it
solves<br>
>> many of the privacy concerns).<br>
>><br>
>> i wrote it up a bit here: "Trade Your Facebook in for a
Fakebook" <a href="http://contexts.org/sociologylens/2010/05/26/trade-your-facebook-in-for-a-fakebook/" target="_blank">http://contexts.org/sociologylens/2010/05/26/trade-your-facebook-in-for-a-fakebook/</a><br>
>><br>
>> nathan<br>
<br>
</div>