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Question of the day

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Illinois

Do you use any “social network” sites like FaceBook, MySpace, Linkedin, Twitter, etc.?

If so, how often do you check your pages, how do you use your site(s) and do you think they’re worth the effort? Explain fully, please. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:00 am

Comments

24/male

Facebook yes for college and other friends-daily
Linkedin for professional contacts-weekly
Doostang not often

Comment by Rick Sutcliffe Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:10 am
Well of course I have a social networking site. It comes with running water and indoor plumbing these days.

I use my site as a promotional tool for my radio show and to promo concerts in the carbondale area. I also must admit that I have gotten addicted to Myspace Mobsters lately.

Are they worth it? I dont know, probably more productive things I could be doing, like reading Capitol Fax instead of checking Myspace.

Oh, yeah, or I could actually be doing my job!

Comment by Speaking At Will Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:12 am
Facebook.

I find it VERY useful to keep in touch with people who left the place I work. Its also very nice to upload pics one place, let all my friends see it. I use it as “how I am doing’

Linked-in I use for the same thing, and also as ajob hunting aid. I have gotten some job contacts there, but no job yet

Its more “professional me”

myspace is too down scale for me, I blew it off.

Comment by Pat collins Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:18 am
Social networking tools are single-handedly ruining this nation.

Comment by anonymous coward Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:28 am
Between cell phones, voice mail, email, Facebook, texting, etc.etc…little wonder so many are in a state of High Anxiety. There once was a time when you didn’t CARE about every little thing that was going on, and were probably much better for it. It all adds up on a persons stress level, not to mention the hazards presented while driving. But, “progress” will reign….

Comment by You Go Boy Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:30 am
Facebook is the only site I use and I check it far too often. Current college and high school students who use sites like these will be the next leaders of our state and country; it will be interesting to see the negative effects that Facebook will cause these people. Posted pictures of underage and college partying are sure surface in future elections.

Comment by OfficeGirl Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:31 am
I think those sites are silly, if not a bit narcistic or exhibitionist. Not to mention, as others have said, a waste to time.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:35 am
Probably too old to modify social contact circle.

Maintain contacts the old way. When I have not heard from someone for I while I reach out.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:36 am
I’m 45 and think I’m ok on computers but don’t have a clue of how to use these sites.

Comment by Thanks for taking my call Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:44 am
Yes, I have Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace and Twitter. I am obsessed with Facebook but could take or leave the others.

Comment by Undercover Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:47 am
LinkedIn (once/wk) as more of a chance to advertise what I’m doing-many reach out to me to ask for my help

just colonized on Facebook (once/wk) to try and promote a new golf video I’ve started and amazed at the banality of some of the posts (”Kelly is bored”) but see it like a yellow pages presence; have had a bunch of past classmates re-connect, so I definitely consider the site as an asset for building a community for this marketing purpose

agree with ‘Office Girl’ on the impact past indiscretion will play over the next timespan for this rising post-grad population

also interested to see how these fake pages play out, for Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is pretty peeved about his faux feature

thanks for the question Rich

Comment by 21st State Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:47 am
Facebook is my “new thing.” I had lost contact with a lot of people. . . numbers/emails had changed, since moving back to the midwest. I cannot believe all of the people that I have met up with again. A great friend of mine and I lost contact, so when he looked me up on Facebook, I was thrilled. Plus its a break in an otherwise often mundane day!

Comment by My Opinion Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:51 am
I used LinkedIn at one point, but I don’t regularly check it anymore. I have starting using Facebook more, but I use it mostly for personal “catching up” with friends and family spread across the country that I haven’t seen for a while. The LinkedIn site I use/used more for professional networking.

I like to see them separate for a number of reasons. For instance, I don’t want every professional contact I have knowing what my kids or family are doing or what my personal opinions are on issues like religion or politics that might be available on Facebook.

Comment by Regular Poster Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 11:57 am
I check maybe once every other week. I got it primarily to be able to check up on my daughter.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:01 pm
Yes, Myspace and LinkedIn. LinkedIn has not proved to be helpful professionally, at all. Myspace is something I don’t particularly enjoy, but so many of my friends use it I feel I have to be a part of it or else I will miss party invitations, birthdays, etc.

I quit Facebook after they began invading people’s privacy and linking the Facebook accounts with Amazon.com and 200 website’s shopping records. They are being taken to court, and I hope they lose.

Comment by jessica Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:02 pm
. Current college and high school students who use sites like these will be the next leaders of our state and country

I keep mining google groups for some dirt on a certain Harvard student, but I guess leaving in 1991 was too early for much hope of that

Comment by Pat Collins Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:02 pm
I use Facebook regularly, LinkedIn not too often. I, like others, have the two worlds separated between work and personal. Well, I kind of do. There is a lot of gray area. I have found Facebook to be incredibly useful for reconnecting with people from other phases of my life that I had lost contact with. I have not really made use of LinkedIn in any practical way.

Comment by montrose Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:02 pm
Sorry, no. I got a life.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:24 pm
Facebook waaaay too often - although I really do think that it’s useful, especially for keeping in touch with people in the political world.

Also use tumblr and twitter, but not as often. Use tumblr to post interesting pics, videos, articles, quotes that I find. Use twitter less for what I have to say, and more for the breaking news updates from various outlets.

I don’t know anyone who still uses myspace and I’ve never tried LinkedIn, but it kind of seems like it’s for the older generation.

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:25 pm
VM - so judgmental! I remember my father saying something similar when this thing called the internet hit the scene…

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:29 pm
VM - Do you not see the dripping irony of someone that posts comments multiple times a day on a blog making that statement?

Comment by montrose Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:37 pm
LOL. Good point, Montrose, but posting here means he HAS a life.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:39 pm
To the question, however: I use FaceBook, but am not sure yet how, exactly, this helps my bidness, except for clogging my e-mail inbox.

I have begun using Twitter. We’ll see how that goes. A select number of feeds will send a text message to my phone, so I can keep track of events in real time. Then again, one such “event” woke me up at 11:30 last night. Gotta move the iPhone away from the bed.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:43 pm
I’ve been invited to every social networking site under the sun but stick to the first one, Facebook. Friends & acquaintances there are people I don’t normally phone or e-mail on a regular basis and most of the chatter is politically related. I check in whenever alerted to messages left there; am pretty passive.

Comment by yinn Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:44 pm
I was very skeptical before getting on Facebook. But now that I’m on, I think it’s great. It’s nice to see what old friends are up to. I use it to promote my work professionally, but that’s only a side benefit.

I post a lot of stories about sports, science, politics and the like. It’s a nice slice of the news that I know my friends will appreciate.

I still don’t get LinkedIn. Everybody’s on it, including me, but I don’t know of a single person who’s used it effectively to get a job or meet new professional contacts.

Comment by DC Critter Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:46 pm
I was ‘encouraged’ to join linked-in at work, and have made a few contacts since I posted–but, interestingly, nothing work related! I set up a myspace page then didn’t do much with it except keep tabs on an employee (who I had to fire eventually–keep that in mind millenials!). Facebook worries me with their constant marketing and privacy issues…

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:49 pm
I’m behind the times - to the best of my knowledge I have never visited FaceBook of linked-in.

I’m sure that I will at some point in the future since social netwrking seems to be a powerful tool for political organizing.

I havw in the past joined local political networks like the Illinois Democratic Network - seems like an excellenyt way to keep abreast of local political events, separate from political campaign organizations. E-mails from IDN, DFA, PDA, etc.. keep me pretty well-informed about local events.

Comment by Captain America Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 1:28 pm
I have a Facebook account, but I might as well not have one. I have done nothing to the page.

Comment by Fan of the Game Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 1:37 pm
I abhor social networking, virtual or real. I don’t have contact with most people from my past mainly because I don’t want to. I can only imagine the onslaught of people from high school and college who would poke me on a daily basis, all the forwards, and chain letters. No thanks.

My spouse recently found Facebook and now regales me with all the details on a daily basis, but all I hear is white noise.

Commenting on a few blogs is as close as I get.

Comment by doubtful Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 3:11 pm
Ahem!
Let’s just say that I do not consort with other blogs. I find the kind of commentary at thecapitolfaxblog to be unsurpassed.

A similar clarification - I also do not drink light beers, eat Velveeta, nor wear any kind of Dockers. Like my blogging, I have standards!

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 3:54 pm
===I do not consort with other blogs===

That’s true. I’ve googled him. He only plays here.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 3:58 pm
I use myspace. My friend list has about 110 people, and I’m in about 30 groups. I check the site 3-5 times per day. I think that the site is worthwhile because, on that site, I read political news that I didn’t see anywhere else.

Comment by PhilCollins Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 4:03 pm
My social networking sites all have a fine selection of draft and bottled, jerky, chips and pretzels (miss the hard-boiled eggs and pickled pigs feet), either the news or sports on TV and good conversation with new and old friends. I try to check in once a day after work before I hit the train home.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 4:24 pm
I use Facebook but only to keep track of people’s contact info who I would have otherwise lost track of.

I can’t deny, I am obsessed with Twitter. It is a permanent tab on Firefox for me and I am constantly refreshing it. I think it’s just the idea of getting out those little ideas that pop into my mind but aren’t really worth a phone call to tell someone about. And being able to keep up with a friend’s life even if we don’t have time to chat on the phone for hours. I’m hooked.

Comment by metqk6 Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 5:39 pm
Absolutely not! At least not in my industry - the legal industry. I am very fearful that some nonsense posted at social networking website might follow me to a job interview or something. It happens and the irreversible damage is not worth it to me.

Comment by Black Ivy Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 7:22 pm
Nope.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 9:03 pm
Myspace to watch over my teenager - the only way I’d agree to let him have his own page. Now I’m friends with lots of cool bands that I never would have heard of otherwise (great way to find new music).

Facebook for friends and family.

This is the one and only blog I check out. I’m a faithful reader, but rarely blog anymore.

Comment by Wickedred Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 10:15 pm
Yes, to keep up with my kids. The Millennials (born Mid ‘80’s to present) Early indications are that they will be a Civic generation similar to the WWII generation. They are fascinating and important for what they are growing up with (digital technology); how they work (collaboratively); what they believe (that they can make the world a better place to live); and how they are living their lives (green, connected, passionately, idealistically). Some scholars believe that behavioral patterns begin to repeat every three generations. In this way, Millennials are tied to the Greatest Generation of World War II, with whom they share a sense of common purpose and idealism. But unlike earlier generations, how Millennials express their feelings, and how widely, are fundamentally different because of the digital times in which they live. They are Social Citizens, representing a nascent model and era of citizen participation that combines idealism, digital fluency, and immersion in social causes.

Comment by Gameplan Tuesday, Sep 30, 08 @ 8:39 am