My Facebook in Thailand
Actually, I never wanted an account in (or on?) Facebook, I think those cyberspace links to communicate with each other is more something for younger generations. They can, indeed, chat in space to their heart's content.
At the beginning of this year, however, I had a good reason, which is irrelevant here, to register. So it happened and I immediately became part of an endless stream of information, the vast majority of which could be labeled as meaningless.
I wanted to get rid of it pretty quickly but my first attempt to cancel my account failed and I just let it go. I occasionally look at it and sometimes see useful information as said; the rest is nonsense and it is a mystery to me why certain private matters are put on Facebook.
What interests me now what someone is going to eat, but there is a picture of the plate of food on Facebook. Someone has a baby and almost every day there is a new photo of the child, sleeping, smiling, hat on, hat off, etc.
Then the many announcements without comment: "I'm at the supermarket now" or "I'm going to the airport in Bangkok now". Short videos, pseudo-funny, sad, heartwarming, fun, remarkable, is also a popular topic.
In the beginning I sent a few (maybe 10 or so) “friend requests”. However, at the moment I have 145 “friends” of which the majority have asked me as a friend and I obediently agreed to the request. Going through the list of friends, I notice that with 145 friends I'm pretty good, but there are those who have hundreds of friends with one outlier from someone who has more than 1100. Where does he get them from, I think!
My group of friends consists of almost thirty Dutch people, as many as the Thais present and the rest are foreigners from many countries whom I have met once or more often in the Megabreak Poolhall. Remarkable to me is that the Dutch keep their cool; messages from them do come through but in acceptable quantities. The foreigners show (too) often remarkable videos, the Thais take the crown with a diarrhea of nonsensical messages that cannot interest anyone.
I recently read somewhere that Thailand has the highest density (number of Facebook accounts per capita) in the world. The Thais therefore often have hundreds of friends and they chatter happily, often in Thai of course. I also put something on it sometimes, but when I see the number of 'likes', I think indeed, I might as well have left it out.
What about you? Do you use Facebook or another cyberlink to exchange information? And, do you find it useful or does it benefit you? I am curious.
I am one of the users who has Facebook from the beginning. My “friendship” on facebook is limited. Many of them are ex-colleagues, a large group of relatives (of which we also have a group) and I am a member of a group of my previous employer, because there are also many people there and I have also really benefited from it. These are people who are in the aviation industry and I have sometimes been able to get stuff from Germany that you don't easily find here. I myself have sometimes been able to pass on tips about Thailand to people who asked about it in our group.
I don't chat often, at most with some good friends from the past and my daughters.
What do I put on it myself? I have a photo shoot of my pond project and a group of photos of animals I find in our area. Now I'm not going to photograph all the dogs, but recently a frog was eaten by a snake in front of our house... I thought that was an interesting addition to that animal series.
I will not reveal really personal things. I have also not made public the joy of my divorce. This is out of respect for my children. And I sometimes like to read the pieces of Dick van der Lugt and Cor Verhoef…
In any case, I think it's a nice medium, which you shouldn't take too seriously. It's infotainment. Better than the crap you get served on TV.
A cousin of mine is a photographer and mostly shoots models…. so the eye is also presented with something other than a blurry photo of the beer that someone is drinking…
I used to use other media, such as Yahoo, MSN Messenger, Skype, What's app, some Dutch sites, but I think eventually everyone gradually slides from there to Facebook. If only because everyone is “on it” and therefore it is easier to keep in touch.
However, I get real info from the specific websites. I can't take Facebook seriously for that.
http://istrategylabs.com/2014/01/3-million-teens-leave-facebook-in-3-years-the-2014-facebook-demographic-report/
Young people are leaving Facebook in large numbers. The main reason is that their father and mother are on Facebook, want to become their friend and can read all the sense and nonsense of their children; not forgetting who they hang out with and what they do (control: having lunch at the Central? Shouldn't you be at school?)
Facebook's growth comes from the 55+ age group.
Facebook is the digital version of the local pub, the village pump and the schoolyard. Nothing special, nothing new; just a different shape. Thai children are mainly on Line.
For Thailandblog, which has its own page, Facebook is a promotional tool to reach many people at the same time. I myself also have a FB page; I use it as a publication medium for my daily column. The column will be posted on the Thailandblog page.
I don't chat. I would like to respond to comments under my columns. I hate stupid and stupid comments.
Facebook can also be very dangerous.
Like human traffickers who want to befriend you with nice stories.
Data emerges that you did not foresee .
I have forbidden my foster daughter to be a member of it .
I myself also regret becoming a member of it .
What a stepfather did to check on her, when she saw that she had switched her account which I quickly found out.
Facebook can destroy someone's happiness in some cases.
Not everything that is available and available on I-Net is suitable for everyone. You participate in it, or it leaves you cold. I think it's great that many others do. It's not necessary for me. Interesting is that you can earn a lot of money with -the chatter in space- of others; see the shares of and the value of the company -facebook-. And that is striking.
Apart from business interests, there are always people who want to inform others about the color and model of the blouse or underpants they are wearing. And even crazier is that there are people who value knowing that about others.
And for him or her who wants to get rid of -facebook- just this; it is possible, your data will remain in the archive of Facebook. Your account will then no longer be visible. If you reopen your account, your previous data will be visible again in no time. To supposedly -delete- your Facebook account, you have to plow through the menus; but it goes.
So one (1) time with Facebook is always with Facebook.
Here's a guide to canceling your account if it gets too much for you: http://www.hcc.nl/webzine/column-en-achtergronden/eenvoudig-je-facebook-account-opheffen
Despite an emotional resistance to Facebook, I opened an account a few months ago. The aim was to track down some old friends/acquaintances. That worked and with that some old contacts could be revived. The major drawback I saw was the lack of privacy, I have little desire to share the details of my daily doings with the rest of the world, nor am I moderately interested in the trivialities of other people's lives. That is why the account was deactivated again after a few weeks – I do maintain ties with the newfound friends/acquaintances in a different way.
I became a member of FB because it is an easy way to maintain contact with my children who do not live in the Netherlands. Also nowadays easy to call each other (free) with a very good connection.
I don't have too many contacts either, but FB suffices for me
Cor Verkerk
Keeping in touch with people you know is much easier and completely free via Skype. So no one needs Facebook to keep in touch. And if you are a member of facebook but the person you are looking for is not, you will not find him / her either. Facebook is not a human search engine. And if he / she is under an alias at facebook, you will not find either. If you no longer want Skype and you -delete- your account, then you are completely -deleted-. So different from Facebook, which theoretically will still know everything about you in 30 years, what you posted yesterday in a drunken mood. Well then cheers!!
Nice if you go to apply for a job and your future boss searches under your name in Facebook and finds your drunken posting from 20 years ago.
A good tip to keep your Facebook clean from a lot of nonsense is to only accept people as friends that you actually know and like. That may save a lot of photos of food. Someone already said it in a comment: you can very easily keep in touch with people who live far away or who you just don't need to see every day, but who you like to know what they are doing. I maintain contact with many former colleagues and friends abroad. You can also receive as much information on your facebook as you want. All major news organizations, magazines, newspapers, publishers, record companies, cinemas, etc. have a Facebook page. And don't forget this Thailand blog. So there is a lot to experience. But beware: it is addictive 🙂
Yes I have a fb account and yes I post photos of dishes that I get an average of about 35 responses at a time just because apparently there are people who like it. I, in turn, sometimes get tired of all the missing children, dogs and cats, but everyone has their own way.
It also keeps me informed for the rest of the year about the ins and outs of my Thai friends and the people I got to know during my holidays there.
This has meanwhile brought me friends in Sweden, France, Germany and Australia, whom we have all visited or received.
I have also found lost friends from the past through searches, with whom the contact has been restored, so as far as I am concerned, facebook is an asset!
Facebook is a common commodity in Thailand. 1.19 billion users worldwide (Oct 2013)
Line is also frequently used by both companies and individuals.
Facebook is on the decline in a number of countries, there are alternatives to maintain contact, such as Whatsapp.
Facebook has become a hype and will be converted into alternatives over a certain period of time, similar to hyves. A failed IPO for Facebook has also been a downer for many.
In the Netherlands we use WhatsApp more and there is also a lot of tweeting.
To what extent people are interested in reading and following all the information is still a mystery to me.
I don't use Facebook or Twitter. Line only for business contacts in Thailand and I still use Skype for calling with the Netherlands.
This can be done on both my mobile and desktop computer. Have a world subscription and the connection is great.
Viber is an alternative but considers it worse than Skype.
I feel that by not using social media I don't really miss anything.
I have no followers…. luckily i can move on my own without being chased..
Oh yes, and I found the link to this blog on…yes! Facebook! 😀
To come back to it… indeed what Henry says. I sometimes get requests from people I don't even know. Those are again acquaintances of acquaintances of friends… people I will never meet in my life, maybe don't even want to meet. There are already enough of them that I never talk to. What bothers me are people who start chatting with you and suddenly without saying hello suddenly can't talk to you anymore. Rude.
I think with Facebook you should have the same rules as with normal interaction.
I always tell my girlfriend that we should never, ever put our current feelings. Are we arguing for some reason… not putting any of that on facebook. That's like hanging on a billboard in a supermarket. When I see it from others, I not only find it annoying, but I also don't want to know. Just put nice things on facebook that you would tell in a group. If you have personal things to say, you can always chat or send a personal note.
I think I usually get about 8-10 comments on my photos… and not because they're that bad, but because (just like in real life) there aren't many people who have a real mutual interest.
But like I said…. you just shouldn't take it too seriously.
Of course you can also see it differently. With facebook you can experience how rude some people are when they don't stand against you?. People who stop chatting without saying a word because they are watching TV, getting beer, making coffee or taking a shower show their lack of respect for others.
see clearly. They don't get any reaction from me anymore, because I only start to notice it after a few minutes. In short, my chat partner just puts me in front of Jan-lul.
Even in a conversation people with a little education don't just get up and leave the room without saying a word.
Texting is fine with me. Anyone can read that if they have time. Chat, NO GO with me !!. It takes me too much time. Skype is OK, but with a camera if possible.
Facebook is not really known here in the village,
I don't have it and I don't miss it either...
only when I fall asleep with a book on my face –
I also have facebook!
I have had an account for a few years, enjoy it, limit my contacts, and would like to correspond with 40+ people about Thailand. been going to koh chang long beach for 4 weeks already, week or 2 on a permanent site, and from there on, this year to islands in the NW, towards myanmar, which seems to be a terrible jand.
I have a handful of FB friends left over from my stay, a very nice 'lady' from Bangkok, very easy to follow, and she follows me even though she has 254 friends. the other woman (ex-owner of Tree House Long Beach) is more of one who thinks she is very beautiful (she is, but as soon as someone thinks that of herself, the beauty fades. She has 2400 friends. Fascinating country, and wonderful , full of lovely people and no rip-offs anywhere (wherever I go). I put some photos on my page, (a pity that Hyves is no longer there, that was my public photo archive with travel stories, now see my contributions on http://www.andersreizen.nl. the advantage of Facebook is that you can post something and your friends can choose themselves, depending on whether they have the time and inclination to see/read it.
On Facebook you can promote yourself and make yourself loved, the reverse is also true.
Use it mainly to keep in touch with friends and family who live a bit far away, to maintain normal social contacts. Now you can also do this via email or Skype. But do like to see new pictures of their family; marriage, newborn etc. to view. What they eat, or what minor ailment they suffer from at any given time, it doesn't have to be. You can also change that in your settings.
Got to know Facebook myself when hospitalized in AEK Udon International Hospital. Was there for 3 months, appeared here on Thailandblog. Was that a relief!
Social media is useful, but to be honest, I prefer to go to a cafe to see certain people. If that is not possible due to various circumstances, it is a good alternative.
But it's a bit like using the www as an encyclopedia. There are many untruths on it, and you have to filter a bit yourself to share your personal needs, or want to know those of others.
Perhaps another personal note; due to circumstances my former diamond cutter is in prison. We write letters, and that seems like a faded glory. That takes time. Write down a sheet, reread it and start again. But these communications are very intense, and in no way comparable to actions on (or) reactions via a Facebook or even email, it is so transitory there.
These media flatten your feelings, you just go with the flow. And expressing a personal opinion is limited to a reaction that is liked or not liked after 3 minutes.
As long as you use Facebook for what it was invented for, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. If it becomes your daily activity, or your online diary - that's what you could call it - well. Then you better have as many friends and followers as possible ;~!
I live in the Netherlands and I still found my father through a lot of searching, but I now know that he lives in Ban Amphur!! And also via Facebook!
Totally agree, Gringo. More fake book than facebook. I have wrong friends, I think.
In 2006 I went to live and work in Bangkok (Lad Krabang) for my work. Then I created an account on Facebook to keep Dutch friends informed. In 2013 I returned to the Netherlands and now I sometimes do something on Facebook to keep my Thai friends informed about the Netherlands. But what Gringo says is certainly true. A lot of nonsense and I skip all the plates with food, short videos and other nonsense. A slightly more extensive form of information for my Dutch friends was a weblog. freekinthailand.wordpress.com Every 2 weeks I tried to write a story, with photos, about my experiences. Unfortunately, a lot of photos have suddenly been lost. In Thailand I read Thailand blog with great pleasure. Now already a year back in the Netherlands (which I am so disappointed) I still read Thailandblog daily. I hope you will continue for a long time, I have closed Thailand in my heart and have made real friends from it. Regards, Frank
and when I see those delicious and beautifully decorated plates of food from my facebook friend, I feel like going again. Not that I'm that culinary, but the love with which it is prepared, served, served, well, Thailand is love.