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SOCIAL NETWORKING | Noah Brier

Still Here

December 15, 2004 | RSS | EMAIL | PRINT | 8 COMMENTS

COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO USE THEFACEBOOK SHOULD READ THIS ENTRY!!
 (everyone else should too).

As you guys may or may not have guessed, I've been pretty busy lately. The whole starting a new job thing has taken up most of my time. I apologize for the lack of posts, but those regular visitors (all five of you) will notice that my new bookmarks on the right side of the screen have not slowed, so not all is lost. For those of you that read the site via RSS, can I suggest that you subscribe to my del.icio.us feed? That's what I run my bookmarks through and you will be updated every time I add a new link (many of which are funny and/or strange). The link for the RSS feed is: http://del.icio.us/rss/nrb210, so go subscribe now.

My second piece of business is a call for comments. I have been thinking a lot about social networking sites after this weekend. You see, I was down in Washington DC visiting my sister at The George Washington University when she informed me that in a survey of students, iPod was the number two used piece of technology (correct me if I'm wrong Leah -- and also provide me a link or forward me the email about that if possible). Guess what number one was? TheFaceBook was.

Essentially TheFaceBook takes Friendster and puts it on a more local level, connecting students at the same college to each other. In fact, you can only sign up if you have a .edu email address. I've known about this for a while (and been signed up since May or so), but I didn't realize just how popular it was and I want to understand more.

That's where you readers come in. Tell me how you use the facebook (that means you Leah -- send this address to your friends and have them tell me too). I'd love it if you'd leave it in the comments but if you don't feel comfortable with that just email me at nb@noahbrier.com. Tell me anything about it. Tell me how it works. Why you use it. How much you use it. What you like. What you don't like. Who you do or don't talk to. What color your socks are when you add friends. Anything at all. Help me out with this please, I really want to write about this but need some more firsthand knowledge. Thanks!

Just a warning, when you submit a comment it will say "CGI Error," however, the comment has gone through. Sorry about that, I'm working on the problem.

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COMMENTS

1Ben

I'd never heard of facebook until I heard one of the interns in my office talking about it. He showed me the sight and showed me what he uses it for. The way he explained it to me, he used it to promote parties, study groups, bowling outings, breakfasts, etc. While I've never used it, it seemed to me like he was using it as a more local craig's list (where you can see pictures of people) or some type of interactive e-vite. I'll try to ask him more or have him post...

December 15, 2004

2Noah Brier

Thanks Ben, that would be great. I'm really trying to hear people's thoughts.

December 15, 2004

3Laju

hey,

honestly, I havent used it all that much with my friends except as a new way to annoy people and get annoyed back (if you register your cell phone, everytime you get "poked" it's an obnoxious text message on your phone) i registered back in june after i graduated, and there are all of about 15 people at nyu law school who are on it, so i haven't been that big into it. the facebook does work well for sending out invitations about events, but then again so does e-vite. most of the people i'm linked with are still undergrads and i think it's much more popular at that level.

December 15, 2004

4Chris

I think that “The Facebook� gives college students the much needed ability to communicate with their old High School friends, and keep a constantly updated list of their “new� friends. When many students venture away from the comforts of their structured homes, some for the first time, and leave their friends behind staying in touch becomes hard. “The Facebook� allows them to send messages instantly without the hassle of dealing with finding e-mail addresses. I find that it also helps, more towards the beginning of the year, to keep track of your new friends. Meeting 30 people in a day can be changeling, but compound that every day for the first week and it is impossible to remember everybody’s name and room. By going and “friending� people it provides an accessible list of this information as well as other interesting things (i.e. Favorite movies, music, books, and home town). Another widely used feature of this innovative site is the “group� part of the site which allows people to create a blog-like forum that people from the same university can join to meet people with similar likes and dislikes. This feature is widely exploited by promotion companies who advertise their parties by sending messages through the “groups� or by posting to the message board. On a whole the usefulness of “The Facebook� is just beginning to be seen, as more schools are included and integrating into the network the potential is expediential on many levels.

December 16, 2004

5BJ

Noah,
My experience with the face book started even before this thing went nation
wide. Here at Bates, yes in Maine, every year the college releases a book with
the pictures of the incomming freshmen in it, which is called the facebook as
well. I dunno if this site is a rip-off of it, but I assume so. Well I
personally use the face book as a tool to help me waste time when I'm trying to
get some work done. But for others that I know it has become an addiction;
people are on it for hours searching random things and people. It's a little
wierd, but hey, I guess it's the new generation's thing. Now listen to me, i
should like an old man, i hate the snow like an old man, shit i guess i am an
old man. oh well. OK well hopefully i'll see you in N-Walk in the up comming
weeks. Talk to ya later man.
BJ

December 16, 2004

6Beth

Ok heres how it works... Its basically like an AIM profile with a picture. You post your likes/dislikes etc. and then everyone on facebook can look you up and ask you to be their friend. After gaining a few friends you can see which friends you are connected to through other friends. You can also join groups within the site to find people with similar interests as you. The whole thing is kind of pointless, but its fun to look at when your avoiding homework/studying. I guess the whole point of it is to connect people from high school and college. I actually found a guy from elementary school which was kind of funny.
Hope this isn't too confusing.
Good luck with your new job!

December 16, 2004

7Matt

So you want to know the poin of the facebook...well there is no point...i really could just leave the comment at that but i guess ill add some more....the biggest comparison i can make is that its like aim, its just a more elaborate and detailed form of checking away messages and aim profiles. People can waste lots and lots of time just checking away messages, the facebook is the same thing, instead with the facebook I can waste time and be like oh matts favorite movie is so and so..."huh never knew that"...or "that movie sucks"...thats basically it, i hate the facebook, but yet i must admit ive kinda gotten addicted to checking peoples profiles, and different kinds of groups, but i could live without it...later

December 16, 2004

8Travis

I have been reading your site for a while now since my brother informed me of it and I figured it time for me to participate (especially since I have two finals tomorrow and I should be studying). As far as the facebook goes, I agree with everyone’s comments that it is addicting and a big time waster, but it provides a way for meeting people other than a party, bar or class. As a relatively shy person myself, and since I am friends of people who don’t like to go out to big parties, its hard for me to meet girls, and with this facebook thing, I have been poked and messaged by a handful (which is a few more than I expected). Now some of these girls I didn’t even think twice about but last year I met two in person after they contacted me through the facebook and it has lead to some interesting experiences. Neither of these worked out but I did learn a lot and it presented me with situations I wouldn’t have been in otherwise. It was weird to think that I could end up dating someone I met on the internet and it ran through my mind how it would sound explaining that to people I know, but I think it is a wave of the future and there is no harm in having some fun meeting new people.

So I guess to me the facebook is an online community where you can meet people at your own school easily, and at a large school like mine it gives you a chance to meet people you may never see otherwise. It also allows you to put a face to a name when a friend is telling a story, or asks if you know some one, you can “facebook them� and see who it is. It has also been fun to watch it grow, as BU was one of the first six or so schools involved. It feels like every week someone else from high school is inviting me to be their friend, and that is fun and a small ego boost at the same time. I hope that helps.

December 17, 2004