Facebook Chat is Stupid

[Dexiro]

I find social networking as a hole completely stupid. I don't understand the mentality of people wanting to broadcast their boring lives on the internet.

As its a cheap and easy way of staying in contact with people

I remember not so long ago when phones were used for staying in contact. Still, thinking back to my Yahoo! Messenger days I distinctly remember NOT being in contact with basically anyone apart from my close friends and even then using a phone was and still is the preferred option. I mean, if you've got 20 friends and you only interact with one then what's the point of using social networking?

It seems like you're missing the point, Facebook and internet forums such as this practically serve the same purpose.

You post random things that you like, people who also like those things comment, and you get to know friends and people you don't know a little better. It translates into real life too; you post a funny video, all of your friends see it, and now you have something new you can all talk about.

The only difference is that social networking sites are more focused around getting to know your current friends and acquaintances better, forums are more focused on making those acquaintances.

 

[kittii-chan 300]

I use it all the time with very important conversations like.... "hello." no reply ever... still havnt got one even though it was posted when i was 12...
and most importantly "get skype because its soooo much better than this. they have animated emotes instead of crappy pedo face version of :3"

 

[AndyFromMonday]

snip

Well actually forums are a place of discussion and opinion sharing. Sure, you can make friends but I never looked at it as anything more than a modern version of the ancient Roman forum. Whilst Facebook is similar to a forum the discussions that actually happen are limited to crap about peoples daily lives and such and I don't see why people would rather do this sort of boring chit chat on the internet rather than use an actual phone. It looks more like a dump of useless crap to me because even when talking on the phone you're sure as hell not going to spend 10 minutes telling the other person you made scrambled eggs and then watched Scrubs all day.

To sum up, social networks are places where you post crap that most likely no one cares whereas telephone conversations are usually more engaging and deep.

The only difference is that social networking sites are more focused around getting to know your current friends and acquaintances better

I understanding using social networking to keep in touch with relatives that live in another country or city but if you actually cared enough about a person to get to know each other then wouldn't you use a more personal approach?

 

[smithy_2045]

I've had numerous deep and meaningful conversations on facebook chat. Clearly you need better friends.

 

[Slowbear]

face book is for lazy stalkers

how many people have done somthing dum posted it on facebook
and goten fired when there boss has see there page on facebook

 

[MCrewdson001]

face book is for lazy stalkers

Lazy stalkers with more teeth than brain cells

 

[Vrach]

Stupid? Useless? Annoying? I think yes. I'm constantly bombarded with people starting useless conversations with me. Please tell me ONE thing facebook chat is good for.

Well let's see, it's good for... chatting? Having a conversation? Just because you socialise with and friend (verb) idiots doesn't make the tool they use to talk to you stupid. You can have the same stupid conversation over any other communication device or even in person, or you could try not pressing the "confirm friend" button once in a while when you don't actually want to tolerate that person.

TLDR
It's not the tool, it's you.

 

[Sebster 105]

This happens to me no less than twice a week

Random Woman:Hi
Me: Hi
them: blah blah stupid shit i don't care about
me: you may have got me mistaken for another....
them I want to talk to you anyway <33333
me k
them blah blah blah gotta go now bye

just like wtfs seriously

 

[Dogstile]

I think you just need better friends, OP.

Fucking THIS. I thought this would be a rant about the sidebar moving everything over and generally being an eyesore and the connection issues, but nope.

OP just knows stupid people. How about actually having people on facebook who you can talk to. That's how it works for me.

 

[GigaHz]

Snip

Solution: Appear offline always.

And if you don't want to, grow the balls (idc if you're female, do it) and say "just checking something real quick, talk later" or "can't talk right now" to your friend. Or if you're cruel enough, just go offline. If they end up getting offended over the whole thing, they probably have bigger problems. A good number of people go on Facebook for a few seconds and get off. Are they assholes for not stopping to talk with one of their friends?

 

[Stealthygamer]

get all your good friends to get on steam. That way you don't have to be on facebook

 

[mikecoulter]

It's good for arranging things with friends, that's pretty much it.

 

[Athinira]

I got a newsflash for you:
Facebook Chat is fine. Your friends are stupid.

 

[UmJammerSully]

Never had that problem. Thank god my Facebook friends are actual friends.

This. If people stopped adding every person they meet on Facebook to raise their friend count and extend their e-penises then they might not run into this issue. I'll more than happily hold a conversation with any of the people I have on Facebook.

 

[Magicmad5511]

I have the same sort of problem but really not as bad. My friends have sort of chat-jumped me in the past but I normally can think of stuff to say depending on who they are. Also my friends always have a point to contacting me, even if it's one question.
Also all the friends on my list are people I have met in person and actually spoken to. I don't just except from the tools around my school.

 

[JamesStone]

I´m more interested in knowing where did yoy get your friends, and why if they are so annoying.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

For all you facebookians out there, I have a question: have you ever had a meaningful conversation on facebook?

Here's how an average conversation goes between me and a facebook friend:

Me (thinking): Oh god, that person's online. I hope she doesn't start a conversation with m-
Them: HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII BAAAAAAAAABEZZZZZZZZZZZZ HRU???
Me (thinking): I'm in deep shit now. If I go offline, it might hurt their feelings. If I talk with them, I could be in for as long as an hour.
Them: WHY YOU NO REPLY :'(((((((((((((((((((((
Me: Hi, (Person's name). How are you?
Them: HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
Me: ... That's nice.
Them: OH HAHAHA YOU SO FUNNEH
Me: ...
Them: so... watcha doin
Me (thinking): What do you think I'm doing? I'm on facebook aren't I?
Me: Nothing much...
Them: OH GOTTA GO LUV YA BYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEE <3

Stupid? Useless? Annoying? I think yes. I'm constantly bombarded with people starting useless conversations with me. Please tell me ONE thing facebook chat is good for.

Plenty. To me this actually sounds more like your problem is that you've befriended morons.
I tell you what though, I'm glad they've tweaked it again. When they made that recent change it just sucked madly.

 

[i7omahawki]

For all you facebookians out there, I have a question: have you ever had a meaningful conversation on facebook?

Here's how an average conversation goes between me and a facebook friend:

Me (thinking): Oh god, that person's online. I hope she doesn't start a conversation with m-
Them: HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII BAAAAAAAAABEZZZZZZZZZZZZ HRU???
Me (thinking): I'm in deep shit now. If I go offline, it might hurt their feelings. If I talk with them, I could be in for as long as an hour.
Them: WHY YOU NO REPLY :'(((((((((((((((((((((
Me: Hi, (Person's name). How are you?
Them: HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
Me: ... That's nice.
Them: OH HAHAHA YOU SO FUNNEH
Me: ...
Them: so... watcha doin
Me (thinking): What do you think I'm doing? I'm on facebook aren't I?
Me: Nothing much...
Them: OH GOTTA GO LUV YA BYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEE <3

Stupid? Useless? Annoying? I think yes. I'm constantly bombarded with people starting useless conversations with me. Please tell me ONE thing facebook chat is good for.

Umm, I think you're blaming facebook for YOUR choice of friends, which is a bit absurd. That's like my complaining about my phone company because all of my friends have annoying voices.

Facebook chat isn't a great IM, no, but its quick and convenient for arranging and planning things, which is generally what Facebook is for anywho.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

I think you just need better friends, OP.

I second this.

I have a Facebook to keep up with friends and family who currently live far away from me, and I have a general rule of only friending* people that I know in real life.

And not to sound like an elitist prick, but I don't make friends with the kind of people who would say things like "HRU???" in an IM chat or a text message.



*I hate that the internet turned "friend" into a verb.

 

[zhoominator]

For all you facebookians out there, I have a question: have you ever had a meaningful conversation on facebook?

Here's how an average conversation goes between me and a facebook friend:

*Stupid conversation*

Stupid? Useless? Annoying? I think yes. I'm constantly bombarded with people starting useless conversations with me. Please tell me ONE thing facebook chat is good for.

Uhhh... chatting to people? I use it all the time during the summer to chat to people that I don't get to see very much outside of term-time. Just because the people who friended you on facebook can't use it in a mature manner, that's not the chat system's fault. I'm quite phone shy and don't like sitting in front of a webcam, so Skype's pretty much out of the question.Facebook is something I use anyway because it's an easy way to contact other fellows and to remind me of coming events I want to go to (plus I use email for work or study related things rather than social things) so why not use the instant messaging system.

But regardless, meaningful conversations? Maybe this is just me, but I believe that meaningful conversations should only ever be made in person unless that's completely impossible. So no, but neither would I have one on the phone, or by text, or by email, or by letter.

I may as well say that e-mail is stupid because I get lots of junk mail or that the telephone is stupid because the receptionists I have to phone up are mostly arseholes. The invention isn't stupid, people are.

Frankly, I get sick of threads telling me how I shouldn't be using things or that I'm thick for doing so. If it is of no use to you, fine. But don't tell everybody that it has no application when there are very obvious ones that you just don't happen to use and/or need.

If you were to be criticising the system of the chat however, I would be much more sympathetic. Why is it now that my instant messages and "private messages" use the same system. I often use the chat in the presence of other friends and I don't want them seeing everything I've said in the other messages. That's bullshit.