Facebook - any point for me?

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i have facebook. i like using it but i guess its preference. i find it interesting.

I use it for networking and such. I'd love to get to know some fellow autistic people, so if you'd like to exhange some mails or chat through that medium, feel free to PM me and I'll add you.

About showing up with 0 friends, is that not what everybody does after signing up? One friend has to be the first, right?

You can control what information you add yourself, its what others might add that can be potentially threatening.

Hm. Sorry to be ignorant here but 'what others may add?' Isn't it just like a mini-site only you update?

Man, am I clueless on social networking. You'd think I'd 'get' the online kind.

Ed,

Thing is, it is my legit name on the membership, and it/they said that you can't change it to anything other than your actual name (shortening first name, I guess). Is that true or do they just never enforce it? I'd rather shorten it to First Name First Surname Letter if I could, but I thought it was against the rules </as paranoia>

What about opening a new account under another name/email?

If you're looking to find a social networking website to make new friends, then take a look at couchsurfing.com. It's a hospitality website aimed at travellers. If you like to travel, it's a great way to meet people. But even if you don't, most cities have some sort of a local CS community, organising all sorts of social events for locals and people passing through. I've been to quite a few of them over the years and the people are almost all very friendly and curious. A lot of them a looking to meet new friends in their city, whether they've just moved there alone or lived there all their lives. It seems to attract a lot of AS types as well.

I totally understand the issues you have with facebook.

I have, however, reconnected with some friends from my teens. This reconnection has been very fruitful.

As for updates on exiting lives. Most of these people don't have very exiting lives. It's just pictures of their kids and stuff. My favorite updates are quotes that a person puts in his 'status' or whatever.

There is, however, an overwhelming amount of very, very, normal people on facebook.

I have to say, as a socially isolated person, Facebook has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself. I joined almost a year ago not expecting much. Really, I just did it to set up a Page for my employer, and I planned to just have a “skeleton profile” with no personal info. In real life, I considered myself a “loser” with no friends and “boring” interests – and I certainly didn’t want anyone seeing that zero.

Then, right after I joined, someone from work added me as a friend. Someone I was friendly with, if not a close friend. But that was the coolest thing. I was like, wow, I have ONE! So I slowly started looking around, and I found siblings and long lost cousins – who I wasn’t close with but I added them. Then, more people from work, people I used to work with, people I went to school with 20 years ago. I started updating my status more often and adding more about my interests. Today I have 35 friends, which is more than I expected. I’m actually very selective – I won’t add anyone I’m not comfortable with, and we have to exchange at least one message back and forth. And all my privacy settings are set to “Only Friends.”

Is a Facebook friend a real friend? No. Some of them never write back again after the first time. Sometimes, everyone ignores me, and that sucks. But it’s something. Other people, I feel I have gotten closer to. When I get a comment on my status, that’s cool. Being the creative type I love the status update – I put a lot of thought into it and have fun with it. I’ve also used Notes to share some longer pieces and people have really liked that. It’s a side of me they’ve never seen.

I think of Facebook as leveling the playing field for people like me. In real life, I’m the awkward, quiet one who gets left out in conversation. On Facebook, my interactions are meaningful, while all the extroverted people are going on about stupid shallow stuff like how tired or hung over they are. I would say Facebook has a way of showing you who you really are, and who your friends really are. In my case, it’s been sometimes exhilarating, sometimes frustrating, but definitely worthwhile. I do have friends, I do have interests, and I like me a whole lot more!

I only joined Facebook on first May because I had to do something there related to my work AND because of peer pressure.

I realized later that Facebook is only fun for the social people and those who have an active social life (parties,friends, group hanging out , girlfriend ,engagements...etc).

A facebook profile is a projection of one's social life.

Since first may I only got 3 wall comments, 1 from an old colleague, 1 from an uncle and the third from a coworker.

Looking at others' profiles made me realize how socially behind and how socially different/distant (and that's not something good) I am compared to people of my age.

Joining Facebook was a mistake, I was happier without it.