I know many of us have a bias toward BBSes, but for those of you who use social networking sites online, why do you suppose people tend to gravitate toward one particular social networking site? For instance, Facebook seems to be what everyone uses, even though there are alternatives such as Google+, Orkut, MySpace, and others (interestingly, Orkut was very popular in Brazil). I mainly use social networking sites just to keep in touch with people, and Facebook is really the only one I use these days, simply because that's what most of my friends use. But is that the only reason people tend to gravitate toward one social network vs. another?

It seems to be the same with professional networking sites, too. LinkedIn seems to be the most popular one, even though there are others (such as Spoke and Plaxo).

So I'm curious what you all think about why people tend to gravitate toward one social networking site vs. the others.

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion BBS - digitaldistortionbbs.com

Re: Social networks
By: Nightfox to All on Tue Jul 02 2013 09:42 pm

So I'm curious what you all think about why people tend to gravitate toward social networking site vs. the others.

I would think comfort. If someone started using social sites back in the day of MySpace and most of their friends are still on their then they would stay with MySpace. Same with Facebook, I would love to leave the site, but I actually have a number of people (family mostly) that only use facebook so it's an easy way to keep in touch and see what they are up to.

Darren (Tech-D)
__________________

_ The DOS Prompt -:- telnet://bbs.dosprompt.net

---
þ Synchronet þ C:\>_ The DOS Prompt -:- telnet://bbs.dosprompt.net

Nightfox wrote to All <=-

So I'm curious what you all think about why people tend to gravitate toward one social networking site vs. the others.

It's a "perfect storm" of several factors. First, the cleanliness and
ease of use of the interface attracts users; second, the site retains
and attracts more "because my friends use it"; third, keeping up with technology and coming up with fresh innovative ideas for improvement
while listening to users make a site #1.

In the case of Facebook, they came along at the perfect time to unseat
Myspace, with all of Myspace's crap they let their teen users do. It
had gotten to the point where if you didn't have a top gaming
computer, the browser just crawled to a stop on many pages. It was
cluttered, noisy with autoplay, and had ugly transitions from page to
page. People used it ONLY because "my friends use it".

When Facebook first opened to the general public, it brought with it the
basic features people wanted: a way to keep friends posted, messaging,
and a way to find new friends; and, it did it in the cleanest
interface I'd ever seen next to Google's old search.

I thought for sure Facebook would fail when it was announced they
would start doing advertising...but, they've managed to keep even that
clean. So long as advertisements remain unobtrusive and off to the
side (at least, I'm assuming they are -- I use AdBlock Plus), then I
don't foresee a competitor coming along anytime soon that can unseat
them. I had hopes for the open source federated social platform
Diaspora, but until Facebook makes a big stumble, even Google+ (which
seems to be slowly gaining) will never be able to match it.

--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
þ Synchronet þ Southeast Texas Chat

Re: Social networks
By: Tech-D to Nightfox on Wed Jul 03 2013 11:52:12

So I'm curious what you all think about why people tend to gravitate towa social networking site vs. the others.

I would think comfort. If someone started using social sites back in the da of MySpace and most of their friends are still on their then they would stay with MySpace. Same with Facebook, I would love to leave the site, but I actually have a number of people (family mostly) that only use facebook so i an easy way to keep in touch and see what they are up to.

Being Easy to find and navigate social sites like FB is primarily why they
are so popular. I have many family members that use FB but I still don't use it much. I have no interest in looking at family photo's and their post's simply bore me. I wonder where all these users were when BBSing was the only way? Still is in my opinion. Buth that's just me ;-)

HusTler


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þ Synchronet þ chaotic bliss - chaoticbliss.darktech.org

Re: Social networks
By: Hustler to Tech-D on Wed Jul 03 2013 21:41:36

Being Easy to find and navigate social sites like FB is primarily why they are so popular. I have many family members that use FB but I still don't use it much. I have no interest in looking at family photo's and their post's simply bore me. I wonder where all these users were when BBSing was the only way? Still is in my opinion. Buth that's just me ;-)

I think there were simply fewer users. Back in the 80s and 90s, far fewer people had a computer, and many people weren't familiar with computers at all. Calling people on the phone, visiting in person, and I imagine scrapbooking were all more popular before people started using Facebook and similar social networking sites.

As a side note, one thing I've noticed that I think is interesting is that even just 5-10 years ago, I heard many people say they didn't like (or didn't understand) the idea of meeting a spouse online, but these days, I have the feeling that that's how most people meet their spouses - on sites such as match.com, eharmony.com, or perhaps just by random chance in an online game or chatting with random people.

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion BBS - digitaldistortionbbs.com

Hustler wrote to Tech-D <=-

Being Easy to find and navigate social sites like FB is primarily why
they are so popular. I have many family members that use FB but I still don't use it much. I have no interest in looking at family photo's and their post's simply bore me. I wonder where all these users were when BBSing was the only way? Still is in my opinion. Buth that's just me
;-)

One feature I like is the ability to hide other friends' posts from my
wall. There are quite a few who all they do is post junk, so I simply
hide all their posts, but they're still linked as friends so I can
chat or peruse their wall when I feel like it.

It also doesn't take all day to catch up... I check it twice a day,
and takes me about five minutes. And it's actually interesting.


--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
þ Synchronet þ Southeast Texas Chat

Re: Social networks
By: Nightfox to Hustler on Thu Jul 04 2013 00:00:01

I think there were simply fewer users. Back in the 80s and 90s, far fewer people had a computer, and many people weren't familiar with computers at al Calling people on the phone, visiting in person, and I imagine scrapbooking were all more popular before people started using Facebook and similar socia networking sites.

As a side note, one thing I've noticed that I think is interesting is that e just 5-10 years ago, I heard many people say they didn't like (or didn't understand) the idea of meeting a spouse online, but these days, I have the feeling that that's how most people meet their spouses - on sites such as match.com, eharmony.com, or perhaps just by random chance in an online game chatting with random people.

Nightfox

Good point. Does that mean folks from the techno age will need to have HS reuions online? How does computer dating weed out the liars and cheaters? I don't think I could trust someone that I met through a computer but I suppose it works for some people.


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þ Synchronet þ chaotic bliss - chaoticbliss.darktech.org

Good point. Does that mean folks from the techno age will need to have HS reuions online? How does computer dating weed out the liars and cheaters? I don't think I could trust someone that I met through a computer but I suppose it works for some people.

You can meet liars and cheaters anywhere, so I'm not sure that it really makes any difference whether you meet someone online or through other methods.
Online dating sites often provide profiles for the members, so you can at
least get to know something about the people you're browsing, whereas when you meet someone in real life, you don't know anything about them yet. Or if you use a social network/forum site, you may end up making friends there and might meet someone via word-of-mouth, similar to in-person friendships. It's really all the same, it's just interacting people in a different place/medium. I don't really understand the apparent separation people make between meeting people online vs. in person.

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion BBS - digitaldistortionbbs.com

Good point. Does that mean folks from the techno age will need to have
HS reuions online? How does computer dating weed out the liars and cheaters? I don't think I could trust someone that I met through a computer but I suppose it works for some people.

You can meet liars and cheaters anywhere, so I'm not sure that it really makes any difference whether you meet someone online or through other methods. Online dating sites often provide profiles for the members, so you can at least get to know something about the people you're browsing,
whereas when you meet someone in real life, you don't know anything about them yet. Or if you use a social network/forum site, you may end up making friends there and might meet someone via word-of-mouth, similar to
in-person friendships. It's really all the same, it's just interacting people in a different place/medium. I don't really understand the apparent separation people make between meeting people online vs. in person.

I met my current girlfriend though a Facebook group when I wasn't really looking and neither was she. I'm even on the edge of popping the question. So yeah, you can meet someone through any medium, even when you're not really looking.

-=Fireball=-

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þ Synchronet þ Fireball Express!!! BBS - http://fireballex.com telnet://fireballex.com

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Fireball to Nightfox on Wed Jul 24 2013 21:44:06

I met my current girlfriend though a Facebook group when I wasn't really looking and neither was she. I'm even on the edge of popping the question. So yeah, you can meet someone through any medium, even when you're not really looking.

Agreed. I met my last gf online as well, through a mutual online contact of ours.

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion BBS - digitaldistortionbbs.com

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Fireball to Nightfox on Wed Jul 24 2013 09:44 pm

Good point. Does that mean folks from the techno age will need to
have HS reuions online? How does computer dating weed out the liars and cheaters? I don't think I could trust someone that I met through
a computer but I suppose it works for some people.

You can meet liars and cheaters anywhere, so I'm not sure that it really makes any difference whether you meet someone online or through other methods. Online dating sites often provide profiles for the members, so you can at least get to know something about the people you're browsing, whereas when you meet someone in real life, you don't know anything
about them yet. Or if you use a social network/forum site, you may end up making friends there and might meet someone via word-of-mouth,
similar to in-person friendships. It's really all the same, it's just interacting people in a different place/medium. I don't really understand the apparent separation people make between meeting people online vs. in person.

I met my current girlfriend though a Facebook group when I wasn't really looking and neither was she. I'm even on the edge of popping the question. So yeah, you can meet someone through any medium, even when you're not really looking.

-=Fireball=-

Well they say that you never know what's behind the corner.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

---
þ Synchronet þ Park Avenue Place - parkave.synchro.net

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Nightfox to Fireball on Thu Jul 25 2013 07:28 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Fireball to Nightfox on Wed Jul 24 2013 21:44:06

I met my current girlfriend though a Facebook group when I wasn't really looking and neither was she. I'm even on the edge of popping
the question. So yeah, you can meet someone through any medium, even when you're not really looking.

Agreed. I met my last gf online as well, through a mutual online contact
of ours.

Nightfox

You got lucky man. A lot of women tend to play games on the internet. You have to be careful who you meet out there.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

---
þ Synchronet þ Park Avenue Place - parkave.synchro.net

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to Nightfox on Thu Jul 25 2013 06:23 pm

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Nightfox to Fireball on Thu Jul 25 2013 07:28 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Fireball to Nightfox on Wed Jul 24 2013 21:44:06

I met my current girlfriend though a Facebook group when I wasn't really looking and neither was she. I'm even on the edge of popping the question. So yeah, you can meet someone through any medium, even when you're not really looking.

Agreed. I met my last gf online as well, through a mutual online contact of ours.

Nightfox

You got lucky man. A lot of women tend to play games on the internet. You ha to be careful who you meet out there.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

sort of like a one night stand in vegas,
wake up tired broke and notice half your stuff is missing.
and once my cat too.
that is low, take a mans pussy.

"Practise safe Lunch, Use a Condiment"


---
þ Synchronet þ Three Stooges Gentlemens Club - Las Vegas, Nv - tsgc.dyndns.org

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to Nightfox on Thu Jul 25 2013 18:23:19

Agreed. I met my last gf online as well, through a mutual online
contact of ours.

You got lucky man. A lot of women tend to play games on the internet. You have to be careful who you meet out there.

That's true. I've gotten better at detecting who might be playing games and who is serious. After you start talking to someone for a while, you can get a sense of what they're up to.

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion BBS - digitaldistortionbbs.com

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to Nightfox on Thu Jul 25 2013 18:23:00

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Nightfox to Fireball on Thu Jul 25 2013 07:28 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Fireball to Nightfox on Wed Jul 24 2013 21:44:06

I met my current girlfriend though a Facebook group when I wasn't really looking and neither was she. I'm even on the edge of popping the question. So yeah, you can meet someone through any medium, even when you're not really looking.

Agreed. I met my last gf online as well, through a mutual online contact of ours.

Nightfox

You got lucky man. A lot of women tend to play games on the internet. You ha to be careful who you meet out there.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

Not just women playing the games either as experience has taught me. Although my aunt and uncle met back in the early 90s online and their marriage is still going. I haven't had such great luck.

Coconut

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þ Synchronet þ B4BBS = London, England - b4bbs.sampsa.com:2323 (telnet) or 2222 (ssh)

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Coconut to The Millionaire on Fri Jul 26 2013 19:50:00

I agree with The Millionaire. Although I've heard of success stories with online dating, most of them seem to be really outdated. Looks like they were taken seriously back in the 90's, but now I read many stories about women using these sites just for a quick ego boost.

I tried a dating site myself, but don't remember much about it. Just a bunch of "nerds" drinking starbucks and reading twilight. The best match it found for me was a tranny. I deleted my profile.

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þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com

Re: Re: Social networks
By: S/370 to Coconut on Fri Aug 09 2013 04:41 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Coconut to The Millionaire on Fri Jul 26 2013 19:50:00

I agree with The Millionaire. Although I've heard of success stories with online dating, most of them seem to be really outdated. Looks like they were taken seriously back in the 90's, but now I read many stories about women us

ing

these sites just for a quick ego boost.

I tried a dating site myself, but don't remember much about it. Just a bunch

of

"nerds" drinking starbucks and reading twilight. The best match it found for

me

was a tranny. I deleted my profile.

My wife and I met online in 2005 playing Toon Town (strangely, it is not unusual for thirty-year-old single adults to play kids games) Like a previously related story, neither of us were looking for someone, but it is cool how personalities just mesh sometimes. I am not sure that dating sites could work out for a not-so-handsome guy like me because the women there are trying to select a guy from the available set, and they only have a picture and short description to go by. They only get to select based on the most superficial criteria, so a lot of great matches get passed up.

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þ Synchronet þ The X-BIT BBS * http://x-bit.org * http://x-bit.org/777.htm

S/370 wrote to Coconut <=-

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Coconut to The Millionaire on Fri Jul 26 2013 19:50:00

I agree with The Millionaire. Although I've heard of success stories
with online dating, most of them seem to be really outdated. Looks like they were taken seriously back in the 90's, but now I read many stories about women using these sites just for a quick ego boost.

I tried a dating site myself, but don't remember much about it. Just a bunch of "nerds" drinking starbucks and reading twilight. The best
match it found for me was a tranny. I deleted my profile.

The women on our local area singles site are too picky. Over the last
twenty years I've never gotten a date... It used to bother me, but
after marriage, I don't mind so much anymore. ;)


--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
þ Synchronet þ Southeast Texas Chat

Re: Re: Social networks
By: S/370 to Coconut on Fri Aug 09 2013 04:41 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Coconut to The Millionaire on Fri Jul 26 2013 19:50:00

I agree with The Millionaire. Although I've heard of success stories with online dating, most of them seem to be really outdated. Looks like they
were taken seriously back in the 90's, but now I read many stories about women using these sites just for a quick ego boost.

I tried a dating site myself, but don't remember much about it. Just a
bunch of "nerds" drinking starbucks and reading twilight. The best match it found for me was a tranny. I deleted my profile.

Yeah, I still like the old fashioned way by meeting someone in person being it a chance meeting or not.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

---
þ Synchronet þ Park Avenue Place - parkave.synchro.net

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to S/370 on Fri Aug 09 2013 21:30:39

Wow you guys are lucky! Then again, maybe I'm just living in a "dating recession" since it seems like a lot of people in my generation are single compared to before.

Always pissed me off how girls in real life never want to talk online it seems. Getting to know them first is much less awkward when you don't have to worry about things like body language and awkward silences.

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þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to S/370 on Fri Aug 09 2013 09:30 pm

Re: Re: Social networks
By: S/370 to Coconut on Fri Aug 09 2013 04:41 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Coconut to The Millionaire on Fri Jul 26 2013 19:50:00

I agree with The Millionaire. Although I've heard of success stories with online dating, most of them seem to be really outdated. Looks like they were taken seriously back in the 90's, but now I read many stories about women using these sites just for a quick ego boost.

I tried a dating site myself, but don't remember much about it. Just a bunch of "nerds" drinking starbucks and reading twilight. The best match found for me was a tranny. I deleted my profile.

Yeah, I still like the old fashioned way by meeting someone in person being a chance meeting or not.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

I used to do that.
meet girls in bars.
go home and get it on.
wake up and all my stuff was gone.
had to quit.
was getting expencive.
and last one taking my cat was the last straw.
I guess I got her pussy and she got mine.

"Practise safe Lunch, Use a Condiment"


---
þ Synchronet þ Three Stooges Gentlemens Club - Las Vegas, Nv - tsgc.dyndns.org

Re: Re: Social networks
By: S/370 to The Millionaire on Sat Aug 10 2013 04:18 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to S/370 on Fri Aug 09 2013 21:30:39

Wow you guys are lucky! Then again, maybe I'm just living in a "dating recession" since it seems like a lot of people in my generation are single compared to before.

Always pissed me off how girls in real life never want to talk online it seems. Getting to know them first is much less awkward when you don't have to worry about things like body language and awkward silences.

Or when she doesn't feel the same way as you do or Strings you along because she's lonely.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

---
þ Synchronet þ Park Avenue Place - parkave.synchro.net

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Corey to The Millionaire on Sat Aug 10 2013 01:32 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to S/370 on Fri Aug 09 2013 09:30 pm

Re: Re: Social networks
By: S/370 to Coconut on Fri Aug 09 2013 04:41 am

Re: Re: Social networks
By: Coconut to The Millionaire on Fri Jul 26 2013 19:50:00

I agree with The Millionaire. Although I've heard of success stories with online dating, most of them seem to be really outdated. Looks like they were taken seriously back in the 90's, but now I read many stories about women using these sites just for a quick ego boost.

I tried a dating site myself, but don't remember much about it. Just
a bunch of "nerds" drinking starbucks and reading twilight. The best match found for me was a tranny. I deleted my profile.

Yeah, I still like the old fashioned way by meeting someone in person being a chance meeting or not.

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

I used to do that.
meet girls in bars.
go home and get it on.
wake up and all my stuff was gone.
had to quit.
was getting expencive.
and last one taking my cat was the last straw.
I guess I got her pussy and she got mine.

"Practise safe Lunch, Use a Condiment"

LOL@pussy!

$ The Millionaire $
Park Avenue Place
Surrey, B.C., Canada
the.millionaire@parkave.synchro.net

---
þ Synchronet þ Park Avenue Place - parkave.synchro.net

Re: Re: Social networks
By: The Millionaire to S/370 on Sat Aug 10 2013 20:15:30

Stringing me along because she's lonely? Aww how sweet! (unless I'm misunderstanding it)

Yeah, her not feeling the same way as me gets annoying too. But when I think about it, its probably because she's already seen 100 guys acting the same exact way. And then when its a girl that I actually HATE and try to avoid at all costs, they NEVER go away.

Since I don't have money for dating anyway, maybe I should stop being a
puppy and try treating them like dirt...

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þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com

--- S/370 wrote --

Yeah, her not feeling the same way as me gets annoying too. But when I thi about it, its probably because she's already seen 100 guys acting the sam exact way. And then when its a girl that I actually HATE and try to avoid all costs, they NEVER go away

My least favourite was the "going out with you to make someone else jealous" thing.


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* TARDIS BBS - Home of QUARKware * telnet bbs.cortex-media.info

Re: Re: Social networks
By: the doctor to S/370 on Sat Aug 17 2013 12:45 am

My least favourite was the "going out with you to make someone else jealous" thing.

Depends on how well they understood "quid pro quo".

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þ Synchronet þ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Re: Social networks
By: the doctor to S/370 on Sat Aug 17 2013 00:45:00

Actually I think one girl did that to me. About a week or two after I went out with her, she came into the store on her day off with another coworker from there! Goddamn bitch. And to think she was hinting that she wanted to me to buy her $80 purses on our "date"! Needless to say I didn't since girls always seem to vanish after first dates. What a waste of my New Years Day. I just wish I smoked even more weed the night before...

(Damn, I get too worked up over dating stories)

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þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com