UTex professor is trying to add "enemy" to Facebook!

[gunug]

The Chronicle of Education has found an educator who wants to improve Facebook:

QUOTE

Mr. Terry, who is director of the emerging-media program at the University of Texas at Dallas, says a major flaw of the popular social network is that it's all sunshine and no rain: The service encourages users to press the "like" button, but offers no way to signal which ideas, products, or people they disagree with. And "friend" is about the only kind of connection you can declare.

Real-world relationships are more complicated than that, so social networks should be too, the scholar argues. He's not alone—more than three million people have voted for a "dislike" feature on an online petition on Facebook.

But Mr. Terry has decided to take action, protesting the ethos of Facebook by literally rewiring the service. Or at least, adding the ability to declare "enemies.

http://chronicle.com/article/College-20-Social-Media/131300/

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[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

Real-world relationships are more complicated than that

I'm so glad he has verified that for me. But I suppose the next thing he will tell us is that TV is not real life, either?! I mean, they do call some of it "reality" TV, right?

[kimmer]

Oh gads. You know, life is tough enough, mean enough, and evil enough as it is. I don't want to see a bunch of hate stuff. I've left forums and email lists over that kind of garbage. I can figure out a friends likes/dislikes by what they "like", the things they say, etc. I don't need enemy things popping up all over the place.

I know they quickly mentioned, and dismissed, cyberbullying in the article, but this is a huge problem -- and becoming worse. We see young kids killing themselves over this. I don't see any reason to add a simple button to the mix. Some kids will do it just to be "funny", not understanding it's possible consequences. But then, maybe they don't understand ...

Oh never mind ... I think much of this boils down to the fact that we don't seem to have face-to-face relationships anymore. Kids get together and text each other when they are sitting right next to each other. Yeesh. Put the phone down, look at each other and TALK. Now there's a novel concept.

[Xairbusdriver]

I think we are creating so many "friends" that we never get around to having actual "friends!" A "friend" via FaceBook/Twitter/LinkedIn, is at best, an acquaintance with whom we have something in common. A "friend" is much more than that, at least to me. S/He may not live next door, they may even live in another country, but I know I can call them any hour of the day and they will either be happy to listen/talk or even come to my house! And most of them are not afraid to be seen in public with me!

I agree about the use of texting. I'm amazed at the willingness to spend money whether sending or receiving one by the vast majority. And they use a system that requires much more direct attention to the device, takes longer to say the simplest thing and cannot provide as much emotional expression easily. Yet the device that can make connections at near the speed of light while taking all that extra time and attention. It's like using a rifle to remove the cap from a bottle of catchup! Sure, the cap comes off quickly, but it still takes longer to remove all those little bits of glass after you walk back from retrieving the bottle! And, by then, the hamburger is cold!!

[gunug]

I'm basically using Facebook to communicate with my far-flung cousins.  I could just email or mail them on a regular basis but as a bunch of them seem to post on Facebook pretty regularly (from smartphones and such) it really isn't difficult to use a daily scan of Facebook to keep in touch.

[tacit]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Mar 27 2012, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think we are creating so many "friends" that we never get around to having actual "friends!" A "friend" via FaceBook/Twitter/LinkedIn, is at best, an acquaintance with whom we have something in common. A "friend" is much more than that, at least to me. S/He may not live next door, they may even live in another country, but I know I can call them any hour of the day and they will either be happy to listen/talk or even come to my house! And most of them are not afraid to be seen in public with me!

I don't know that I agree with that. I've made "friends" on social networking sites (and before them, on BBS systems...anyone remember those?) who have turned into real-life, close friends, and in some cases lovers. The fact that they started out online doesn't mean they aren't real friends.

To me, that's the whole beauty of social networking. You can meet people who in earlier times you would never have been able to find at all.

Now, some people I meet online will never become true friends, of course. But that's the way it works in real life, too.

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Mar 27 2012, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree about the use of texting. I'm amazed at the willingness to spend money whether sending or receiving one by the vast majority. And they use a system that requires much more direct attention to the device, takes longer to say the simplest thing and cannot provide as much emotional expression easily. Yet the device that can make connections at near the speed of light while taking all that extra time and attention. It's like using a rifle to remove the cap from a bottle of catchup! Sure, the cap comes off quickly, but it still takes longer to remove all those little bits of glass after you walk back from retrieving the bottle! And, by then, the hamburger is cold!!

The thing about texting that I like is that it is less immediate than, say, a phone call. If I am in a position where I'm doing something that can't be interrupted by a phone call--talking to a client, watching a movie, spending time with my girlfriend, working on a client job with a tight deadline, something like that, say--the text message will come in and then sit on my phone until I can get to it. I can respond and not interrupt whoever I'm responding to. A phone call would have to be ignored and then returned, which might interrupt the person I'm calling back.

Text messaging is more immediate than email but less immediate than a phone call. For folks who are often busy, that's a perfect kind of communication.

[Xairbusdriver]

I guess if you don't have an email app open, a text could be faster. But I've never had trouble leaving an email waiting to be read. And they are usually much more interesting than the few texts I got before I had them blocked. I don't even answer the phone if I don't have time to talk, and I usually know who it is with Caller ID. We let things interrupt us, not the other way around.

I'll not say that gaining a true friend is not possible via so-called "Social Networking." But I think you brought the word "true" into the mix, and that was my main point about what I call a "friend." I think the use of "friend" in places like FB is changing its meaning, as often happens with changing habits and word usage. "I may not be able to define 'friend' but I know mine when I see them!"

Me thinks the professor has too much time on his hands... I think degrading 'friend' is bad enough, I don't think we need a 'dis-like' button, too. Of course, the whole point of these buttons is to generate money (eyeballs) for the owners of theses sites. That's why they want to use words like "friend" and "Social." They want us to think positively about using their site and convince more people to use it. I may be a cynic (like I may be older!) but I contend that any benefit we get out of these sites is purely secondary to the mission of the owners. More and more, I hear people saying, "I don't care what they know about me, I just like using XYZ to 'talk' to my friends!" Too bad they don't have one of those balls Paddy used at her folks cabin [another thread], they might more easily recognize the slope they're on! I gotta go, my soapbox is starting to crack!