# I'm not on Facebook and never will be **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985 "2012-04-06T05:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/21 "2012-04-06T12:57:13Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > You explained your reason quite well. He’s wrong about people without Facebook pages. Nobody gives a damn. I have dozens of friends who don’t have a FB presence. ETA: Missed his first post. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/22 "2012-04-06T12:57:19Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I communicate with lots of people–friends, acquaintances, readers, the occasional blood enemy–via e-mail, a friend’s blog I write for, and through the SDMB. YMMV but I find it easier to keep in touch with people through FB messages than by email. I very rarely email any of my friends who are on Facebook these days. Other than that, my usage is about as **Dangerosa** says. I very rarely post a status update - maybe once or twice a month - and just glance through to see if any of my friends have posted anything interesting. Occasionally comment on things if they have. Never get pestered to join games or anything stupid, because I don’t add the sort of people who use that. (And if anyone posts any glurge that finds its way onto my screen then they go on the hidden list.) ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/23 "2012-04-06T13:01:06Z")
I have never tried an electric razor for my legs and never will! (oh wait, this isn’t a thread to just rush in and let everyone know the things you won’t be trying just for the hell of it?) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/24 "2012-04-06T13:05:24Z")
I had an account for a while, then deleted it. Several teachers in this region ended up in battles with their employers over stuff “friends” had posted on their wall. I wasn’t getting much enjoyment out of it in any case, so I got rid of it rather than run any professional risk. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/25 "2012-04-06T13:08:03Z")
I’m on it daily, since I’m part of the “far-flung family” demographic. I like it better than getting and sending emails cc’d to a dozen people. I can’t explain _why_ I like it better, but I do. I’ve blocked all game requests and I’ve unfortunately had to block a few people who couldn’t keep their political and religious bile to a minimum, but in general it brings me a lot more joy than frustration, so I continue to use it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/26 "2012-04-06T13:09:05Z")
I am not on FB. I was on for a while, and I used it to chat with some of my family in India, so it was good for that…but I just didn’t really see the point. At this point I’ve actually withdrawn from all of them: FB, Google +, LJ, etc. My only real online presence is this message board. Guess I’m just losing interest generally! It isn’t smugness to say it IRL when people ask you “Can I friend you?” “Do you have a FB?” Which is the only time to say it. HOWEVER I certainly have heard people, when others are talking about their pages, interject just to say I don’t have that FB crap and never will. What strikes me as funny is my SO’s family was appalled by FB for the longest time. “Why would you want to put all your stuff online?” Fully 2/3s of them have pages now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/27 "2012-04-06T13:10:29Z")
> [@Dorabella](#): > > I am not interested either. I guess I just don’t like people that much. I don’t care what former acquaintances are doing and I don’t see why they should care about me either. > > My kids think it is great. Maybe I am just in the wrong age group. This. It doesn’t sound like fun to me and I don’t want people looking me up. If we don’t socialize already, there’s probably a good reason for that. Also, I hear people talking about all these social dilemmas, like friending/unfriending, and who can see what…sounds like a lot of drama. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/28 "2012-04-06T13:20:00Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > YMMV but I find it easier to keep in touch with people through FB messages than by email. I very rarely email any of my friends who are on Facebook these days. But can one personalize messages? I don’t e the same thing to Joann as to Mark or to Mel or to Donna; I have different things to say to each of them. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/29 "2012-04-06T13:22:53Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > But can one personalize messages? I don’t e the same thing to Joann as to Mark or to Mel or to Donna; I have different things to say to each of them. Sure. You can message anyone on FB specifically that you want. As for the OP, I have a Facebook and I find it suits me fine. You’re free not to have one of course (for whatever reasons you want). ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/30 "2012-04-06T13:23:53Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > But can one personalize messages? I don’t e the same thing to Joann as to Mark or to Mel or to Donna; I have different things to say to each of them. A febbok message is exactly like an email. I have no idea why it would be any more or less convenient than sending a regular old email. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/31 "2012-04-06T13:33:17Z")
I don’t have a facebook account and never will. I do own a TV and a cell phone, though. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/32 "2012-04-06T13:33:47Z")
I’ve never opened a FB account and probably never will. I just don’t think anyone is interested in knowing that much about me and I damn well don’t need to know that much about anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/33 "2012-04-06T13:39:08Z")
My thread title wasn’t intended to be a declaration of war or a challenge or a put-down of people who are on Facebook. I strive to be clear in my thread titles so people will know what the thread is about. Never crossed my mind in a million-zillion years that anyone would take offense at the way I phrased the title. Color me puzzled. And blindsided. I guess now I’m really curious about why this is a sensitive issue and why are people defensive about it? ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/34 "2012-04-06T13:43:40Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > As I said, I’m not trying to be smart about it. However if you haven’t been there the benefits (and disadvantages) would be more obvious. > > If you had arrived and said " I have been on FB for 3 months and loathe it" I would agree. I need to shut down my account every few months because it starts to give me the creeps. > > The games, and the bullshit you don’t like- well you can avoid those. Facebook does give you chances to catch up with old friends (normally through another friend) and find out what flakes they have become 🙂 Social networking didn’t start with Facebook, I’ve tried social networks in the past and I wish I hadn’t. Now there is a social network that requires me to give them my _real name_? Jeez, where do I sign up? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/35 "2012-04-06T13:43:55Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > A febbok message is exactly like an email. I have no idea why it would be any more or less convenient than sending a regular old email. You can see who’s online and has made themselves available to chat in real time I guess? No-one I know uses any other chat/messaging service these days (but we’re not young, so who knows what the kids are doing). But yeah, if the intended recipient isn’t around then a message is just like an email. I was late to Facebook, and really only joined because it was increasingly getting used by friends to organise events. For that purpose it is extremely useful to me, and I do like seeing what the more far-flung friends are up to. It has certainly increased the frequency of the interactions with them too. I don’t really get any glurge or whatever, because my friends aren’t idiots. Also: no family and no colleagues, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/36 "2012-04-06T13:57:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I guess now I’m really curious about why this is a sensitive issue and why are people defensive about it? Because of the kajillion threads in the past where the topic has been something to do with Facebook and people practically trip over themselves rushing in to announce that they don’t use Facebook because it’s so stupid. Also, I’m still not entirely sure I see the purpose of this thread. There are many popular things that a lot of other people seem to be interested in that I’m not, and I don’t really feel the need to start a thread about them. You will note, for example, the lack of my “I don’t watch Game of Thrones” thread. Personally speaking, I am a little surprised in reading through this thread that there are still people who use email for personal messages. My email inbox these days consists of work messages, mailing list stuff, and the occasional message from another parent who’s trying to organize a birthday party or something. My friends and I all communicate via social networks or text messages. And I’m not a teenager, either. I’m 35 and a lot of the people in my social circle are in their 40s or older. I do have a couple of friends that aren’t really interested in Facebook per se, but have created accounts specifically so that they don’t miss out on event invitations. Yeah, maybe the rest of us are jerks because we don’t remember, when creating an event, that there’s that one holdout guy who refuses to get a Facebook account, but that’s how it is. Obviously not a problem for you, OP, but it’s another reason that some people join up with Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/37 "2012-04-06T14:01:41Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Personally speaking, I am a little surprised in reading through this thread that there are still people who use email for personal messages. You have got to be kidding me. You’re surprised that people still communicate personal information via email? Give me a f’ing break. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/38 "2012-04-06T14:03:32Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > You have got to be kidding me. You’re surprised that people still communicate personal information via email? Give me a f’ing break. No. That is not what I said. …OK, that is what I said. But it is not what I meant. Work with me here. I am not surprised that people still use email to communicate at all. I am surprised that people still use it as a primary means of communicating with a large group of friends. I thought that the examples I gave in my post would have made that clear, but I guess not. I haven’t had any coffee yet this morning, cut me some slack. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/39 "2012-04-06T14:04:24Z")
I’m not on Facebook. Mainly because of work. ::checks iPhone:: Oh wait. Now I’m on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985/40 "2012-04-06T14:05:32Z")
Facebook can be essentially anything you want it to be. I’m a fairly private person myself, and I don’t quite get the people who post every minute detail of their lives, from their dinner plans to their medical issues to their marital problems. But you don’t _have_ to do that; you can share as much or as little as you like. I usually lurk, sometimes I comment on other people’s posts. Rarely do I post myself. But everybody gets to do their own thing, which is cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-on-facebook-and-never-will-be/617985.md?page=3)