Is Facebook a requirement in this day and age?

[Kit]

Is Facebook some sort of 'warm up' requirement to socialising with people?

Seems anytime I get chatty with someone new nowadays their instant response is 'add me on facebook!!'. I don't want to use it though!

**** facebook!

I've met one person out of god knows how many this year that shares the same opinion.

It's now become some sort of intermediary post in getting to know someone.

What happened to going out for a coffee or drink?

[Mr Ono]

I hate FB. I hate that people are using it in lieue of talking and meeting up. I hate that people are venting their thoughts to people who aren't really friends.

[nakamura]

Facebook is nothing more or less than what you make of it.

[EvilBoris]

Does it really matter, you can have a facebook account and let people friend you and never even use it.
It's not as if being on facebook instantly beams notifications into your mind.

I'm not really fussed about it , but for my work I can understand the benefit of understanding my colleagues and customers beyond just any conversations I have with them face to face.

[CMcK]

Facebook is just another data mining service for advertisers to shovel more "targeted" adverts at you. And it's utter disregard for privacy is probably on a par with Google. Both should be avoided.

[nakamura]

Facebook is no different to a forum, or twitter, or instagram etc etc.

[ETC]

Don't use it, never have, never will. Data mining piece of ****. People I want to talk to I will on the phone

[importaku]

My friends are scattered to the 4 corners of the world, it's handy to have them all in one place. I only have people on there who are proper friends, don't see the point of adding loads of strangers just to up your friend number. Anyone hoping to data mine my account will be in for a empty experience as i provide the most minimal info, im still amazed at the idiots that literally have everything filled in. Might as well put your credit card details on there as well, oh you have just posted that your going away on holiday. Thanks for letting the burglars know that you wont be home & that you have your address on there LOL

Makes a good free online photo album, nothing in my pics i care about losing really but handy to use to share between friends. The rest of the world are locked out though.

[Colin]

Not on it, don't care about it, but I know what you mean about people automatically assuming you should.

[EvilBoris]

Don't use it, never have, never will. Data mining piece of ****. People I want to talk to I will on the phone

What about Skype?

[monel]

Some of my younger friends, they've shown me posts and comments made towards women that would've resulted in a slap if anyone I knew tried saying that years back. It just reminds me how much the world has changed.

[Brad]

I used to be very anti fb. These days I use it to keep in touch with real friends who now live abroad. I'm a member of a local photography group on there and we have a group for our music appreciation group that helps us organise meet ups and keep track of notes. In short it's really useful. I have about 20 fb friends, all real friends that I see regularly (other than those abroad). I do have someone in my fl who apparently has several hundred friends; more people than I've actually even met in real life.

[speedlolita]

I have 16 friends on Facebook.

:c

[importaku]

It's not a competition

[Neon Ignition]

Not been on it for ages, feels like one of those fads that's on the verge of being behind us now. Different people go on for different things now but for each of those things better sites exist, most of the people who say 'add me!' will never message you, the only people who still live off it are the ones without a life who post the dullest things you'll ever see. Life is indeed more enjoyable without it.