Loneliness and social media

Big difference is that GN is anonymous (I effing hope! ) ,whilst Facebook is n't.

OK, OK - I take your point about it being posters and not FB itself that can cause trouble! But as jingl says, Gransnet is anonymous (unless members have atually met up).

Then don't put anything on there that you wouldn't want anyone to see or know about. People don't have to have hundreds of friends on FB either. I only have people listed that I actually know.

Actually, lots of people on fb have pseudonyms.

Face Book has been a godsend for me. I have craft friends on there, found people who I had lost touch with, joined an open gossip board for my area which has been brilliant bringing back memories. Had support when I need it and a lough when I feel lonely. It has it's place. But, yes, it can misconstrue comments sometimes, but if you make yourself clear that's fine.

fb has been a minefield for me, as someone I'd fallen out with deleted/edited our many conversations.............then rearranged them in the most unfavourable light possible, showed the finished article round the family, and caused mayhem. I would never have believed anyone could be so spiteful. She also 'unfriended' me as did everyone who had seen the edited version.
She was my best pal for a year, with daily postings, so there was plenty toplay with. So be warned by my gullibility! I've always worn my heart on my sleeve & been very open, but MUST be less so.

I use facebook to keep in touch with family and friends. I wouldn't like to be without it as it's a great way of sharing news and photos. I'm amazed how many so called friends there are on some people's profiles. How on earth can you keep in touch with over 200? I only have 25 and one of those is my daughter's dog!

200 merlot ? I know people with 1,000 friends

Just for the record, I think anyone can read the posts on Gransnet – they don't have to sign up to membership.

Also, I have pointed out before that it is perfectly possible to track down the real identity of people who post under pseudonyms unless they are very clever about it. I asked a friend who is more au fait with computers than I am to do some research about this – not, I hasten to add, on Gransnet. I then tried it myself and it took me less 5 minutes to find out the name and address of someone who posts on a social forum under a pseudonym.

We have also had instances of family members recognising posters on Gransnet who have then changed their Gransnet names or left the forum completely because their postings have caused ructions.

The ethernet is not a secure medium.

Of course not, but we can choose what to reveal on sites such as this. On Facebook most people share photos, events, even when they're going on holiday, even if it is only with a limited number of 'friends'. My DD amazes me with the amount of information she knows about people we used to know years ago - some of it I'm sure they'd rather she'd not passed on!

Scary or what ?
I may have mentioned it before that someone contacted me before Christmas , who I have not seen or heard of from 50 -yes 50, years ago how on Gods sweet earth did she
a] get my married name [Iwas single when I knew her]

b] get my current address, the last time I saw her I was living in B"Ham

Don"t like it !!!