Value of Facebook?

Cynthia Daniel · 10-18-2009, 04:49 PM

I joined Facebook a while back. So far, I'm still wondering what value it has for my business. So far, I find it to just be a time and energy drain for the most part. I'm curious of the experience of others. I suppose for those who want to share their latest portrait, it's a good way to keep in touch.

Also, do you feel Facebook partially replaces what you might be otherwise sharing over here on the Forum?

The greatest value for me has been in finding relatives, not for my business.

Allan Rahbek · 10-18-2009, 05:32 PM

Cynthia, I'm on Facebook also.
I find it's a fast, somewhat superficial forum. I have sometimes tried to comment on someones paintings, but find that the response is not really wanted if the critic is critical. People are not seriously inn for building skill's in the spirit of this forum.

Laurel Alanna McBrine · 10-18-2009, 07:01 PM

The reason I decided to join was to try to get more web traffic to my writing. I have a few blogs, one of which is not related to art.

I try not to waste too much time on it. I don't think it replaces this forum at all as the focus, even with art as the subject, is not on portraiture.

Richard Bingham · 10-18-2009, 08:33 PM

Since the advent of Facebook, I've noted a marked decrease in traffic on the fora I subscribe to. I suspect it may be in part due to the immediacy Facebook offers.

For my part, I "don't get it" . . . I don't know how to use it, but I signed on, partly because it doesn't feel right to snub all those messages telling me a wide circle of folks I know "want me for a friend" . . . dunno what kind of friend on Facebook I'm being, as I don't really know how to use it.

Michele Rushworth · 10-18-2009, 11:55 PM

I use Facebook quite a bit and know of people who promote their businesses on it. I can see how that could be quite effective if done well. There are plenty of websites with tips on how to promote your business on Facebook

I agree that the depth of conversation/critique doesn't nearly approach what there used to be on SOG and that is unfortunate. I do find FB a great way to stay in touch with a lot of artists, and "meet" new ones, though. That's been a valuable thing for me since being a full time painter can be very isolated.

Debra Norton · 10-19-2009, 01:06 AM

Hmm, I will have to "friend" you Michele. I use FB mostly to help keep track of relatives and a few friends from art school.

Virgil Elliott · 01-19-2012, 01:17 AM

The problem with Facebook, for me, is that I spend too much time wading through posts of pictures of people's pets and reports of the trivial details of so many of my friends' everyday lives in search of a few truly meaningful or interesting posts that are actually worth reading. I could also do without the political preaching of some of my friends as well, since I have my own ideas about political issues, and the good manners to refrain from imposing them on anyone else, out of respect for their own views on the subject.

Though I continue to go to Facebook every day, I try to be considerate enough of my friends to limit my posts to the bare minimum, and spare them the tedium of reading every thought that pops into my head or reports of every unimportant event that occurs in my daily life, with the perhaps unrealistic hope that I will thereby inspire others to follow my sterling example.

Virgil Elliott

Cynthia Daniel · 02-05-2012, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil Elliott

The problem with Facebook, for me, is that I spend too much time wading through posts of pictures of people's pets and reports of the trivial details of so many of my friends' everyday lives in search of a few truly meaningful or interesting posts that are actually worth reading. I could also do without the political preaching of some of my friends as well, since I have my own ideas about political issues, and the good manners to refrain from imposing them on anyone else, out of respect for their own views on the subject.

Though I continue to go to Facebook every day, I try to be considerate enough of my friends to limit my posts to the bare minimum, and spare them the tedium of reading every thought that pops into my head or reports of every unimportant event that occurs in my daily life, with the perhaps unrealistic hope that I will thereby inspire others to follow my sterling example.

Virgil Elliott

Amen! Add to that religious preaching, photos of the stitches you got, etc. When I first became a grandmother in May, I did not know I could specify who saw what I posted. Since then, I have my postings of my granddaughter set up so only family and close friends can see them.

I see you can also you can select what things you subscribe to with each friend.