Does anyone still use Facebook these days?

There is absolutely nothing stalkish about FB if used correctly may7 you use your privacy settings and choose your ‘friends’ wisely and it’s a boon,
If you have a closed mind to anything it will seem alien a few hours won’t show you all the good things it can be and do

Fb is my winner and yesterday it proved a big point for me
Like many places it has setup a local help group all people in the group have to be approved and checked so no rogues It is mainly for delivering food and medications but yesterday it proved a winner my 83 year old friend had no internet for some days her router needed resetting and it was in an area she couldn’t get down to under her late husbands built in desk the provider wasn’t providing any help no technicians going out so she had psyched herself up to no internet for x number of months
She uses it for emails buying online and watching catch ups so really pretty necessary She has never used fb and like many who don’t know it decries it I asked her if she minded me seeing if I could get her any help though it she was up for anything Within a couple of hours a lovely young man had gone round keeping a distance between them fixed it and gone she is a very happy lady

I think I must be the most short lived face booker. Signed up on Monday primarily to see what’s going on community wise for elderly parents. Quick look round... far too stalkerish for me and by me by the evening deleted account. Only it’s not deleted its pending delete for 30days. ? give me WhatsApp anyday

We have Nextdoor. I think there are other Nextdoor groups around the country.
All sorts of items wanted or for sale. Advice both sought and offered on everything from gardening to IT glitches, odd jobs wanted and services offered plus recommends given. There's a fun section on some areas of Nextdoor, it depends on who posts what, but it's local to you.
A great community idea.

No. Never have and never will.

I do but only to communicate with people I know well like family and close friends.

I use both Facebook but not obsessively so. WhatsApp is marvellous and I believe more secure. My favourite is WhatsApp -you can message, video link or call to individuals or groups. It is also excellent for sending and receiving photos. Why not do both?

No

Like others, I love Facebook for keeping in touch, but am very careful:

1. When registering, I used a different birthdate and year. Didn’t add my phone number or address.
2. Didn’t use my surname, just my first name and a pseudonym
3. Regard it as an open postcard that anyone can see, just in case of scammers, was advised to do this by an NHS internet security expert
4. Love some of the groups I’m a member of, including flowers, LBC
5. Never write a post in haste, never write anything that is critical
5. Love seeing photos of friends and family all over the world, especially now
6. You can change your details, if and whenever you want to, even if you’ve been on Facebook for years.
7. And yes, privacy ramped up to a high level. Just let friends and family know, so that they can find you.

That’s all, folks! ?✅

I think FB is much more secure than GN. I am very wary of posting pictures on here as it is a public forum. You can adjust your security settings on FB!

Never have, never will.

As others say, be careful of your privacy. Don't announce holidays you are about to take, don't post pictures showing your house number, don't accept friend requests from those you don't know and please dont participate in quizes that are very frequent but help scammers build information about you (the sort banks ask for) such as name your first school etc. I use it and find it useful for local info, see friends & family on it, get knitting info, news, funny cartoons. I enjoy seeing items from ex work colleagues who are on my friends list, one has taken up photography and he has such talent & shares his shots of wildlife, buildings etc. Just remember you don't HAVE to share personal info.

I'm on it but rarely look at it or use it.

I love Facebook, it keeps me in touch with relatives and friends, and is very good for getting information locally and otherwise.I have joined many groups and it is so nice to "socialise" in this was these days.
My favourite is Gransnet of course, I check very morning when I turn my computer on.
Someone told me that its "only older peple who use Facebook these days" cheeky so and so.

I'm use Facebook in a limited way. My privacy settings are for family and friends only. I joined so that if others go to the seaside for instance (nothing like that at the moment obviously, they can post nice pictures of the sea or whatever and I can respond with a comment. I absolutely refuse point blank to put pictures of myself and my doings/wanderings on it. I was advised to put a photo on so I used one of my cat.
There are local groups which focus on various items such as opening times of the council, etc etc which is handy.

Wow what great replies. It seems that Facebook is coming into its own during the coronavirus. I am interested to join to see what groups there are in my area. I will give it a go and be mindful of all the helpful advice about privacy settings. Thanks everyone.

I have been unsuccessful in downloading Whats app without a smart phone sadly it has not worked for me.

You don't need a smartphone to access WhatsApp. You just download it onto your mobile or laptop

i enjoy facebook .of course with any website you get trolls and nutcases ,and big mouths ,but you can delete them and the conversation. but i like keeping in touch with my friends from around the world and there are word games to play....only post to friends and groups ,and dont click on like every time .you get 3rd parties find your details ,but you can put a block on them too. make sure your privacy setting are for you and friends only..

Facebook is what you make it. Like the internet itself, it is a means of connecting with the wider community. I never post personal or family information, but love to pass on interesting posts from the groups I belong to. These include local history, Horse Human Bond, Gals over fifty and in the Saddle, one for people with Crohn's..............I could go on, as interest groups are very well catered for. I live alone, so this is an important aspect of my community life. You do need to actively manage your use of FB, and come out of a group if it is not useful to you. But otherwise, how else would I see my sister's new granddaughter, or the latest photos of racehorses exercising on the Downs, posted by my friend, or ask for help and advice in a family crisis?

Yes, all the time, great for keeping in touch with family in USA, Australia and Canada especially and love seeing videos of my grandchildren and when they pop up again the year after. Used correctly it is entertaining.

What happened to the OP ? It would be nice to hear what she thinks now she's read all the positive posts that people have taken the time to post.

I should add that I am careful about what I put on. Never share photos of the grandchildren and only put on holiday photos AFTER we’ve returned home.

I’ve been on FB for years as it’s the main way to keep in touch and find out what DD1 is up to. But it means I also keep in touch with my cousins who I never see.

I only have 40 friends and I’m set up for Friends Only on every privacy setting. But I’m in quite a few closed groups, mostly local history and interest groups. I’ve also found a distant cousin in Canada and another in-law relative in Australia and because they’re both my friends are now friends too! We’ll never meet in the flesh but are now firm friends.

It's great to see how Facebook in particular has come into its own during the current crisis. Friends and family can keep in touch, feel supported and learn about what is happening locally. Nasty comments are few and far between and many people's innate goodness is coming through. I suppose it's taken the coronavirus to send Facebook back to its roots - it's now being used as it was originally intended, as a social media that helps bring people together.

I only joined fb when I had retired and was trying to find my family. Through fb, I did and still have it although I don't "use" it as such.

A short time after I opened an fb account I saw a piece on "rip off britain" about how easy it is for criminals to obtain info about you, where you live etc and I took it to heart. My fb account has nothing personal about me whatsoever and I would close it completely, except the dog charity I volunteer for notifies us via fb.

As everyone else has said- yes, use it but be super, super careful about what details you make available.