Facebook: I Think I Hate You

I just really dislike using Facebook. To me, it is basically an automated business card storage container on the internet.

Not that it isn't great for stuff, clearly people are doing fine with it.

But for me, it is mostly aggravating.

1. Please don't ever send me a Facebook message/invite/whatever and expect I got it. If you actually know me and it is actually important, then you know how to contact me via Email/chat/cell phone. Doesn't everyone have a email filter setup to automatically dump anything from Facebook?

Matches: from:Facebook
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label "Facebook"

2. I don't want everyone I ever met knowing the random thing I might have posted on Facebook while out drinking. Facebook has these Friend Lists, why can't I setup permissions based on them? All I need is a set of people to which I post anything I want, and another set of people who don't get my posts/pictures/whatever. These set of people is really the 'business card storage' group.

3. While I'm not going to lengths to protect my identity/personal info on this blog, I'm not exactly broadcasting such information either. I have no problem with people being anonymous on the Internet. My picture isn't even here. Is nobody else a bit torn about internet anonymity? I don't really want my digital interweb existence to be an extension of my real world life. I want it to make my real world life easier. Maybe I just watch to much Battlestar Galactica, but I really don't need a virtual copy of myself floating around the Internet trying to become self aware and going all MCP on me.

4. I'm not paranoid.

5. I tried setting up a 2nd Facebook account using a pseudonym, but they go to lengths to stop this. I can't link two Facebook accounts to 1 phone number or the same email address! Argh. Plus the confusion of having to figure out which account i'm dealing with is even more aggravating then dealing with 1 Facebook account. This is right out.

6. I use plenty of other social media tools. Like this one I'm typing on right now. Twitter is useful when used appropriately; I like the simplicity. Google Buzz makes my life easier, although its a bit limited at this point. LivingSocial deals are kinda like social media and they save me money! Facebook costs me time. LinkedIn is a boon.

7. Pretty sure I'm not paranoid.