Um... facebook?

Lisa Cox · Oct 2, 2009

I'm sure the topic of facebook has been batted around here since the dawn of time, but...

I can't figure it out! Well, I can, kind of. Maybe. It's all a bit like walking down the procrastination red light district, and I'm just trying to figure out how it can be useful.

So what I really need are some 'friends'. I could start adding people I haven't spoken to for ten years, next door's dog-walker, the SO's hairstylist and my mum -- but I'd rather stick to the people with whom I have things in common (ie. writing).

So where can I find you? I don't mind if you're 10% writing, 90% random RL. I just care that the people I friend will see me write things like this -- 'CH10 NEEDS CONFLICT, LESS TELL, WILL BE LONG NIGHT' -- and know what the hell I'm going on about.

So where can I find you? I'm here, I think... http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000308440361&ref=profile Did I do that right? o.0

In other news, I had the fleeting idea I could find my long-lost (to me) father on Facebook, seeing as he doesn't even know he has a grandchild. So I typed in his name and fifty squillion results came up, even when I filtered. Bah. Too much effort.

ETA: My 500th post was about facebook? Dammit.

Wayne K · Oct 2, 2009

I have two facebook friends, my nephews. One is twelve and the other is eight. I feel so popular

Lisa Cox · Oct 2, 2009

What's the facebook lingo for hooking up? You know, adding someone.

Whatever it is, let's do that. We can be unpopular together.

thethinker42 · Oct 2, 2009

It's called "friending" someone.

I have a rather large menagerie of friends on FB because I use it to keep up with everybody: family, friends, classmates, writer friends, etc. Since we live so far away from everyone, it makes it easier to keep up. Plus, I can put more pics on a FB album than on my blog.

I ignore most of the apps and quizzes and crap, so it hasn't been as much of a time vampire as it could be. and my friends and family are pretty well-accustomed to random writing-related status messages ("X,000 words done today", "aiming for X,000 words on this WIP, need to line-edit that WIP, got another form rejection", etc etc et).

It's also been nice for whoring out my book.

Wayne K · Oct 2, 2009

I hear it's nioe for good old fashioned whoring too

Wayne K · Oct 2, 2009

I don't even know how to use the thing. I just went to it after reading this thread, and found there's an inbox. I didn't know there were private messages. Apparently, I was invited to have pizza friday night in July sometime. I'm going to show up tomorrow clueless-like, and get that damned pizza.

thethinker42 · Oct 2, 2009

Wayne K said:
I hear it's nioe for good old whoring too

I haven't tried that particular app.

It's also created new opportunities for awkward moments between family members. These are actual screenshots from my Facebook wall...

Read this one from the bottom up...the blurred out name is one of my cousins:

---------------------------------------

Read this one from the top down. Dave is a friend, Betty is my mom...

Gotta love it.

KTC · Oct 2, 2009

Oh Lori...you really captured that one. (no pun intended) I too have relatives AND weird friends. That's a funny status thread there. Really shows one of the truths about facebooking.

I really like having that more frequent connection with faraway relatives. And most of my relatives are faraway. (-;

Wayne K · Oct 2, 2009

thethinker42 said:
I haven't tried that particular app.

It's also created new opportunities for awkward moments between family members. These are actual screenshots from my Facebook wall...

Read this one from the bottom up...the blurred out name is one of my cousins:

---------------------------------------

Read this one from the top down. Dave is a friend, Betty is my mom...

Gotta love it.

Wait till your family finds out about me

fringle · Oct 2, 2009

I'll be your friend. I added you. You'll get used to it quickly and find that it's rather handy and fun.

truelyana · Oct 2, 2009

I think am on it to give exposure to my blog and at the same time keep in touch with my AW buddies, close family members, and one or two friends who I like pestering. (the feeling is mutual)

I have just added you too - I'm the one with no picture.

scarletpeaches · Oct 2, 2009

I've tried Facebook several times and really, really don't see the point of it. If I want to keep in touch with someone on the other side of the world, I email them. I don't need a separate website for that.

As for promotion of books? Feh. Email people. FB just seems to me like a public way of saying private things. If you can make your profile private so only 'friends' can see your photos, why not just email them the photos in the first place?

KTC · Oct 2, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
I've tried Facebook several times and really, really don't see the point of it. If I want to keep in touch with someone on the other side of the world, I email them. I don't need a separate website for that.

As for promotion of books? Feh. Email people. FB just seems to me like a public way of saying private things. If you can make your profile private so only 'friends' can see your photos, why not just email them the photos in the first place?

your crustiness is duly noted.

Lisa Cox · Oct 2, 2009

Yeah, I prefer old-school methods of communication (email, text, MSN -- lol 'old-school'), but I thought I'd give this new-fangled social-wotsit stuff a try.

If you ever re-join facebook, I'll totes write pervy things all over your wall.

KathrynLang · Oct 2, 2009

I'm still learning Facebook - but I've struggled with finding friends outside my "forgotten circle" of school mates. I have started looking for the facebook link on some of my favorite blogs and then using those to meet others in the industry. I'm slowly building my friends in the writing and speaking industry and not just those from high school.

Lisa Cox · Oct 2, 2009

I have started looking for the facebook link on some of my favorite blogs and then using those to meet others in the industry.

I'll be doing the same, I think. I can't add many of my friends/family because not a lot of them know I write, and writing's the reason I (eventually) joined FB. So I'll be looking at it as another way to keep up with the industry.

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 2, 2009

Eh, I'm on facebook and I have one friend. That friend has twelve friends. Most of them (and him) are writers. I don't facebook with any school friends or family, because they are not writers, and I think most of the apps are stupid. I can just call or e-mail them. I know another guy who has 187 friends on facebook, all from school. He doesn't do apps either, and very little wall-to-wall or messaging, so really not that much point there, he's found.

But for someone with content and or serious networking plans, it can be a good way to get some free publicity.

But anyway, someone friends me! Look for atsiko ureni.

Kitty Pryde · Oct 2, 2009

There's a FB group called AW Addicts. There's a ton of us on there!
PS I am friending you!

katiemac · Oct 2, 2009

lisamarie84x said:
I'll be doing the same, I think. I can't add many of my friends/family because not a lot of them know I write, and writing's the reason I (eventually) joined FB. So I'll be looking at it as another way to keep up with the industry.

If that's the case, you might want to put your energy into Twitter instead. On Twitter you can follow publishing houses, agents, published authors, editors and things like Publisher's Lunch. If you use it right, you can turn Twitter into a news/information feed about a specific industry. You can also meet lots of other writers very easily.

Facebook, in my opinion, is still very much a private (personal) networking tool. You won't, for example, be able to 'friend' an agent and get updates. (Unless she's your agent.)

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 2, 2009

katiemac said:
If that's the case, you might want to put your energy into Twitter instead. On Twitter you can follow publishing houses, agents, published authors, editors and things like Publisher's Lunch. If you use it right, you can turn Twitter into a news/information feed about a specific industry. You can also meet lots of other writers very easily.

Facebook, in my opinion, is still very much a private (personal) networking tool. You won't, for example, be able to 'friend' an agent and get updates. (Unless she's your agent.)

Twitter is great, too. I've only just started using it, but the #queryfail discussion there (before I joined) was awesome. If anyone here has twitter, I'd be happy to follow them.

katiemac · Oct 2, 2009

I haven't searched the queryfail hash tag, but that does sound amusing. Thanks for letting me know it exists!

Lisa Cox · Oct 2, 2009

Yeah, Twitter's my next stop. Just want to get the hang of FB first. I figure I'd have to eventually (agents and publishers are always going on about 'facebook presence', which makes it sound somewhat important). It can't hurt.

I already keep well up to date with Google reader, so I'm not worried about using FB to keep up with the industry. I'm more interested in learning what all the fuss is about, if I'm honest!

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 2, 2009

Yay! I joined the aw addicts group on facebook. (I refuse to stoop to "fb", dammit!)

Also, I sent you a friend request, Lisa.

Er... confirmed your friend request.

Angela_785 · Oct 2, 2009

Oh, didn't know there was an AW group on Facebook! I'll have to check it out!!

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 2, 2009

Angela_785 said:
Oh, didn't know there was an AW group on Facebook! I'll have to check it out!!

Yup, with about 219 members.

Um... facebook?

Lisa Cox

Wayne K

Lisa Cox

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

Wayne K

Wayne K

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Wayne K

fringle

always abroad

truelyana

Set yourself free

scarletpeaches

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Lisa Cox

KathrynLang

Lisa Cox

Liosse de Velishaf

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

katiemac

Five by Five

Liosse de Velishaf

katiemac

Five by Five

Lisa Cox

Liosse de Velishaf

Angela_785

Liosse de Velishaf