Saturday, May 2, 2009

a lady's guide to facebook etiquette

More and more friends are migrating off Facebook. "I'm tired of being contacted by people I didn't like years ago. Why would I like them now?" one told me before closing down the account she'd had for a couple of years. Another bailed after receiving a friend request from the first person she'd fired, back in the 80s.

I'm more of a Twitter person, myself. Because I think of Facebook as the place for meeting people you used to know; Twitter for meeting those you want to know now.

But in my role as social media evangelist, I talk to plenty of FB newbies. Over 45 million signed up for Facebook in January alone. Where teenagers now make up no more than 12% of the population. In fact, the fastest growing FB demographic is women over 55. Which may be why this dandy Etiquette Guide is styled to look like a 1950s-era instructional film. (Props to YourTango.)






5 comments:

Unknown said...

The 50s-ers technology on that video is priceless-- loved the photo upload.

As for FB, I'm surprised people are that bothered. By and large, the old friends experience is similar to what happens when you run into someone like that at a wedding or funeral: you catch each other up on your lives, exchange a few false promises to email or get together for lunch, and generally realize you still have nothing in common.

Perhaps if Facebook made things like groups and privacy permission more transparent, people would feel better about using it.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

Glad u liked the video, Alan. Incredibly well done "industrial", isn't it?

Good point about FB making groups & privacy permissions more apparent. But I don't think doing so would have kept one friend from closing account. She's recently become a bestselling fiction writer. Inundated with friend requests from past and present acquaintances who have "great ideas" for a novel, or ms. they want her to read. Oh, wait. One was me. So maybe it's just that I was defriended...

Teenie said...

I still like FB for the ability to keep old classmates together. We went to a really small school, and even when we get together after years and years, it always feels like family.

FB is losing its appeal, though. What was once a highly social site has become inundated with pin-pointed ads. I kinda freaked when they stared bombarding me with baby stuff. How is god's name did they know??? Scary.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

I agree, Teenie. FB does seem to be losing its way. Striving to out-twitter Twitter, trying to be all things to all ppl...and brands. I'm bombarded with ads for anti-aging and incontinence products. Consider yourself lucky. And, hey. Good luck in the home, uh, stretch ;)

Teenie said...

Thanks, Ms. Broad! Still got a ways to go, although stretch is most definitely the operative word. Holy moley...