[iDC] Replacing Facebook

[nathan jurgenson]

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".

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.

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.

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

>>>>>>
Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 11:13:52 -0700
From: Andreas Schiffler <aschiffler at ferzkopp.net>

Isn't the problem one of collective inflexibility. As Nathan wrote:
"however, for many, quitting facebook is not really an option (e.g.,
because all of your peers use it)."

Why is it not an option? Isn't facebook just a "toy", seemingly
empowered by its reach? And if it isn't a toy, what does it really "do"
for the users? Quitters need only look for substitute of these "do's"
they'd give up online, or maybe more importantly offline as Geert
pointed out.

--Andreas

> On 31 May 2010, at 3:57 PM, nathan jurgenson wrote:
>
>
>> love Dockray's "FACEBOOK SUICIDE (BOMB) MANIFESTO" and the point
>> that we can stick it to facebook by gumming up their system.
>> database vandalism!
>>
>> however, for many, quitting facebook is not really an option (e.g.,
>> because all of your peers use it). another less extreme route is to
>> simply have a "fakebook" where you do not use your real name and
>> fill your profile with nonsense information. your real friends will
>> still know who you are. you can still use the site to network and
>> enjoy what it offers while simultaneously sticking it to facebook a
>> bit by inserting so much false information (not to mention it solves
>> many of the privacy concerns).
>>
>> i wrote it up a bit here: "Trade Your Facebook in for a Fakebook"
http://contexts.org/sociologylens/2010/05/26/trade-your-facebook-in-for-a-fakebook/
>>
>> nathan
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