Is this a rude thing to do?

No, I don't think so. Surely that's what the likes of Facebook is for? If people are concerned about their privacy, they can lock their profile down to limit who can view it.

I thought the whole idea of having a profile was that others could look at it and see as much or as little as you choose for them to see?

What's the point otherwise of 'advertising' yourself if no-one is going to look at it?

The person who posted the photographs presumably did so in order for others to look at them?

I think your son is quite wrong to say you were being nosey.

Your son obviously doesn’t understand FB.

I have contacted several people on Facebook because something in their profile has caught my interest. No one has ever objected to my interest.

That's a relief to know. He doesn't do social media.

So many people do not keep their site secure..

I don’t do FB but imagine what you were doing is fine. Isn’t this what FB is all about, sharing info and such like.

Your son's being daft. That's what FB is all about. Posters want other people to read about their achievements or items of interest. If they didn't they would limit it to members only. As Deedaa says, it's not uncommon for strangers to message via FB because of a particular post. Maybe local history, a niche hobby or a recipe for example. In my experience it's usually warmly welcomed.

kircubbin2000

That's a relief to know. He doesn't do social media.

He doesn't do social media.

... that would explain his comment.

Point out to him that you didn't metaphorically peer through the individual's window - he put everything on display and drew back the curtains for you (or anyone else) to have a look!

There is nothing nosy about looking at someone's social media. There are people who live their lives onlin. They project an image of their life as they would like it to be rather than what it actusally is. Nowadays employers automatically look up job applicants online to gain an impression of them. There are all kinds of government agencies who snoop online. So folks had best be careful what they put out there.

That’s what it’s there for isn’t it. You can have privacy and only allow friends to look at your site if you don’t want the world to look.

I once worked with a very nice man who suddenly took his own life one evening after work. When I looked at his FB profile there was so much evidence on it that he had been severely depressed for many months. Sometimes, if we are unsure of someone/something and we check a profile, it can throw light on how we may need to tread carefully in a situation.

I do this ALL the time haha.

I call it my FB stalking!

If people have “open” accounts I simply cannot see the issue.

Short answer: No. It's 2024 - that's what people do.

I don't think you were being nosey at all. If it's on FB they want you to see it.

Hi there
Profile are just that ..for others to look at 😀

If the profile was private, you wouldn't have been able to see it.
How absurd of your son, if you don't mind me saying so.
If people don't want things to be seen they should not put them on the internet!

When I first moved in here one of my neighbours asked me my name, was I Miss or Mrs, and for my phone number. She did not volunteer her name which I considered very rude. And no, I did not tell her my phone number. I told her it was for my friends and family and not just any random person.

I later looked her up on the land registry website to find out her full name, and it gave me a lot more info about her - including the fact that she and her "husband" had different surnames. Thats what you call stalking.

Facebook makes it clear that you can have a public or private profile within settings, as far as your own posts are concerned, so you are not being nosey at all.

That said that comes a point when 'cyberstalking ' by searching for every post and activity might seem a bit sinister, depending on the motive.

No, you’re not being nosey. What a strange thing to say.

No you were not

No not being nosey if they are putting it out there people will look

Dickens

I thought the whole idea of having a profile was that others could look at it and see as much or as little as you choose for them to see?

What's the point otherwise of 'advertising' yourself if no-one is going to look at it?

The person who posted the photographs presumably did so in order for others to look at them?

I think your son is quite wrong to say you were being nosey.

Agree totally, people who post photos on Facebook WANT to be seen, otherwise they would keep them private.

Good heavens, if what you are doing Kirkcubbin is being nosey and rud. Then I am the champ. I often put the name of people I meet or remember in google and see what comes up.

I recently put the name of someone who came to view our house into google because although, he wasn't boasting or anything, he was talking about the house in relation to where they had been living before and what he had been doing. I found out that he was an interesting man with a successful career.