Facebook - Buckeye,AZ

No you are not alone. I personally dont facebook, myspace, or twitter. I know im probably a weirdo but i really dont feel the need, those that i want to stay in touch with i do, the old fashioned way ( phone, email, text and and cards via snail mail) Im more than likely just overly paranoid but it seems like every day you hear of another facebook scam and someones personal info made way to easy for criminals to get a hold of, and i would rather not have my life out there for everyone to see

I love FB. I get to keep in touch with family from all over. I also get to see family from Italy and other places that i would never have met otherwise. I have a 90 yr old great aunt, my grandfather, parents, siblings, children on there. Everyone is welcome to their own opinion. I find FB to be a wonderful way to keep in touch.

I don't :)

If I want someone to know my business I will let them know. Don't need a website for me to share my life with. (except Mammapedia, lol)

I have been on Facebook for a long time. It is a great way to keep up with friends and family, as I live 20 hours away from anyone I know.

Both my husband and I used to be on it, but we both deleted our accounts a few years ago. It was okay for a while when we were in school, but it went from being a "students-in-your-area-only" site to "any-crazy-person-that-wants-information" site in a short time. I prefer most people (strangers, potential employers, etc) NOT know what I am up to or who my friends are. I know there are limited profiles on facebook, but to me the whole thing is kind of "high schoolish" anyway. I don't mean to offend anyone, but that's my opinion.

I love FB. Is has changed my life in a lot of ways- really! I'm able to talk with family out of state/country. And they're able to see pictures of my small children whom they have never met. I have re-connected with my best friends and have a support system that I did not have 2 years ago. I Love that those people are in my life again thanks to FB.

I love Facebook. It lets me - find and keep in touch with old classmates and long lost friends and relatives. It also makes it easy for me to share my family photos with everybody. No more printing and mailing or even emailing pictures to people. And my favorite thing is......no more forgetting birthdays!!!!! I like Facebook, but I don't engage in much activity. Just private messages tofriedns and sharing photos. I don't get mired down into posting on peoples walls or looking at what other people are doing.

Yes, there are people who do not want to be on. Not me, I love it... I moved from Illinois to Texas 14 years ago. It was really nice to get in touch with old classmates and family that live up there. I really had lost track of a lot of people, and facebook has brought them close to me. I've gotten my dad, 60 year old onto farmville on it, besides he just likes to go on. However, my mother refuses, so does my older sister. So you are not alone...

I have a facebook to keep up contact with old friends. Also, I have a craft business and have a fan page for it. My sales have gone up dramatically since creating my page. Facebook is a tool for me, like anything else. Some people get obsessed about it and are on Facebook all day...but that's not me, for sure!

I communicate with my hearing impaired cousin on FB. We could email, but we also enjoy sharing family photos.

Absolutely not alone, fellow Facebook-Free Mama! I will never, ever be on Facebook.

My biggest reasons are simple: Facebook owns ALL the content people post. Everything. If they wanted to publish a book comprised of people's comments, posts or pictures, they can. If they want to sell your cute pictures of your adorable baby as stock photos, they can, and they don't have to ask your permission or give you a penny. Catch my drift?

I've also done just fine without it. My friends know that I'm not on Facebook; many of them make an effort to share information with me via email because they know I'm not going to read their "wall"...or whatever people do to exchange information on it.

Personally, if someone wants to hook up for a playdate, or tell me about their beach trip, they can used that old-fashioned invention called the telephone. That's what I do, and I like the intent of purpose that goes with a directed invitation or telephone call. It makes people feel as though their time and company is valued, instead of an invite being sprayed out to all.

What really got my goat, though, is that (at least for a time... I haven't tried in a while) the featured blogposts on Mamapedia cannot be commented on without having a FB account. So I'd type something in, and it would just disappear into the ether.

The biggest joke of all: Facebook pretends to be exclusive, but it's really become everyone's playground. There's no discriminating whatsoever... and as privacy settings are wont to be tweaked from time to time, just about anyone can see your information unless you are constantly checking your settings.

I also say "pretends" because companies buy into the idea that you have to Like or Fan them to receive their "exclusive" discounts. In other words, you have to be willing to endorse or advertise their business. Usually, if I were standing out on the street with a sign for someone's business, I wouldn't be paid in coupons, but cold, hard cash. This site is all about exploitation, but such the new, shiny thing that I think people are either bamboozled or willing to be, because "EVERYONE" is on it.

All that to say... you are not alone! *Real* personal connection is where it's at!

(Added: I hope that my tone doesn't lead people to believe that I look down on Facebook users. I think some people really like it. Nearly all of my beloved friends are on Facebook, and are aware of its limitations. It's just not for me. )

H.

I do mostly to keep up with family. I post funny antics and pics of my boys for my distant family. I have never been closer to my cousins that I only see once a year! For me, it has been an awesome tool to keep up with multiple family members at once in one location.
BUT, it is very addicting, as is Mamapedia!

If I could go back in time and not sign up I would. Yeah, there is some good to it...reconnecting with elementary school friends, laughing at prom pictures, etc. But overall it makes you MISERABLE! I will be the first to admit, you become addicted, reading everyone's updates, looking at pictures...then the anger sets in.."Hey, so and so are at ----?" why wasn't I invited?" Look how happy so and so is, what a phoney.

It really should be called BRAGBOOK and not Facebook because all people do are share lies about how "great" their lives are to make other people jealous.

Not interested at all. I reluctantly created a profile years ago JUST to get some information about an event that was not advertised anyplace else, not to post my personal info. Well, since then I have felt obligated to "accept" friend requests, though I NEVER EVER go on to my account. I just don't use it. Probably should delete it. I much prefer real life contact with people I care to keep in touch with.

No Facebook for me...Just another tool for Big Brother! Especially no Facebook for minors.

Blessings....

I love Facebook. My husband isn't into it tho. But he does like that I can tell him what everyone in the family is doing all the time :)
I havent had any trauma happen on it.
I dont think Facebook is a requirement for anything.... but with the way things are going in this fast paced world I think it's good to stay abreast of things.
I'm on this site WAY more than I'm on Facebook.

I love it. Half my family is on it. I keep everything as private. I love sharing my pictures and news with my close freinds and family. I lvoe seeing what everyone is up to. It is extrememly addicting for me.

I held out for a while but now that I joined I like it a lot. I do limit my friends to people I know in person (or knew at some point in my life).

no face book for me- blah! I hate that site! :)
~C.

I didnt give in until last July- and then only because we moved from our home town and I left some very good friends behind. I signed up with my married name as I have no desire to see what is going on with people from high school- 20 years ago. Its alot harder for people to find you without your maiden name. I only have a small group of friends/family that I want to know about. It has become a neat way to hear whats going on and tell everyone how we are doing. As another poster said I also dont "facebook" like alot of people do. I dont need to tell you where I am and what I just ate...and I really dont care to here that from my friends either :)

My husband refuses as well, but he will get on mine to check up on his friends. LOL

I am not on Facebook. I don't have a reason to be, and we (hubs and I) are fairly private. I don't run a business that I need to promote. My friends and family are all local, so if there's something I want to share I'll call or email (I could understand being on it if all my family lived states away). I don't care what people do on a day to day basis, I have no desire to "re-connect" with people from 9th grade and such. If you are my friend/family, I call you, I send you cards, send texts, and connect in real life, not the virtual. So, no, you are not alone.

Hooray! You are NOT alone, K.!

I am not on it and don't intend to be! Stick to your guns. If a business really wants you to shop there, they'll find other ways to get you coupons. Or take your business to a place that does not require you to join Facebook - and make sure the old business knows that's why you're shopping elsewhere!

It's just fine and dandy for those who want to communicate that way. It's not my thing. If it's not yours, don't let stores or even your real friends bully you into joining.

I started facebook last year, and then it was too complex for me and I got off. Then I got back on not long ago. All I do is chat with friends or post what I'm doing that day, or ask for help if need be. I don't play the games on there. Those are way too involved and I don't like the way facebook handles their games. Some people will invite me to join some of them, and I just 'ignore' that part. I tried 'farmville'...and it wasn't for me. I'm 40, and I'm just not into that stuff. I'd rather just see what all my friends and family are up to and that's it.
There are a lot of people on facebook that's for sure. If you decide to go on there, just make sure you really pay attention to your security and how you set that up. I'm still learning stuff on there. lol
I'm not sure about the 'coupon' thing, but I would suggest going to that particular website itself, instead of using facebook as a middleman. Just to be on the safe side. Be careful with weird messages from friends. Sometimes you can get these messages stating that your friends have a 'video' of you. Don't open that. It's a virus. And what's weird about it, is that it doesn't come from your friends. It's a spam/hacker thing that tries to luer you into opening a viral message. Just another tip for ya in case you decide to join.
On the positive side...there are a lot of connections you can make through facebook, not only through your high school, but also employers as well. I hope this helps. And no, you're not alone. :-)

We originally went on FB to stay in contact with my step son. Then people from my past kept popping up which was fun. I go on once a week to see how everyone is doing and what I really like about it , it tells you whose B days are coming up. When I was interviewing for jobs all my interviewers wanted to know if I FB's or tweeted. Apparently this is very important in the fashion biz. It's only one account we don't have seperate ones and it does keep us in touch with people.

Can't get coupons without "liking" it first? I have not encountered this or heard of this...maybe some companies are doing this??? (I surely would like to know which ones...that wouldn't be fair) You don't have to be on facebook. It's not a life requirement but yes, a lot of people are on it. My best friend refused to join it and one day I got a friend request from her. I was blown away. It's an entertaining social site for folks like a lot of us who want to connect with, get in touch with old friends. If you don't want to join, don't join.

You are obviously not alone, but I am not in the same boat as you. haha. I am on facebook and only have 50 friends. Of those 50, about 35 are my family...brothers, parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. In Mexico too! (my husband's family!). It's great to feel so close to my extended family and see their kids growing and show off mine. It's fabulous for us to be able to communicate "real" time with my hubby's family (although we skype too, which is AWSOME!). I do not allow anyone who is friends of friends to see anything of mine on facebook...just my "friends". However, I do not myspace or twitter (which I think is ridiculous).
I enjoy it, but to each their own!
L.

No, you're not alone. My husband doesnt have one. LOL! No judging if you dont want one, thats your choice, and its also others choice to have one. There is both good and bad in it. If you dont want one, ask a friend to get the coupon for you??

P.S retailmenot.com is a fabulous website for coupons.

I felt the same way as you a year ago. Then I decided to do it because we have relatives on it who live on the other side of the country, and they were sharing pictures and stories, etc. Stuff you can do with e-mail, but not as easily. Now I can't imagine not being on it. I have gotten to reconnect with family and their kids and grandkkids like I never would have without it. I really enjoy seeing how the kids are growing.

Anyhow, you can sign up for it and not use it much -- just for coupons or whatever. It's really up to you how much time you spend on it. There are days that go by when I don't think about looking at it. I know others are way more into it than me.

I LOOOOVE facebook. I communicate daily with my entire family (one sister is the only hold out, and told me this weekend she may do it soon, since she is tired of ME telling HER what HER kids are doing on FB)! It's especially nice to communicate with cousins I wouldn't otherwise know as well!

My guy and I both have fb, it has never been a problem. The rule with my three teenagers is they MUST stay my friends, and they

CANNOT block me (no issues with any of them).

I also have a number of Mamapedia regulars as FB friends and would love to have more.

:)

It's Theresa N. on FB if ya'll are interested.

I know a bunch of people who are not on FB. If you want you could create an account using your dogs name and then set up a new email address in google designated just to that login. Then you can get your coupons and such.

I am on Facebook, but I do not "Facebook" as much as most people. YOU get to control how involved you become. You could totally just set up an account and block just about eveybody from viewing it--then you'd have access to the coupons and other things you need Facebook for!!

I completely understand your aversion to social networking sites. If I may, however, I think you are sick of the thought of how much time other people "live" on Facebook rather than being completely anti-Facebook. You don't have to join in that behavior! : )

I love my facebook. Never had any drama on there, and if it starts I can hitthe DELETE button pretty easy.
I moved away from all of my friends and family and it's the only way I can share pictures and videos easily with everyone.
I also found long lost family members, and grade school friends.
Basically I love it, and have never run into anything bad with it.
To each their own I guess.

I don't do Facebook. I really don't appreciate the people here at work that do Facebook on the phones either. It is a major time waster as far as I am concerned. But then, I spend 9 hours a day in front of 2 screens at work and don't care a thing about turning on my computer at home. If I want to share photos, there is email. I I want to have a conversation with a friend or family, there is a phone. The hubby does Facebook, but I don't allow him to post my pics or pics of my child on it.

I'm not on it and don't feel the need to be (no matter how many people try to pressure me). It seems like such a drain on your free time. I like looking at pictures other people have posted but I just don't feel the need to have everything "out there". I like emails, phone calls and in-person conversations with those I want to keep in touch with. For a while I think I missed out on a few "converstations" but I think my friends are starting to see the light and get away from their screens.

I am not.

I have an account though.
But it just hangs there.

I am on, but my husband refuses!! LOL!!

I'm not sure what kind of friends or life Elli B. is living, but my friends say I have wonderful husbands or what not, but I don't think anything of it.
I actually like it because I get a lot of support from my friends who have all moved away. It's the place where I can go and say hey today sucked, and people all around will just come to my aid. I don't do if often and I appreciate my friends who are there for me.
Just today I lost my job, and I have 6 potential places to put my resume at just from friends seeing that someone else was hiring. So it does have it's benefits, but there is a lot of drama, but you can avoid it.
Good for you for sticking to your guns!

No facebook for me. I see no need for it.

You are definitely not alone. I am on FB, but my husband refuses! Do what ever you want. I don't have myspace or twitter. And, I'm only on FB a couple times a week.

Don't do it. I want to delete my account sooooooo bad. One day I will just do it and stop letting people talk me out of it. Now that I've connected with old friends, we don't communicate. It's like we're still distant. LOL, what's the point of having a friends list if it's not active. I don't talk to 90% of the people on my friends list.

Anyway, one day I'm just going to do it, delete the account, that is. LOL!!!

You're not alone, although I am on Facebook. I have some co-workers who are not and just value their privacy in a different way, which I completely respect. Some days I really wish I weren't on FB, but I do a lot of picture sharing for family that way and videos of the kids. I will also admit to spending time on there with some of the word games. :)

I am NOT and never will be part of FB....... YET my DH is CONSTANTLY on his :-( YUCK

I'm not on Facebook and don't ever intend to be. Before I understood how it worked, my friend asked me to check out her Facebook so I inadvertently created an account with minimal personal information. When I realized what I had done after the fact, I kept it going for a month or 2 and then I realized how much time it was taking away from my 2 little kids. I couldn't acknowledge all the posts and it actually started stressing me out. Then, I began to see the potential security risks it posed to my family and voluntarily shut my account down. Can't say I'm in the "inner circle" with my friends and family anymore, but I sure enjoy the simplicity of personal email and phone calls. Even Grandma has encouraged me to reactivate my account. I believe too much information is shared publicaly (yes Facebook is public because so many people other than "friends" can view it) and I don't want to contribute to it. Plus, my 3 small children desperately need every bit of time I can give them to help them grow up to be secure, well-mannered, productive Americans. Fox News recently published an article saying that the "Facebook Fad had peaked". Some day it too may be as "uncool and obsolete" as VHS tapes and CB radios. R., midwife mom of 3

I don't have a facebook and don't want one but get a lot of pressure from people. I think if you join facebook you are subject to an open book legally any agency can get a hold of any of that information or hacker. I don't like it.

I love it. Can tell multiple people at once news, post pictures immediately lots of time before you get home from an event. I'm 52 and have reconnected with lots of friends that I had lost touch with. My mom is 73 and is on, she started feeling out of the loop because I often knew about news because it had been posted on FB. I kept up with illnesses that family members were going through by seeing what others around them were posting-I had a cousin last year that had a heart attack, I wouldn't have heard about it till the family reunion this year if it weren't for FB. Another cousin moved to Germany and is posting pictures of beautiful buildings, I would have never seen these otherwise. I see beautiful interactions between friends and their children--I can go on and on!
There is a bad side, you need to understand the privacy and make the settings to the amount of privacy you are comfortable with. Don't friend people you don't know, some are on there for commercial reasons and you will get a lot of spam that way. Don't bring your arguments to FB, some things are private, I've seen a few of those arguments and it's hard not to get caught up in it.
You can get a lot of free stuff by becoming friends with women who love to coupon (I think some of these women are getting free stuff just for having these sites, another idea for someone who might be more energetic than I am) or the food sites.
You can also become linked with your kids school sites and keep up with what is going on at the school and in the district. Facebook is becoming a mainstream link with lots of people and places now, you can always delete your profile if you find you don't like it.

You mean I'm not the only one NOT on Facebook? I've thought about it, but not sure I'd really have time for it. It would be nice to share photos with friends and family that are out of state/country.

I'm a Facebook Queen, I check it so many times per day and I just love being able to share my life with my loved ones who live so very far away. I respect your want to not have FB, but FYI...you do have the ability to keep however much info you want private or not private in the privacy settings. So it's not like all of your info will be sent to the company....your info that you allow will be sent to them. Of course, it is your choice to get Facebooked but I just thought I'd let you know about this. :)

No facebook for this family.

You are totally not alone! I do not have it and either does my husband. We have seen far too many things fall apart or get wat out of hand due the "drama" associated with the facebook cult. (yes i call it a cult) It's just too out of control. I prefer to stay focused on the things that really matter and what is right in front of me. While i think it could be an extremely useful tool, in a way i also believe it is creating this movement for people to lose that face to face interaction, those personal skills, and actually having the guts to talk to someone about in issue in private is getting replaced with public riddicule and saying things to people you wouldn't ever say or do if they were there in person. Just way too much for me i guess. Just my opinion.

I resisted for a long time. I still get VERY IRKED with those companies that, when I click "like" I then have to give some permission to access some info about me (and friends) and I will NOT do that. I turned off everything "extra" like games and apps and permissions and stuff like that, and if it means missing out on some coupons and stuff, oh well, my/their loss.

I do like FB, mainly because I am deaf and I love to talk and "hear" what is going on with people around me from church/school/community, and this is one way I can easily "hear" the snippets of conversations around me and join in the ones I want to. But I do have a lot of friends who are NOT on FB, so NO you are not alone.

Good for you on resisting and not giving in.

I don't facebook either! I feel like the people who I am actually friends with I put my effort into by calling, visiting, or sending a personal email... no just writing a little blurb on a "wall". Facebook causes so much more drama than any convenience is worth, as seen by lots of my friends who have closed their accounts. I do HATE that the best coupons seem to be through facebook and I can't get them, I love a good deal but it's not worth me joining the masses!

I have an account but NEVER look at it or respond. My husband made one for me before he left for Afghanistan the last time, but I just don't have time to manage it or even really do much. I check it occasionally but only when I get request notices from FB. I'm not impressed and don't "like" any companies cause don't care enough to get those coupons. I am busy with work, family, friends (who want to actually talk to me not post on a wall), and volunteer work.

If you want the coupons only I wonder if you can join with an alias? I was actually thinking about setting up a dummy account so that I can 'like' what I want without everyone knowing what I am liking.

I actually do really hate FB even though I am on it. Very few interesting posts-its mostly just people trying to let us know how great their lives are, how much they work out, how great their kids are and what cool things they do. So annoying. The only good thing about it is that I have got back in touch with people that I have missed from the past.

I can't see the other answers (a flaw with this program when you click "respond" -- none of the other responses show up until you respond) but I'm on Facebook and I love it. It's a bit addictive which I suppose is one reason to avoid it. :)

We're military and we move a lot, away from friends and family, and Facebook has been an easy way to keep in touch with people on a daily basis without having to be on the phone constantly and repeating the same things over and over, or forgetting to tell someone something. It's not an absolute substitute of course -- we still make phone calls, do visits and send real mail -- but being able to share photos quickly, stay updated on the day-to-day and more serious things in my friends'/family's lives has been priceless to me. It sounds like you're still opting out of FB, but if you ever do decide to join, just stay on top of the security features/updates and only friend people you know, obviously. When you post photos or links, click the "only friends" button. Don't post things like your address, or when you're away from home. So, be smart, but I think it's an excellent tool, and fun, too. :) You might consider giving it a trial run for a week or a month, (give yourself time to find and be found by your friends -- it's pretty slow at first, until people know you're online) and if you don't like it you can always delete your account.