Facebook 101

[fredtgreco]

Ok,

So as some of you know, I joined Facebook this morning. It is really surreal. I did this mostly to get a feel for what it was like as more of the young people from our Church are involved in Facebook. I also found out that there are a great many PCA ministers on FB (maybe for the same reason?). While trying to work, my email is going berserk. I have like 40 "friends" now, and even got a request from John Frame!

I am also now understanding how people have information overload and the inability to think through things methodically. I am getting "Wall postings" "Notes" email like messages, friend requests, group suggestions and all kinds of other things that are making me dizzy. I have no idea what is public, what is semi-private and what is private. Does anyone have a Facebook 101 manual to instruct me? Twitter was WAY less complicated and easier to understand.

 

[Mushroom]

You're just a popular guy, Fred. Mine's dead as a ghost town.

 

[LawrenceU]

I'm a FB prude I guess. I tend to ignore most of what I get. I have turned down some 'friend requests' if I didn't really know them. I've probably offended some folks in the process without knowing it. I do get the 'overload' factor though.

 

[fredtgreco]

You're just a popular guy, Fred. Mine's dead as a ghost town.

Well if it will make you feel better, send me a request, and I'll "friend you."

I finally got around to "marrying" my wife this afternoon.

 

[a mere housewife]

You can go into your settings and edit a lot of what goes into the feed, and also that gives an idea of what is public/private (though I imagine, being much more computer savvy than I am, you've already done this: it took me a couple months I think to figure that out). I think you can also join the group for ignoring group/application invitations and then ignore all group/application invitations . My family is on and it was a nice way to keep up, see pictures, etc, but I closed the account because I realized that everything I did on there was still far more public than I wished it to be. However, if you should get a request from an Uber Presbyterian German Shepherd . . . .

 

[PresbyDane]

Congratulations it was about time was it not

 

[KMK]

I couldn't handle it. I shut my Facebook down after a couple of weeks because I was so overwhelmed. I had many friend requests from people whom I hadn't spoken to in decades. It was too emotionally draining for me.

 

[fredtgreco]

So how do I get my educational information to show? When I look at myself in the list of friends on someone else's page, it just shows my name. How do I get to add "Michigan Law '96" or "Katy, TX" ?

 

[panta dokimazete]

So how do I get my educational information to show? When I look at myself in the list of friends on someone else's page, it just shows my name. How do I get to add "Michigan Law '96" or "Katy, TX" ?

Edit your Info settings under your Profile - there is a little pencil in the upper right corner of the tabbed page...says "Edit Information"

-----Added 2/23/2009 at 05:38:37 EST-----

Here is my Profile

 

[LadyFlynt]

The first few days are like that, Fred. It will trickle down to a dull roar eventually with just the younger crowd trying to send you "candy, flowers, plants, fish, or bears" via various apps. However, you can ignore them (I've accidentally sent something to someone without meaning to while trying to keep up with old friends that are including me in on these daily treats).

However, I'm going to "friend you" also, if you don't mind

 

[TimV]

There's one thing that I've found handy. You don't want to insult someone from High School, right? So I've added those that requested friend status, but one is gay, another into something really strange, etc...

So when you get something about that sort of person, if you wave around your cursor towards one of those people's updates, you can click "less of this person", and you don't hear much from them anymore.

 

[rescuedbyLove]

Yay, congrats!
I know how you feel. I was pretty overwhelmed at first, too. I fact, I hated facebook at first. I got an account and then didn't use it until a year later. Then when I came back, it was a lot more complicated! I was telling people at church that I needed to have someone come over to my house and tutor me in Facebook! But no one would lol; they just kept telling me I would get the hang of it, which I did. And I'm still learning...and being annoyed by a few things. But it's great for keeping in touch with people. My pastor won't join (yet!). But one of our elders did!

 

[matt01]

So as some of you know, I joined Facebook this morning.

I am so sorry for you. I only had an account for a month or so, and still feel the loss of that time. But to answer your question, you just need to bump around in the program.

 

[Ex Nihilo]

So how do I get my educational information to show? When I look at myself in the list of friends on someone else's page, it just shows my name. How do I get to add "Michigan Law '96" or "Katy, TX" ?

Edit your Info settings under your Profile - there is a little pencil in the upper right corner of the tabbed page...says "Edit Information"

-----Added 2/23/2009 at 05:38:37 EST-----

Here is my Profile

To make the information show up in the little boxes on other people's profiles, you'll need to join those networks. There is probably a Katy network (or at least a Houston network) that anyone can join. Joining the U of Michigan network might require a school email address.

 

[he beholds]

You can also set it in settings, I think, to not email you. I do that b/c I hate my inbox getting flooded. Also, if you use any applications (for instance, scrabble) you'll need to go into applications and click edit. scrabble. do not email notifications.
Or something along those lines
You'll figure it out and it DOES die down.

 

[fredtgreco]

So how do I get my educational information to show? When I look at myself in the list of friends on someone else's page, it just shows my name. How do I get to add "Michigan Law '96" or "Katy, TX" ?

Edit your Info settings under your Profile - there is a little pencil in the upper right corner of the tabbed page...says "Edit Information"

-----Added 2/23/2009 at 05:38:37 EST-----

Here is my Profile

No. I mean how some have school and town information in the list on a person's friend's page (see red arrows), and some do not (see green arrows).

I've attached a screenshot.

 

[etexas]

My wife wants me to get one.......I can't....hearing from people I have not heard from in 20 years! Thats a NIGHTMARE, like being stuck in your High-School reunion!!!!! Class of 88 ROCKS!

 

[Ex Nihilo]

So how do I get my educational information to show? When I look at myself in the list of friends on someone else's page, it just shows my name. How do I get to add "Michigan Law '96" or "Katy, TX" ?

Edit your Info settings under your Profile - there is a little pencil in the upper right corner of the tabbed page...says "Edit Information"

-----Added 2/23/2009 at 05:38:37 EST-----

Here is my Profile

No. I mean how some have school and town information in the list on a person's friend's page (see red arrows), and some do not (see green arrows).

I've attached a screenshot.

Those pages show the networks you belong to.

 

[fredtgreco]

OK, so how do I find and join a "network?"

 

[Ex Nihilo]

OK, so how do I find and join a "network?"

Click on Settings on the right side of the main page.

When you get to the Settings menu, click on the Networks tab (second from left).

 

[fredtgreco]

OK, so how do I find and join a "network?"

Click on Settings on the right side of the main page.

When you get to the Settings menu, click on the Networks tab (second from left).

A-ha! So it looks like this is for current only, not Alumni.

 

[Classical Presbyterian]

I think I just added to your requests....

 

[Ex Nihilo]

OK, so how do I find and join a "network?"

Click on Settings on the right side of the main page.

When you get to the Settings menu, click on the Networks tab (second from left).

A-ha! So it looks like this is for current only, not Alumni.

Yes, unless you have an email address from the school.

 

[Herald]

FB is cool and a great witness tool. Many of my high school classmates have asked me to their friend; a few co-workers too. Once they peruse my page they find out what I believe theologically. I've had two individuals "unfriend" me because of that. But I've also had some positive conversations.

 

[Marrow Man]

Ok,

So as some of you know, I joined Facebook this morning.

Fred, this is undoubtedly some more of that cool providence. I tried to see today if you were on Facebook; your name didn't come up then, but now here you are. Excellent!

Try installing the "My Church" application and place your own church under it. Get your congregants to add the application and invite their friends to do so. It is a great way to get your church's name "out there."

 

[Calvinist Cowboy]

Sent you a friend request. Don't worry about adapting. It's just like driving. It takes a while to get used to, but then it becomes really cool!

 

[Pilgrim]

Ok,

So as some of you know, I joined Facebook this morning. It is really surreal. I did this mostly to get a feel for what it was like as more of the young people from our Church are involved in Facebook. I also found out that there are a great many PCA ministers on FB (maybe for the same reason?). While trying to work, my email is going berserk. I have like 40 "friends" now, and even got a request from John Frame!

I am also now understanding how people have information overload and the inability to think through things methodically. I am getting "Wall postings" "Notes" email like messages, friend requests, group suggestions and all kinds of other things that are making me dizzy. I have no idea what is public, what is semi-private and what is private. Does anyone have a Facebook 101 manual to instruct me? Twitter was WAY less complicated and easier to understand.

I would say that FB is more private overall than the PB is (i.e. some forums on the PB are publicly viewable) provided you have your profile set to private, although any member will be able to see who your friends are. Basically, unless you're sending a private message, assume anything else you do there can be seen by any of your friends.

-----Added 2/23/2009 at 08:52:34 EST-----

So how do I get my educational information to show? When I look at myself in the list of friends on someone else's page, it just shows my name. How do I get to add "Michigan Law '96" or "Katy, TX" ?

One really frustrating aspect of FB is that you can't join an alumni network unless you have a valid current email address from that school. Since I graduated college in the mid 90's when the internet was still basically getting off the ground and students weren't assigned email addresses, obviously that doesn't apply in my case. Apparently this rule is a holdover from the days in which FB was aimed at students and hopefully it will be remedied soon. I know they've gotten a ton of complaints over it but may retain the policy as a way to keep every Tom, Dick and Harry from joining the Harvard network without a means of verifiying it. You can always create an alumni group or join one.

I'm assuming you are referring to networks. You can put your hometown (which I see you've done) and probably would want to join the Houston network, although I can't say for sure that I've derived any benefit from being in the New Orleans network. There is one instance in which it may have been helpful, but I don't know for sure.

Some of the more prominent leaders use the site more than others. I've created two groups dedicated to preachers that have in recent years gone to be with the Lord (W.A. Criswell and S. Lewis Johnson,) and for example Ligon Duncan has joined both groups! While I've "met" him a couple of times when I visited FPC Jackson in the past, I'm quite sure he doesn't remember meeting me, especially not by name.

Via Facebook I also connected with the man who has been filling our pulpit in recent weeks and put him in touch with the leadership of our church, which led to him being invited to preach.

 

[Brother John]

Fred,

Welcome to the matrix....

Just make sure you set up your privacy settings and you will be fine. If you don't want to get an email every time something happens then just turn off the different emails. My wife and I have enjoyed being able to interact with family and friends. But you have to watch it because FB can be addicting

 

[fredtgreco]

Fred,

Welcome to the matrix....

Just make sure you set up your privacy settings and you will be fine. If you don't want to get an email every time something happens then just turn off the different emails. My wife and I have enjoyed being able to interact with family and friends. But you have to watch it because FB can be addicting

John,

What privacy settings do you recommend or use? I have email notifications turned off for almost everything - since I have an iPhone, I can always check FB without a notification, and before I did that my inbox exploded.

 

[OPC'n]

Rev. Greco,
I don't know if anyone has informed you that if you collect enough "friends" at FB you can trade 10 of them in for a Whopper! It's something to consider when accepting friends...that's my goal!