For many many months, I do receive emails asking me to join FaceBook, not from unknown people, but from people I know. My immediate reaction is to look for the “Delete” button. I do have a FaceBook account, but it is very dormant.
I read an article recently that Facebook is the world’s biggest community. You can be sure of finding your long lost friend. Must be a great way to find where your old classmates are. I am still not willing to spend time on FaceBook; because it can be very contagious and infectious. Afraid I might spend too much time on it.
Well, some SHCians are FaceBook members; and they swear by the book that they get to find new friends and old ones, not just in Singapore; but across oceans. But, the fact that it is also the biggest country in the world makes me feel that I should at least look at it. What is FaceBook and why telcos and corporationis are jumping to have a presence in Facebook.
For those who are already in Facebook, please share why FaceBook is something good for guys and girls like us. What are the benefits, and whyI should spend some time on it. Should we be encouraged to have an account.
Please do not copy and paste from somewhere. We should hear from your personal experience. And I was thinking that one day some of us, with Facebook experience, can give a talk on the biggest community in the world.
Terence Seah
Hi Terence and fellow SHCians! I am now sitting at a cafe in Manila with WIFI facility – i.e. free internet access. Am typing this on my Dell Inspiron Mini notebook, a very small kind of laptop about the size of a A4 paper. :p
I joined Facebook or FB as it is known through the cajoling of my 2nd daughter and son more than 2 years ago. Yes, I made friends when I regularly osted my point of view in one of the local forums. I’ve also quarrelled with people there. Hahahaha… yeah, I don’t take crap directed at me as some members here know. :p
I log into my computer everyday from morning and it is on till late at night. The main reason I have my computer on is because sometimes my husband needs me to do some P & C work for him. I also click into my FB account to see what my friends are up to or to play word games.
Facebook is indeed useful in keeping touch with friends locally and abroad. There’s the private messaging button if we want to communicate stuff we don’t want others to see. There are privacy settings where we can allow or disallow our friends access to our photos, comments and even friends’ list. Kind of a screening option.
I get to know more about SHC members who have FB accounts and are on my friends’ list. It works both ways – they too, can know more about me from my FB profile and what I write in my Wall.
I am not a phone caller, that is, I rarely speak to my friends on the phone. I prefer typing so either I sms them or ‘talk’ to them via email or Facebook. This is better as calling someone on the phone might be inconveniencing them when they’re not able to take the call for one reason or another.
Cheers
Ros
Hi Terence and all
Yes, Facebook is a great social media tool. It allows you to keep yourself updated with friends and associates by posting your thoughts, photos and comments.
Unlike email, Facebook allows you to ‘broadcast’ your message to all your friends but at the same time allow you to send only private messages to specific FB member.
It also allow you to store/share your photos/videos online and will not take up your harddisk storage space.
In fact, I just post a new thread (unpublished, pending review) on a new free online e-learning tool whereby it has intensive coverage on using Facebook.
As the post is not published yet, should you wish to get this free tool (no string attached), feel free to drop me a mail at richard.baey@gmail.com.
Cheers.
Richard
Hi Terence
i’ve facebook a/c but hardly check the site unless someone send me msg or invite me to be their friend etc (meaning: i’m a passive user) but last week i was so glad to receive a msg from a long lost friend of 20 yrs. she found me via facebook and now living in USA! so yes, facebook is good for ‘lost & found’
Hi Frisna, Rosalind,
Both of you definitely enjoy Facebook. It is a strange internet phenomenon where different communities crowd in front of their computers and are linked up to everybody in the world. Before we find ourselves out of sync with today’s modern world, there is still a chance to learn a new but simple technology.
Hi Richard,
Would you be willing to share with us a session on Facebook. Learning from you is more exciting that learning from virtual libraries. If yes, we would pick a time and place, wonder if we can do so online?
Terence Seah
Hi, Terence & all:
I joined FB two years ago primarily to stay in touch with frieds in the international community of paper folders (i.e, origami), but got much more than I expected. I get requests from many other people with similar interests I did not then know wishing to be friends, well wishes, various invitations, enquiries, etc to keep me really busy. That’s okay for me, as What I do have these days is time.
Since being affected by a stroke and being fortunate enough in making fairly good progress in recovery, I have also received enquiries from others with similar afflictions or with friends and relatives having difficulties coping with the challenges of their ailments. I found myself in the unexpected position to be able to help others – who may feel despondent with thoughts of being hopelessly dependent on others for the rest of their lives – overcome negative thoughts and work positively towards eventual recovery.
Of course, I do receive fairly trivial ‘fun’ invitations, etc, sometimes (and I do hope that some SHC members with FB accounts will forgive me for turning down their invitations), FB can be a very useful channel promote the activities of SHC to people who may not yet know of us, and to reach out to others who may need the social warmth that they may be missing in their later years.
Time to stop keeping your FB account from being dormant! :o)
Ron Koh
Hi RonaldK #8,
I am indeed pleased to hear from you. Definitely good news to hear you are recovering well from the stroke. I am sure paper folding is keeping you busy and that you are using Facebook to keep in touch with the rest of the world.
Whenever you see some interesting topics in Facebook, do give us a yell. We can learn from you; and I am sure a number of us enjoy Facebook company.
Come join us when you are free; and if you have paper origami exhibitions or displays, let us know too.
Terence Seah
Hi, Terence:
Was intending to join in the monthly gathering in August, but the date clashed with one of my physiotherapy days. September might also prove a little difficult. Will be joining the easterners’ gathering on 4/9, though.
We had our origami exhibition as an added event in conjunction with the 5th International conference on Origami Science, Mathematics and Education (5OSME) at the SMU last month. Fairly good crowd, though the exhibits were a bit below expectations.
I took the opportunity to make my first trip by public transport into the city and without a walking stick. Spent much of four days there meeting the overseas participants/visitors, many of whom were old friends. Some of them did not expect to see me there, or at least thought I would make an appearence in a wheelchair. :o)
Ron Koh
Hi Ron,
Good to hear from you after so long. Better to hear that you are well. Did not realise you had a stroke but all the same, more important that you are well.
Will try to meet you in the East Coast gathering. Will try to register this week in the post.
Till then, keep well my friend.
Hi, Charles:
Thanks for the well wishes. I’m not quite up to par, but am getting there.
See you on 4/9 ans catch up with you then.
Ron Koh