Persuade Me: Why and how should I join Facebook?

The content of my blog has been primarily personal. It is an outlet for me, provides me numerous chances to bounce ideas back and forth, and has become a great source of entertainment and great new friends. The next little while, as I seek to transition into a somewhat different career, I want to explore options and educate myself. That is the overall theme of some of my new material and series of posts.

Amongst the different ideas I’ve wanted to test is a series of posts asking questions where people have A LOT MORE experience than I do. For example, many people have used Pownce, and I have had this discussion with lots of local bloggers on whether having a Pownce account is useful or not. So, the purpose of the series is to help me internalize the benefits and challenges, pros and cons of doing stuff that I’ve been debating on whether I should or not do. I am also hoping that in the process, these posts will help other people make informed decisions.

So the first post in the “Persuade Me” series is a question that I’ve asked numerous times in response to the shocked face I get all the time…”YOU ARE NOT ON FACEBOOK??? WHY?“. Well, to that question I ask (and I realize that some of you might have already answered this question partially in some of my previous posts) – why and how should I join Facebook? What are the best strategies to join it? Should I create (as Kulpreet suggested) three different identities?

If you enjoy debate, and have a particularly strong view on this matter, please leave a comment And I hope this series helps start debate. I also welcome suggestions on other “Persuade Me” questions (maybe there’s something YOU need to be persuaded of, and need to hear all sides of the story). Drop me an email or follow me on Twitter (my information is on my About Me page).

Share and Enjoy:

May 19th, 2008 in Facebook, Persuade Me, food for thought, personal life

Comments (5)

studioyvrMay 19th, 2008 at 8:53 am

I have total Facebook Fatigue. Tired of all that viral spam that the FB apps pump out. The only reason I stay on is to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away. If you decide to sign-up for FB then spend a little time customizing your security settings.

JodiMay 19th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

I cannot persuade you. The fact, I have made contact with a lot of people through Facebook, and I am grateful for that. It’s why I still have the account, etc. But I’m so sick of it. And the stupid applications. Zombies vs. Vampires and a “garden” full of flowers was entertaining for about a week. I almost never go in it, except to respond to messages. (I’m notified of them via email)

MaktaaqMay 20th, 2008 at 8:34 pm

Likewise, I have Facebook fatigue. Too much spam, not only from the apps, but from well-meaning friends.

I check it every two-three weeks when I am bored. I think it’s time is passed. It was good to re-meet some friends who don’t do online stuff, but that’s it. I’m keeping my profile there in case any of my old friends get in touch with me, but that’s about it.