Facebook, I Don't Get It

I've got a Ryze - somewhere, in some point in time. A Myspace. A Yuwie (soon to be gone). And a Facebook (soon to be gone).

And I have a question...

I don't get Facebook's popularity.

Apart from sending other users the most dumbass applications, what's the draw?

Send someone a polite greeting message and they reply something like "Excuse me, but do I even know you?" A reply I have only ever gotten from Facebook users and not users of other Social Networks. What's with the incivility on Facebook? Seems to be Facebook only.

I find it interesting. The different ways people on the different Networks interact with each other / people they don't personally know in person.

So two questions...

What's the draw with Facebook?

What's with the widespread incivility on Facebook?

Michael Ross

What's the draw with Facebook?

What's with the widespread incivility on Facebook?

I can only speak for myself -- but I use as a means to keep in touch with family and friends. Some of these people only live a hundred miles from me, others live 4,000 miles from me. It's nice to be able to share photo's with the group, stories, and email.

I have had requests from well known marketers to add them but I always politely decline the invitation saying I am not using Facebook for any marketing endeavors, simply using it to stay in contact with friends and family.

So I don't have any knowledge of any "widespread incivility on Facebook", since I don't ask associates to add me to their group(s).

Best Regards,
Steve MacLellan

[Ankesh]

I have friends who first open their facebook accounts to read any new messages - before they open their email inboxes.

Facebook has replaced email for them. And theres no spam issues on Facebook as its a closed network. You receive messages only from those people that you give permission to.

Facebook is a good website to know what your friends and aquaintances are doing - without your having to call them up to see what they are upto.

Ankesh, Steve and Phil,

Thanks for the explain'n.

It answers the questions only slightly.

What I can do on Facebook I can do on Myspace - look up a relative's profile and see what they are up to, send them messages, share photos, make my profile available to friends only, etc. It ain't just Facebook.

So why Facebook over say Myspace? Is there a Demographic difference you're aware of, for instance?

Michael Ross

Hi Michael,

I have never had much to do with Myspace. I looked at a couple of pages on it one time and the ones I was viewing were dark and cluttered. I guess it was the nice clean white background and how the elements are organized that attracted me.

But then too... I had family invites from Facebook before I even had an account, so I guess that would be the deciding factor for me.

My lack of experience with Myspace means I'm not able to suggest or compare any differences.

Michael,

You're right, very similar, the reason for tons of other social networking sites to become Niche specific...

And one of the reasons why Niche social bookmarking is so popular these days as a marketing tool...

As far as I know Myspace was originally setup for Musicians and Artsy related stuff...

But like with everything, things change...

Might give you a few more perspectives...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...Se arch&meta=

Phil

Michael,

I don't know if this will totally answer your question as to why Facebook and not MySpace but here goes. I asked my son the same question not to long ago. His answer was you have more control on Facebook. On MySpace anyone can see your page and send you messages. So you get bombarded and spammed by people you don't even know. On Facebook they have to know you and be invited as a friend to view your page and send you messages.

Ken

P.S. Which may explain why you received the message "do I even know you?".

I've enjoyed connecting with some old college friends and sharing some old photos on FB lately, but I really don't get people that hardly know me asking to be friends and then not even adding some kind of message to the automated "be my friend" request. Could you at least say "Great to see you here - how's everything?" or is that asking too much? lol

So I'm having a little fun with FB personally, but I really don't see how to use it for any other purpose.

Steve

Michael,

Social networking, pre-internet days was no different...

People of like interests... All sorts of possibilities...

Just a Humongus phenonimum these days...

What's interesting about Facebook...

Just as a Quick example...

Locally you can get together a group of people who Love dogs, or Anything, Any issue for that matter...

Tie them in online... Get them to come out to a Local event... And Surprisingly they Do...

Bingo! Dog bakery sampling & promotions etc. etc... And you know what can Happen from there if you apply some Smart Marketing!

Imagine if you get real Creative with some Hot Trends and a few other things... Girls... Guys etc. etc...

Almost Everything you want to know about Facebook but were Afraid to ask...

Lots of Facebook ebooks out there... But why not Create your own series of Facebook Hotsheets...

http://www.doshdosh.com/facebook-marketing-resources/
http://www.insidefacebook.com/
http://facereviews.com/2007/12/30/13...8-predictions/
http://mashable.com/category/facebook/
http://mashable.com/2007/07/31/facebook-powertools-1/

Phil