Facebook and social blogging

[Galaen]

I can see all the benefits of a site like facebook or twitter etc but I can also see there are many loopholes and dangers which it would be impossible to close due to the very nature of the site itself. To me it is yet another path to losing touch with relationships in the way we know them now. We no longer speak to people on the phone like we used to do because it is cheaper and often easier to email. We do not write letters because it is too long winded and costly. We don't need to meet as often because we keep in touch electronically. Sorry but I still think there will be tears before bedtime

[canny]

What about forums and chat rooms, I have met some absolutely wonderful people in all these places, and visited some of them, and some have visited me, I think it's no different to meeting people in a bar or supermarket meeting people on line, and for some housebound, its their only means of being able to communicate. I think the internet is a wonderful place and I have met no more oddities than I have in the street... well except one, but she has an excuse, she is scottish

[Lily]

but I can also see there are many loopholes and dangers which it would be impossible to close due to the very nature of the site itself.

But that can apply anyway, including forums such as this to. You could also say that there is a danger in meeting someone of the opposite sex for the first time and accepting a date.
The vunerable in life are vunerable anywhere.

To me it is yet another path to losing touch with relationships in the way we know them now. We no longer speak to people on the phone like we used to do because it is cheaper and often easier to email. We do not write letters because it is too long winded and costly. We don't need to meet as often because we keep in touch electronically.

I don't see that it's an either/or. I have many people I mail and speak to on fb that I also talk to on the telephone and see in person.

We no longer speak to people on the phone like we used to do because it is cheaper and often easier to email.

I don't see that as a problem caused by the advent of fb or MSN or any other messenger tool. Thats just plain old fashioned life hitting people in the pocket. If I spoke to as many people as I do on fb and MSN, on the telephone, I'd have no money to eat.

I'm in touch with far more people these days than I was when I was stuck in my rut 10yrs ago. 10yrs ago, I was very nearly considering a one way ticket out of here due to me feeling so isolated.
No tears before bedtime here. Infact my life has more people in it now than ever.

[nifty]

To me it is yet another path to losing touch with relationships in the way we know them now.

We don't need to meet as often because we keep in touch electronically.

I disagree. I think it helps maintain relationships. I have just finished high school. I have used facebook to easily and quickly organise large groups of my friends catching up. Instead of ringing everyone up, I just post something that all ym friends can see, we organise a time and then we catch up. I agree, face to face contact is better then over a compter screen. But you can USE the internet to make this happen more often. A friend I hadn't talked to for ages saw that I was a Christian over facebook and asked if I could take her to church.

Again, it's all about how you use it. Sure there's stalkers and predators out there. But which is mroe likely, someone from the other side of the world see my profile picture, think I'm pretty and then come over here and kidnap me, or, someone see me walking home from the train station every night, think I'm pretty, and one night attack me?

Life is dangerous. There are ways to try and keep yourself safer, but in the end, life is dangerous. I don't think it will end in tears.

I've read that when telephones came in people complained that they weren't good for us, that they'd kill relationships. Now you're argueing that that IS a good relationship.

[Lily]

Again, it's all about how you use it. Sure there's stalkers and predators out there. But which is mroe likely, someone from the other side of the world see my profile picture, think I'm pretty and then come over here and kidnap me, or, someone see me walking home from the train station every night, think I'm pretty, and one night attack me?

Life is dangerous. There are ways to try and keep yourself safer, but in the end, life is dangerous.

I totally agree. I have been in danger twice in my adult life from total strangers and both times it was in broad day light with crowds of people around.
Both times were situations where I had no reason to be on my guard.

At least on the net, I have a little more control. I can control who I get to know on fb. If I have a friends request from someone I don't know, I decline the invite, if it's from someone who I see has mutual friends, I check them out by mailing everyone of those mutual friends before I decide who to accept but even then, if someone sends me a friends request with no introduction, they get declined. That at least is having some control.

Yes I agree, the net can be a very dangerous place, especially for trusting people and people who trust on face value are the most vunerable but trusting people are vunerable anywhere. I mean, how many children and young teens are in far more danger in their own homes with people they know well than from total strangers ? In my own case, I can say with some conviction that in all the years I have met total strangers from the net, looking back with hindsight now, I was far safer with them than I was in my own home with my Husband.

I also personally know many couples who met on the net and are now either in long term relationships or married.
I agree with what Canny said, apart from actually seeing the person in front of you, I don't see it as any different from meeting someone in a supermarket. Just because you see an actual physical person in front of you, doesn't mean to say, even then, that they are not telling you a pack of lies and the first time they get you alone, they aren't going to strike.

In life there are always going to be times where you find yourself alone with someone eventually. Imagine knowing someone of the opposite sex and consider yourself to be dating. You could be dating that person for 6 months in public places and during the course of that relationship, you can exchange phone numbers, know where that person lives and there is always that cut off point where you find yourself alone with them. Thats the very nature of dating. Thats the very nature of relationships advancing to possible engagement and marriage and the relationship would never advance to that stage if two people spent their entire dating time in a crowd of people. How do we know for sure that that person hasn't been feeding us lies for 6 months and waiting for that exact time ? Answer is, we don't know for sure.

As Nifty said, it's all about how you use it and being sensible.