Why Are You Still on Facebook?

Facebook is like a jail. You sit around, waste time, have a profile picture, write on walls and get poked by guys you don’t really know.

SearchQuotes

I’ve never had a Facebook account - never understood the appeal and always thought it was a colossal time-suck. Believe it or not there are other ways to contact your friends. Phone, text and email work just fine for me. If I want to share photos I send a Dropbox link. Facebook is something I could never buy into.

Clearly most of the world doesn’t agree with me. It’s estimated that over 2 billion people use Facebook on a monthly basis. But, how do you feel now that 50 million Facebook users had their data harvested and passed on to a UK political consultancy, Cambridge Analytica, accused of using that data to target US voters during the 2016 US election campaign?

This may come as a shock to you but it shouldn’t come as a surprise to Facebook; it was warned about app permissions back in 2011 and guess what they did about it? NOTHING! And why is that? MONEY! You are a valuable commodity to Facebook. Have you downloaded a copy of your Facebook data yet? You may be shocked and appalled to know that Facebook probably has your entire address book in addition to metadata about your SMS messages and phone calls. While Google and Twitter profile you based on the sites that you visit, Facebook knows your name, where you live, your birthday and so much more – a virtual goldmine in data. In fact researchers estimate that Facebook will generate $21 billion in ad revenue this year, up almost 17% from 2017. 

How many people will actually delete Facebook as a result of this breach of trust? In reality, probably not many; people are too insecure to leave Facebook. They’re afraid they’ll be left behind by their so-called “friends”. If that’s the case I would strongly encourage you to make and cultivate your friends in the real world. Talk on the phone, meet for coffee/lunch/dinner/drinks, go shopping together, take in a show… There’s a wonderful world out there to share with real friends. You don’t need Facebook; Facebook needs you.

So thankful for Facebook! I would have to call 563 people every morning to let them know that I just ate breakfast.

Dumpaday

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Bye-Bye LinkedIn

What’s this ‘LinkedIn’? Is that like Facebook for old people?

Someecards

I’ve been on LinkedIn since it was in beta. In the early days it really was an online business networking site, but that didn’t last too long. Social media became a numbers game – whoever has the most, wins! And so a new crop of LinkedIn members devoted themselves to gaming the system – connecting with the most people, joining the most groups (this was later capped at 50) ... It’s value as a business networking site quickly became diluted.

Gradually LinkedIn morphed into a quasi-Facebook site full of political commentary and feel good stories. Instead of fulfilling its promise as a business networking site, it became a site of shameless self-promotion. And it became a fertile hunting ground for recruiters who make up the lion share of LinkedIn’s revenue. In addition to recruiters, LinkedIn became very attractive to cybercriminals using fake LinkedIn profiles to connect with legitimate business people; many with access to sensitive information. In fact it’s estimated that LinkedIn has over 35 million fake profiles. LinkedIn does absolutely nothing about this large and growing problem. Over the years I reported fake profiles, with proof that they were fake, to no avail. Remember, it's a numbers game and the more members that LinkedIn has (even if they are fake), the better it looks.

Like it or not, it’s necessary to maintain a LinkedIn profile for credibility purposes, especially if you’re job hunting. Unfortunately LinkedIn’s job board has a very poor relational database; it just spews jobs that have no bearing on the parameters or time frames you select. And none of the jobs posted are exclusive to LinkedIn. They can be found on other sites like Indeed and Workopolis which are much easier to use and have much more effective relational databases.

The death knell for LinkedIn came after the purchase by Microsoft. They immediately changed the user interface and made a cumbersome site now impossible to use. I could collect pension by the time it loads; when it finally loads it doesn’t recognize me and many of the search features that actually had some value no longer exist. I’ve spoken with friends and colleagues who have all had the same experience. If you’re using Chrome apparently there is a work-around to get you back to the original interface but not for any other browser yet (I use Firefox).

All I have to say is Bye-Bye LinkedIn. I’ll leave my profile up but not waste my time on the site anymore. I can do my job hunting on Indeed and Workopolis.

I wish all social media was as non-addictive as LinkedIn.

someecards

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Why I Left Twitter

Twitter is the perpetual cocktail party where everyone is talking at once but nobody is saying anything.

@TeresaMedeiros

We now live in a culture of over-sharing. I can’t for the life of me understand why people think that photos of what they eat for breakfast (or do with every moment of their waking hours) are interesting. Another Twitter habit that boggles the mind is people that tweet multiple times of day and say nothing. I was deluged by inspirational quotes that didn’t inspire me, or fillers that had no relevance. Whatever I may have found interesting was buried so deep in the noise, that it never surfaced.

Twitter, like most social media networks, is overrun by fake users; in fact according to SocialPilot, there are currently approximately 20 million fake Twitter users. Add to that the spammers, scammers and porn queens advertising their wares, and there remains very little of significance. It got to the point where I spent most of my time on Twitter deleting all but quality users (and there remained very few).

The reality is that I saw absolutely no benefit from Twitter. It was a complete and utter waste of my time and I have so many things I’d rather be doing. So, I left Twitter.Do you get any benefit from Twitter? If so, feel free to share.

I don't understand this whole Twitter, Facebook stuff. I don't get it. Make a phone call. Talk to somebody.

James Avery

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Is LinkedIn Really More Than an Online Recruiter?

Social networks do best when they tap into one of the seven deadly sins. Facebook is ego. Zynga is sloth. LinkedIn is greed.

Reid Hoffman

I’ve been on LinkedIn since the beta stage. It was an interesting concept and in my opinion never lived up to its promise as a business networking site. LinkedIn has become a recruiting site and that’s not just my opinion; it’s LinkedIn’s opinion too. According to Reuters, “Expanded offerings helped boost revenue from the company's Talents Solutions business, which connects recruiters and job seekers, by 46 percent in the third quarter. The business accounted for nearly two-thirds of LinkedIn's total revenue”.

Having a LinkedIn profile is viewed as a necessity. It’s used as an online business card, business overview, resume and content management system but rarely as a business networking tool. The groups have become no more than locations for shameless self-promotion. 100% of the unsolicited emails I receive from LinkedIn members are solicitations. In fact, a cottage industry has sprung up around LinkedIn with a plethora of companies offering to help you create a LinkedIn profile that will stand out from the crowd, build your business brand, etc.

I recently had coffee with an old friend who was the one who introduced me to LinkedIn in the beta stage. I asked him if he still used LinkedIn. He said that he uses it to keep track of people, but nothing more. I asked my friends on LinkedIn if they've generated any net new business from LinkedIn or found any benefit at all from a business perspective. The answer across the board was no, except for one friend who's a recruiter. This is the one category of professionals that derives a great deal from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn’s demographic doesn’t speak well for its longevity in the long run. According to Pew Research Center, in 2014 among online adults, the highest percentage of LinkedIn users were the 50 – 64 demographic and the lowest percentage of LinkedIn users was the 18 – 29 demographic. In fact it’s the only online platform where those ages 30-64 are more likely to be users than those ages 18-29.

Online platforms come and go and eventually LinkedIn will be replaced by the new latest and greatest, as will Facebook and Twitter. In the meantime it’s likely to keep growing as an online recruiter. But, like everyone else, I’ll keep my profile updated; for what purpose, I have no clue.

You can buy attention (advertising). You can beg for attention from the media (PR). You can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free.

David Meerman Scott

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Has Google+ Morphed into Plenty of Fish or Match.com?

I have nothing against online dating sites; as you know I’ve tried a few… But, I’ve always made a very clear distinction between my online business life and personal life. I’ve never had a Facebook account nor do I participate in Instagram, Pinterest or the like. I do have LinkedIn and Google+ profiles, in addition to a Twitter account. These accounts are all business related. In fact this blog is my only foray into the personal online world.

As you are most likely aware, Google+ notifies you when people have added you to their circles. I was more than surprised when as of about 3 months ago the majority of people who were adding me on Google+ were men looking for dates. We didn’t have any people in common so I have no idea how they came to my profile. I’m not a prolific poster, nor, sadly, am I a great beauty that they just couldn’t resist. Of this illustrious group, approximately 1/3 said that they were in the US military and I have no idea why military men would be adding me to their circles. I don’t have, nor have I ever had an association with the military of any country personally or professionally. And, truth be told, men in uniform don’t turn me on. The remainder of the date seekers were random. Here are snippets from their profiles:

• I am looking for a special, loving relationship with a unique woman who is Honest, affectionate, sincere…
• I am extraordinarily unique but with some average facets. I am a hopeless romantic, (laugh). I enjoy cuddling up on a couch, pardon me about that. I am sensitive, sentimental, compassionate…
• Looking for Friends, Dating, A relationship

Don't these snippets sound like the come from dating site profiles, not Google+? I guess instead of complaining I should enjoy the fact that I’m popular somewhere!

Do you believe in computer dating?
Only if the computers really love each other.
Groucho Marx

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Has Social Media Made Us Anti-Social?

Social media has given us this idea that we should all have a posse of friends when in reality if we have one or two really good friends, we are lucky.

Brene Brown

Facebook friends, Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections; people are obsessed with collecting them, but to what end? What do we hope to gain by planting ourselves behind a computer screen and believing that this is somehow meaningful interaction? Get a grip! Do you really think that hundreds or thousands (in some cases) of social media friends, followers and connections that you’ve never met really give a shit about you? Have you wandered through a cemetery recently? Next time you’re there, read the tombstones and plaques. You’ll find inscriptions like “Beloved husband, father, grandfather…” and “Cherished wife, mother, grandmother”. Not on a single tombstone or plaque does it mention Facebook friend, Twitter follower or LinkedIn connection.

A fixation with connecting with 'friends' online comes with the risk of disconnection with friends waiting for you to be present in the offline world.
Craig Hodges

How much time are you spending online playing the social media numbers game? When was the last time you got together with a friend? I’ve heard people say that they have no time, yet I guarantee that if these people tallied up the time they spend on social media, they’d have plenty of time for friends and friendship. At the end of the day friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, husbands/wives, parents, grandparents and children are the only things that really matter. And, the one thing they have in common is love. 

Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

Franklin P. Jones

Get out from behind that computer screen and call someone you love. Get together for a walk, a meal, a drink...it doesn’t really matter as long as you get together in the real world and spend meaningful time together. None of us knows how much time we have on this planet, so don’t waste it!

Make someone smile today. Tell them you love them.

Geri