Tons of new members coming over from Facebook to Onlit

[tonywalt]

Does everyone see all the new members pouring in from facebook....change gonna come!

What's everyone think about it?

[cacian]

Haha brace yourselves the wave is here!!! hehe or is it the end of the world as we know it?
Just quoting Volya of course :biggrin5:
Anyway tony I did not notice... is that bad?

[tonywalt]

I only asked the question - is it?- yea, memberships are way up on a daily basis.

The site will sooner or later be merged into a facebooks giant web... somehow...it looks like facebook a bit now...watch and wait...

[cacian]

I only asked the question - is it?- yea, memberships are way up on a daily basis.

The site will sooner or later be merged into a facebooks giant web... somehow...it looks like facebook a bit now...watch and wait...
I am not on facebook or any other of these giants social networks.
I much prefer Litnet I really hope it does not merge into any of these.

[qimissung]

Maybe the more important questions are, 'will they stay?' and 'what will they contribute?'

We've lost a few younger members to Facebook over the years-oh yeah, and a few older members, too! So-o-o-o, I think it's good if we can draw a few more in. Will they be interested in reading? That remains to be seen.

I am not personally on Facebook. I think about it sometimes, but haven't done it yet.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Maybe the more important questions are, 'will they stay?' and 'what will they contribute?'

I'm betting no, and little-to-nothing.

[Volya]

I'm with mutatis on this one. I have to admit (despite using it myself) that Facebook users aren't known for their intelligence....

[Paulclem]

I'm with mutatis on this one. I have to admit (despite using it myself) that Facebook users aren't known for their intelligence....

I'm on Facebook... so yes.

Facebook is for different things isn't it? e might pick up a few that discover litnet though.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

A few new members would be nice.

[SilvanDitties]

I'm new, though I didn't come here from Facebook. Do I get points?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Yes. Four points.

[Jack of Hearts]

What's the dilemma?

This website (and probably any topic driven forum) and the Book of Face have entirely different uses; and it's not likely that the average Facebook user (or, statistically, the average person) is going to have any interest in this forum's general topic- which is allegedly literature.






J

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Has anyone really suggested there is a dilemma? Maybe, allegedly. :D

To be fair to LitNet, though, I've rarely been to a forum where the topic of the forum is actually the most discussed. Most of the action almost always takes place in the "General Chat" area. That we still mostly discuss art, science, quasi-philosophy, and classical music more than anything else in those forum is a testament to the coolness (or technical lack thereof) of this forum.

[Charles Darnay]

Hey, anyone who doesn't think Jean-Philippe Rameau is cool really needs to rethink their definitions.

[Emil Miller]

I'm with mutatis on this one. I have to admit (despite using it myself) that Facebook users aren't known for their intelligence....

Well, the US World Census Bureau puts the Earth's population at 7 billion while the total number of Facebook members recently reached 1 billion. So, on that basis, one in seven of the Earth's population... 'aren't known for their intelligence.'
Aren't you being overly generous?

[Lokasenna]

The difficulty with synching up LitNet with Facebook, as far as I understand it, is that it will make it easy for people to find out your real name? Not that I exactly keep much about my identity secret on LitNet, but given the problems I have had in the past with certain elements of the forum I would be loathe for all the stuff on my (fairly open) Facebook profile to become publicly associated with 'Lokasenna'.

[Emil Miller]

The difficulty with synching up LitNet with Facebook, as far as I understand it, is that it will make it easy for people to find out your real name? Not that I exactly keep much about my identity secret on LitNet, but given the problems I have had in the past with certain elements of the forum I would be loathe for all the stuff on my (fairly open) Facebook profile to become publicly associated with 'Lokasenna'.

Well maybe you could help circumnavigate the problem by altering you avatar to something less obvious.

[DocHeart]

I'm with mutatis on this one. I have to admit (despite using it myself) that Facebook users aren't known for their intelligence....

I'm responding to this only because you're young and you still have time to learn. DO NOT over-generalize. There are several million Facebook users, some of whom are very intelligent indeed.

Regarding the influx of new users - I think it can only be a good thing. Many of them will contribute nothing; some will contribute nonsense; and some will contribute gems. Pretty much like it is now, only on a bigger scale. At the same time, however, the increased exposure will certainly help the forum's survivability.

Regards

[Lokasenna]

Well maybe you could help circumnavigate the problem by altering you avatar to something less obvious.

Ah, but you see on here I'm simply a chap in a hat. Access my facebook, and you can see my friends, my history, my likes, my actual name, my mobile number and even more pictures of me in a variety of hats.

[Emil Miller]

Ah, but you see on here I'm simply a chap in a hat. Access my facebook, and you can see my friends, my history, my likes, my actual name, my mobile number and even more pictures of me in a variety of hats.

Yes but wouldn't that apply only to LitNet members who were also members of Facebook, and how would they access your Facebook account without knowing your real name? But if someone you know on Facebook accesses this site, wouldn't they know immediately they saw your picture unless you have a beard that you shaved off for your avatar.

[tonywalt]

Maybe, and I'm just spit balling here, we could dum the site down to better ease facebookers into Litnet Culture(ahem:) . Example: We could have silly banal status updates "I'm so awesome" or "I don't know how fat people deal. I feel fat and I'm skinny! At least I used to be..." "Oohh my gosh! ! ! 10 days til summer and I'm soooo not beach ready!!" "Tryin out the new goatie"

Multiple One-Word Updates of your Location Every Day: "Gym" "Shower" "Laundry""Clubbin""Bed"

and lastly Complaining about Reeaaallly Mundane Sh!t "I'm sooooo bored!" "Ugghh at work but just want to naaappp""Cat peed on the rug again"

[Emil Miller]

Maybe, and I'm just spit balling here, we could dum the site down to better ease facebookers into Litnet Culture(ahem:) . Example: We could have silly banal status updates "I'm so awesome" or "I don't know how fat people deal. I feel fat and I'm skinny! At least I used to be..." "Oohh my gosh! ! ! 10 days til summer and I'm soooo not beach ready!!" "Tryin out the new goatie"

Multiple One-Word Updates of your Location Every Day: "Gym" "Shower" "Laundry""Clubbin""Bed"

and lastly Complaining about Reeaaallly Mundane Sh!t "I'm sooooo bored!" "Ugghh at work but just want to naaappp""Cat peed on the rug again"

Given that there has recently been a 21 page discussion on Harry Potter, the potential for further discussion with an influx from Facebook does highlight the possibility of an even greater increase in trivia.

[Lokasenna]

Yes but wouldn't that apply only to LitNet members who were also members of Facebook, and how would they access your Facebook account without knowing your real name? But if someone you know on Facebook accesses this site, wouldn't they know immediately they saw your picture unless you have a beard that you shaved off for your avatar.

Perhaps I'm being over-cautious. I haven't yet attempted to connect LitNet with Facebook, so I suppose I am to some extent assuming what will happen. Maybe I'll give it a try.

Coincidentally, I am currently sporting a full beard - so I suppose I don't look much like my profile pic at the minute!

[Jack of Hearts]

... and even more pictures of me in a variety of hats.


Sold.





J

[billl]

Perhaps I'm being over-cautious. I haven't yet attempted to connect LitNet with Facebook, so I suppose I am to some extent assuming what will happen. Maybe I'll give it a try.

Coincidentally, I am currently sporting a full beard - so I suppose I don't look much like my profile pic at the minute!

I don't have Facebook and don't know the latest rules/variety of settings, so I'm wondering if the friend-of-a-friend thing might be an avenue for possible unwanted exposure, e.g. LitNet Joe Blow wants to stalk Loka Lo, and Litnet Manny Mo makes friends with everyone on Facebook, and so Joe Blow just looks around for the tell-tale fedora via Manny Mo.

[RicMisc]

Well, probably most of these new users will not stick around (realistically). But there might be a few that will stick around, and those that decide to stay around will most likely contribute to the forum in some way. I think it's a good thing that people take notice of this wonderful site and if people feel like staying around that's even better. As for the facebook crowd not being intellectual. Most young western people have facebook nowadays. Among those are also the highly educated ones, like myself.

Edit: By the way, does anyone know what connecting to facebook actually does?

[Volya]

When I say most Facebook users... yeah I mean most Facebook users. Seriously go on any photo or status with a few hundred likes and take a look at the comments. And how many of those people commenting could type in proper English...? One would assume that most of it is just because they're a very vocal minority, but still...
I wonder if a study would link the use of Facebook to a lower IQ...

[tonywalt]

Well, probably most of these new users will not stick around (realistically). But there might be a few that will stick around, and those that decide to stay around will most likely contribute to the forum in some way. I think it's a good thing that people take notice of this wonderful site and if people feel like staying around that's even better. As for the facebook crowd not being intellectual. Most young western people have facebook nowadays. Among those are also the highly educated ones, like myself.

Edit: By the way, does anyone know what connecting to facebook actually does?

It just means that Litnet is on facebook as a Interest or Club and after you hit LIKE you can click onto Litnet from Facebook-seamlessly. And as shown below you can also publish posts on facebook. It's done specifically to add members and more importantly for the advertisers on Litnet - a larger advertising market. I'm stating the obvious, but I just thought it will have significant impact in time.

[Calidore]

I've been around long enough to remember much foretelling of the End of Days when America Online first started allowing internet access to their subscribers. As I remember, the AOL folks weren't very, if at all, different from those using local ISPs, and so it will probably be here. It's just very important to some people to have rabble that they can look down on.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

As to people finding out our personal info (Lok's concern) because LitNet is connected to Facebook, I think we have to somehow activate that feature, and that it mostly pertains to people who join the site using their Facebook account, which none of us long-time users did. In essence, I think we're fine, unless we do something to change things. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am in this case.

Also, for the record (since Volya said "I'm with mutatis on this one") I don't think Facebook users are any more or less intelligent than people who don't use Facebook. Most of my FB friends, at least the ones I bother paying attention to, are smart . . . luckily for them, I don't judge smartness solely on grammar skills.

Still, I seriously doubt this site is going to see much of a change beyond people joining on an impulse (though I fear we may be in for more homework help requests come midterm and final time since it will be easier to join). Let's face it, this site isn't appealing to the majority of people. That more people may become aware of it isn't going to change that.

[tonywalt]

There are still many people into literature that do not know of Litnet. I know of a many people on Goodreads (although completely different) that did not know of Litnet. That would be a good thing.

[qimissung]

Why is that a good thing?

[tonywalt]

More members bring more to the table. Do you think it might be bad?