Are Social Networks Committing Suicide? - Comments Page 2

Very insightful Bob and I am right in your corner. I cancelled LinkedIn a while back as I saw absolutely no value in it and was getting bombarded every day by some sort of their solicitations. I have never used Twitter and never will. I absolutely hate FB and never post but hang on to it only because some naïve friends use it as the only way to communicate. I hope some day they will wake up. I hope all of them (FB, Twitter and LinkedIn) will crash and burn.

You are right Bob. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are committing suicide. I'm glad that they are. I don't like these websites. My friends are on them, but I refuse to communicate with them, using these sites. Good ole email and phone calls work for me.

Facebook creeps me out. The only thing I saw on that site were pathetic people, who only talked about silly things, like what they had for lunch or how long it took their dog to do it's morning business. If that is all that you have to talk about, then keep silent.

Being a computer troubleshooter for over two decades, I've been online since the early (bad old) days. After all these years, I still haven't found any reason to download an app for or point a browser in the general direction of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or for that matter... CraigsList, eBay or numerous other popular go-to sites. My searches and problem-solving efforts simply don't require landing within those domains nor do any of my entertainment needs. I don't dissuade my clients from using any, but do caution them about privacy concerns.

Bob You could not have said it better. I am sorry I let my brother talk me into Linkedin. It is awful and now he hates it. I never used the others and for years told my friends and business associates that only idiots would use FB, Twitter and such. Linkedin was for business but now its worse than all the rest and crooked. I am done with it and will do all I can to spread the word and I hope the rest will do the same. Linkedin should change there name to Turd.

I signed up with FB, but cancelled my membership 18 months ago and I would never go back to it or any other social media website. They are very dangerous for it's members. I doubt people have any idea. People can have their ID's stolen. People are stupid to include personal information. I could tell you some real horror stories, but I won't.

Good article Bob. About time someone said it! Is there any possibility that sometime soon we will be asked to pay for what appears to be free access to the internet, e-mails etc.?

EDITOR'S NOTE: See http://askbobrankin.com/alert_internet_taxes_due_today.html :-)

thank you for bringing legitimacy to this argument by putting sense into what's happening.
when people urged me due to work or extra-curricular organizations, to ratchet up interest through networks like those you mentioned, there was always something that stopped me..& may have just put a name to it.
thanks again!

Here in central England, I have been interwebbing in my small way since 1998.
I have always believed that emails allow all necessary messaging: from simple personal messages to properly constructed business epistles.
They are also a more secure way to communicate than twittering, ball-bearing-sending, instant missaging, or bace-fooking.
My children are now young adults; and sadly both spend much time daily on FaBo, even though they are very aware of the long-term security issues.
Personally, I never "follow the herd" without checking moral and security compasses; so I have never subscribed to those dangerously insecure ANTIsocial media.
I also expect FaBo, Twtr, et alia will become unfashionable in the near future.
Like CB radio, pagers, and pigeon post; all will be remembered only as old-fashioned ways to send messages; possibly after a media-wide security explosion, compromising millions of InFaBoTwit subscribers.

About facebook business pages: I think 1 or 2 % of 1000 is 10 or 20, not 100. And 16 % of 1000 is 160. So are you saying exposure per 1000 fans went from 160 down to 10 or 20?

EDITOR'S NOTE: You are correct, sorry about the typo.

It's the fault of business for basing their popularity on Facebook. That shortsightedness is finally getting them bit on the behind. I don't do business with companies that force me to have a Facebook account in order to interact with them. If I "like" a company I buy its products. I still can't believe they think it's important to have so many virtual "friends".

I also feel very good being vindicated by what you wrote in your article. I very much miss the AngelFire and Geocities days. Hope others like them do make a comeback.
By the way keep up the good work with all you do. You make me look good to the younger generations. I'm over the hill but my daughter 21 yrs. younger, and friends call me their computer wizard because I read your articles and tell them ahead of time what to look for, what to watch out for, and where to go to solve their high tech problems. I tell them to go sign up for your email letter but their too "busy" to take the time to read, so they get condensed version from me. Thank you.

Great writeup Bob, I agree with you these sites will decline, I've been around here since my first computer, a Sinclair ZX80!

The biggest beef I have now with business websites is many of them want you to "like" them to get coupons, discounts and other types of perks; I believe this should be banned or illegal, what is the benefit to the business?

Ah, THIS THREAD MADE MY DAY. Finally people are getting fed up with this crap. WONDERFUL! That said I do admire the guys who understood there are enough fools to make you a multimillionaire by offering something useless, time consuming and stupid.

Kaarlo von Freymann Helsinki Finland