Facebook is expected to hit the 500-million user mark sometime this week, a milestone that's long been expected but one the social networking juggernaut plans to celebrate by asking users to share their stories of how Facebook has affected their lives. You can even share yours with Facebook using a special form they've set up, and the company says it plans to share the best stories with its entire audience. While it's still derided by skeptics as everything from a privacy risk to a waste of time to a destroyer of face-to-face interaction, it's getting harder and harder to deny that social networks like Facebook are revolutionizing the way people communicate. If you doubt it, just drop in later this week when the networking group Social Media Charlotte holds its monthly breakfast at Mez uptown. A panel of local business owners will talk about how they've used social networks like Facebook to build their brand and customer base. There are issues of real concern that the rise of social networks present -- none, perhaps, loom larger than ensuring the proper handling of people's private information. Still, there's no putting this particular genie back in the bottle, I'm afraid. There's even a Facebook movie about to hit theaters, for pete's sake.
What do you think? Has the advent of social networks like Facebook done more good than harm? Has anything happened to you on Facebook that's given you an experience or "story" worth sharing with 500 million people?
It is what it is. I enjoy FB because it has allowed me to keep up with interesting people I knew from school, or previous jobs that in real life I'd probably have never seen or heard from again. I haven't been burned yet on privacy and I'm not one to be overly paranoid about the potential. Then again, I don't post drunk naked pictures of myself or overly share intimate details of my life. There's potential for abuse in any area online or off. It is entertaining to read some of the comments, and I've also learned of friend's deaths. As to the argument that it devalues "face" time, FB has been the rallying point for several unscheduled reunions and many of my "friends" are people I like to keep in touch with, but time and distance would make it otherwise too difficult.
ReplyDeleteFacebook may have it's good points, but it has ruined many lives and turned them upside down. Thanks, but no thanks. Haven't used it a day and I'm doing just fine. Imagine that!
ReplyDeleteI now have an STD thanks to FB.....so it has in fact changed my life for the worse.
ReplyDeleteI learned my wife had a boyfriend.
ReplyDelete"one of today's biggest stories -- the burgeoning phenomenon of social networking "
ReplyDeleteEric I would love to see your skills as a journalist make that so?
Personally the only good thing about FB is the fact that kid made a gazillion bucks off such a great idea...let us all hope our ever changing political surroundings are not allowed to stifle the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us.
The owner of fb should be hung. The amount of lives ruined in a unsafe site it should be shutdown not fair he makes millions off peoples misery, yet people still make him rich n don't c the harm untill it turns their life upside down,eg divorces,cheating,STD"s ,secrets,unwanted pregnancy's,slander,stalking,rape,murder,invasion ov privacy,ect when will people wake up n get rid ov such a site n stop making it a success?????make a stand
ReplyDeleteHey big post. I have to learn a lot of things from this job. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVoyance par mail