6 ms·

I've just never enjoyed using Facebook. I tried, I instantly despised it, and have never looked back. It seems like a vast time sink with almost no value that i

I've just never enjoyed using Facebook. I tried, I instantly despised it, and have never looked back. It seems like a vast time sink with almost no value that isn't better derived elsewhere.

hasenj 10y ago
I recently disabled my Facebook account for that exact reason. It's a time sink with not much value to justify the time wastage.
morley 10y ago
This type of reply always appears on posts _mentioning_ Facebook, let alone about the product. Yet the fact still stands: billions of people around the world use Facebook every month. I personally find the stock "I don't use Facebook" comments off-topic and tiring. Facebook's effect on society is worth having a reasonable discussion about, whether you use it or not.
- bduerst 10y ago
  It kind of reminds me of the "I don't own a TV" person from the 90's - i.e. whenever a group starts a discussion about their favorite TV show, that person let's it be known how much better their life is without TV.
  - swampthinker 10y ago
    Same thing happens around vegans and people who vape.
    - coredog64 10y ago
      I'm a crossfitting vegan who only uses gluten free vape fluid.
  - radnor 10y ago
    Exactly. I imagine The Onion will eventually have a similar article to this one: http://www.theonion.com/article/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel-429 http://www.theonion.com/article/area-man-constantly-mentioni...
    - bduerst 10y ago
      Once again, the Onion is spot on with the satire. I was reminded of the XKCD comic: https://xkcd.com/1299/ https://xkcd.com/1299/
  - Aelinsaar 10y ago
    "TV" is an entire medium. Facebook isn't. The difference between someone not finding use in a single site or service, vs. writing off the entirety of what an entire a/v format can delivery over decades isn't really similar.
    - saganus 10y ago
      Maybe the comparison is made more in terms of the contemporary context for each medium, instead of in a pure 1 to 1 relation. Nowadays I would say that Facebook is more of a "format" of sorts than "just a service", in that it has tremendous power to sway the opinion of large groups of people all over the world, kind of how the TV was a "format" with a lot of impact during its time. Maybe in the past you could've argued the same in e.g. a comparison between TV and theaters (or other previous format). Maybe people more used to going to the theaters could've made the same comparison saying that TV is just a "show in a box" and it's not delivering the same impact as a play. I could even make the same distinction between Facebook and say Snapchat. To me, when I use Facebook, "at least" I can get some interesting stories, some interesting discussions among friends (very seldom but they are there), vs Snapchat which to me looks like "just a service" to take pictures, but I'm pretty sure that a teenager could give me a full dissertation on how Snapchat is much more than just a service and is instead the prime communication media of their time. My point being that I believe you might be biased due to age or due to being born with the TV as the main world-wide reaching medium vs today's kids for which that medium is now FB/Snapchat/whatever the new thing is, even though in strict terms you are correct in saying that FB is a service (i.e. it's "just a webpage") but in the end, taking account the contemporary context for that, it's really much more.
      - Aelinsaar 10y ago
        I don't have any problem understanding why people enjoy and use Snapchat, or Twitter, or a number of other social media apps and sites. Facebook in particular however, has always seemed like a place that people go to spend time that ultimately makes them unhappy.
        10y ago
  - nostrademons 10y ago
    Just the 90s? https://twitter.com/sama/status/730465368574038016 https://twitter.com/sama/status/730465368574038016
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  I'm not sure why sharing my experience with Facebook is somehow not part of that discussion.
  - revscat 10y ago
    It's not you specifically, it's that this comment specifically is almost 100% likely to show up. It's boring, and at this point doesn't add anything to the discussion.
  - ajkjk 10y ago
    My theory: My initial reaction to your post is that it doesn't contribute anything useful: clearly you're sufficiently different from the Facebook-using masses that statements about them have zero relevance to you and vice versa, and because the masses are, well, masses, it's still perfectly legitimate to talk about them. Since your post (like the similar ones that appear on every submission about Facebook) doesn't contribute anything useful (and especially not anything novel), and since I (subconsciously) project onto you and assume you are probably aware of that, I find myself filling in blanks and concluding that you're posting for a different reason - something to the effect of "hey look at me, I don't use Facebook, I'm better than that, you're all wasting your time and I'm not". And, unsurprisingly, that kind of gloating and attention-seeking, even subtextual, is annoying and elicits a negative response. I'm not saying you necessarily meant it that way, and I think this is all half-subconscious, but I do think it's what's happening.
    - Aelinsaar 10y ago
      So you're not sure that's what I meant, but you're willing to read what I said in the worst possible light anyway, even if it means blaming my subconscious? Maybe don't spend so much energy on reading into things and making assumptions.
      - ajkjk 10y ago
        No, I'm telling you how I did in fact read it, but trying to be generous by saying that I'm not accusing you of meaning it that way.
Splines 10y ago
Maybe you're not the target market? My parents and a large part of my extended family is active on facebook, and I think if facebook were not to exist it would be harder to keep in touch over long distances. Say what you will, but it makes sharing pictures and simple text extremely easy. Prior to the internet we used the telephone. Later our family moved to email. But even then we faced problems in email such as too-small inboxes and out of date email address books that are solved by facebook. I have the same problem as you with Twitter. Nobody I know is on it, and when I've used it it's value is not at all apparent to me. Every time I try to use the platform it seems like a waste of time.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >I have the same problem as you with Twitter. Nobody I know is on it, and when I've used it it's value is not at all apparent to me. Every time I try to use the platform it seems like a waste of time. That's the whole idea. Twitter isn't meant to be productive -- just a fun waste of time, reading not so important news, gossip, and quips.
  - Aelinsaar 10y ago
    When people say "Waste of time" in that context, I take it to mean that they're not deriving any enjoyment either, it's not just a utilitarian statement about productivity.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      That's for granted (that they don't get enjoyment). If they did they wouldn't complain about the productivity factor. That said, I wasn't really meaning "work" productive, just productive in the sense "it lets me connect with friends" etc kind of utility.
  - findjashua 10y ago
    i (and most of my friends who are active users) use twitter more like an rss reader
  - 10y ago
coldtea 10y ago
So? I never cared for ketchup either, but I don't see it going away...
melloclello 10y ago
If Facebook was a physical object, it would be cigarettes.
ikeboy 10y ago
I use it because a handful of groups I find useful are there. I've tried to get one group to move to a saner alternative (where more than 3 posts are visible per page, for example) but the fact is, everyone's on facebook, and nobody wants to switch. Networks effects are real and annoying sometimes.
euroclydon 10y ago
When people talk about something happening, they don't say, happened on Facebook, because it's a given in the context of the conversation. Facebook is a location where unique events are happening in the lives of groups of people.
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  That sounds like marketing talk.
wslh 10y ago
> It seems like a vast time sink with almost no value that isn't better derived elsewhere. This is not true for all people. Many people use Facebook as a tool for groups, events, etc. Have you been using Google or Yahoo Groups lastly? Facebook has less friction once you are there. This is not a Facebook defence just a reminder to "us" here in HN who use the Internet in another way and with a lot of expertise. Other people don't care if they are in FB, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc they just want a place to share their thoughts insighful or trivial. Just an anecdote: once I signed up in Facebook zillion of Internet years ago I subscribed to the OpenBSD and C++ groups there. Obviously nobody posted until a few years ago when I started to receive updates. Obviously you will never search for an OpenBSD or C++ solution there but was an interesting social media change. Nowadays I find local groups like Data Science group in Argentina representing well the local scene.
Demoneeri 10y ago
I really like Facebook, it helps me follow many persons I had contact with in the past, from old colleagues, school friends, family, people I met while traveling, etc. People from different time in my life. I (and wife) travel a lot and instead of sending a postcard that people receive long after we came back from vacation, we post a photo and it sparks conversation right on the spot. When we think we bore people with our photos we stop and each time we do that many people write to us to say, where are your photos, we like to see your photos! I believe people whining about Facebook are only anti-social person. And those whining about only seing thing they are not interested to are just lazy to not organize their feed how they want to...

I've just never enjoyed using Facebook. I tried, I instantly despised it, and have never looked back. It seems like a vast time sink with almost no value that isn't better derived elsewhere.

hasenj 10y ago

I recently disabled my Facebook account for that exact reason. It's a time sink with not much value to justify the time wastage.

morley 10y ago

This type of reply always appears on posts _mentioning_ Facebook, let alone about the product. Yet the fact still stands: billions of people around the world use Facebook every month. I personally find the stock "I don't use Facebook" comments off-topic and tiring. Facebook's effect on society is worth having a reasonable discussion about, whether you use it or not.

bduerst 10y ago
It kind of reminds me of the "I don't own a TV" person from the 90's - i.e. whenever a group starts a discussion about their favorite TV show, that person let's it be known how much better their life is without TV.
- swampthinker 10y ago
  Same thing happens around vegans and people who vape.
  - coredog64 10y ago
    I'm a crossfitting vegan who only uses gluten free vape fluid.
- radnor 10y ago
  Exactly. I imagine The Onion will eventually have a similar article to this one: http://www.theonion.com/article/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel-429 http://www.theonion.com/article/area-man-constantly-mentioni...
  - bduerst 10y ago
    Once again, the Onion is spot on with the satire. I was reminded of the XKCD comic: https://xkcd.com/1299/ https://xkcd.com/1299/
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  "TV" is an entire medium. Facebook isn't. The difference between someone not finding use in a single site or service, vs. writing off the entirety of what an entire a/v format can delivery over decades isn't really similar.
  - saganus 10y ago
    Maybe the comparison is made more in terms of the contemporary context for each medium, instead of in a pure 1 to 1 relation. Nowadays I would say that Facebook is more of a "format" of sorts than "just a service", in that it has tremendous power to sway the opinion of large groups of people all over the world, kind of how the TV was a "format" with a lot of impact during its time. Maybe in the past you could've argued the same in e.g. a comparison between TV and theaters (or other previous format). Maybe people more used to going to the theaters could've made the same comparison saying that TV is just a "show in a box" and it's not delivering the same impact as a play. I could even make the same distinction between Facebook and say Snapchat. To me, when I use Facebook, "at least" I can get some interesting stories, some interesting discussions among friends (very seldom but they are there), vs Snapchat which to me looks like "just a service" to take pictures, but I'm pretty sure that a teenager could give me a full dissertation on how Snapchat is much more than just a service and is instead the prime communication media of their time. My point being that I believe you might be biased due to age or due to being born with the TV as the main world-wide reaching medium vs today's kids for which that medium is now FB/Snapchat/whatever the new thing is, even though in strict terms you are correct in saying that FB is a service (i.e. it's "just a webpage") but in the end, taking account the contemporary context for that, it's really much more.
    - Aelinsaar 10y ago
      I don't have any problem understanding why people enjoy and use Snapchat, or Twitter, or a number of other social media apps and sites. Facebook in particular however, has always seemed like a place that people go to spend time that ultimately makes them unhappy.
      - 10y ago
- nostrademons 10y ago
  Just the 90s? https://twitter.com/sama/status/730465368574038016 https://twitter.com/sama/status/730465368574038016
Aelinsaar 10y ago
I'm not sure why sharing my experience with Facebook is somehow not part of that discussion.
- revscat 10y ago
  It's not you specifically, it's that this comment specifically is almost 100% likely to show up. It's boring, and at this point doesn't add anything to the discussion.
- ajkjk 10y ago
  My theory: My initial reaction to your post is that it doesn't contribute anything useful: clearly you're sufficiently different from the Facebook-using masses that statements about them have zero relevance to you and vice versa, and because the masses are, well, masses, it's still perfectly legitimate to talk about them. Since your post (like the similar ones that appear on every submission about Facebook) doesn't contribute anything useful (and especially not anything novel), and since I (subconsciously) project onto you and assume you are probably aware of that, I find myself filling in blanks and concluding that you're posting for a different reason - something to the effect of "hey look at me, I don't use Facebook, I'm better than that, you're all wasting your time and I'm not". And, unsurprisingly, that kind of gloating and attention-seeking, even subtextual, is annoying and elicits a negative response. I'm not saying you necessarily meant it that way, and I think this is all half-subconscious, but I do think it's what's happening.
  - Aelinsaar 10y ago
    So you're not sure that's what I meant, but you're willing to read what I said in the worst possible light anyway, even if it means blaming my subconscious? Maybe don't spend so much energy on reading into things and making assumptions.
    - ajkjk 10y ago
      No, I'm telling you how I did in fact read it, but trying to be generous by saying that I'm not accusing you of meaning it that way.

Splines 10y ago

Maybe you're not the target market? My parents and a large part of my extended family is active on facebook, and I think if facebook were not to exist it would be harder to keep in touch over long distances. Say what you will, but it makes sharing pictures and simple text extremely easy. Prior to the internet we used the telephone. Later our family moved to email. But even then we faced problems in email such as too-small inboxes and out of date email address books that are solved by facebook. I have the same problem as you with Twitter. Nobody I know is on it, and when I've used it it's value is not at all apparent to me. Every time I try to use the platform it seems like a waste of time.

coldtea 10y ago
>I have the same problem as you with Twitter. Nobody I know is on it, and when I've used it it's value is not at all apparent to me. Every time I try to use the platform it seems like a waste of time. That's the whole idea. Twitter isn't meant to be productive -- just a fun waste of time, reading not so important news, gossip, and quips.
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  When people say "Waste of time" in that context, I take it to mean that they're not deriving any enjoyment either, it's not just a utilitarian statement about productivity.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    That's for granted (that they don't get enjoyment). If they did they wouldn't complain about the productivity factor. That said, I wasn't really meaning "work" productive, just productive in the sense "it lets me connect with friends" etc kind of utility.
- findjashua 10y ago
  i (and most of my friends who are active users) use twitter more like an rss reader
- 10y ago

coldtea 10y ago

So? I never cared for ketchup either, but I don't see it going away...

melloclello 10y ago

If Facebook was a physical object, it would be cigarettes.

ikeboy 10y ago

I use it because a handful of groups I find useful are there. I've tried to get one group to move to a saner alternative (where more than 3 posts are visible per page, for example) but the fact is, everyone's on facebook, and nobody wants to switch. Networks effects are real and annoying sometimes.

euroclydon 10y ago

When people talk about something happening, they don't say, happened on Facebook, because it's a given in the context of the conversation. Facebook is a location where unique events are happening in the lives of groups of people.

Aelinsaar 10y ago
That sounds like marketing talk.

wslh 10y ago

> It seems like a vast time sink with almost no value that isn't better derived elsewhere. This is not true for all people. Many people use Facebook as a tool for groups, events, etc. Have you been using Google or Yahoo Groups lastly? Facebook has less friction once you are there. This is not a Facebook defence just a reminder to "us" here in HN who use the Internet in another way and with a lot of expertise. Other people don't care if they are in FB, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc they just want a place to share their thoughts insighful or trivial. Just an anecdote: once I signed up in Facebook zillion of Internet years ago I subscribed to the OpenBSD and C++ groups there. Obviously nobody posted until a few years ago when I started to receive updates. Obviously you will never search for an OpenBSD or C++ solution there but was an interesting social media change. Nowadays I find local groups like Data Science group in Argentina representing well the local scene.

Demoneeri 10y ago

I really like Facebook, it helps me follow many persons I had contact with in the past, from old colleagues, school friends, family, people I met while traveling, etc. People from different time in my life. I (and wife) travel a lot and instead of sending a postcard that people receive long after we came back from vacation, we post a photo and it sparks conversation right on the spot. When we think we bore people with our photos we stop and each time we do that many people write to us to say, where are your photos, we like to see your photos! I believe people whining about Facebook are only anti-social person. And those whining about only seing thing they are not interested to are just lazy to not organize their feed how they want to...