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Is this MySpace or CornSnakes

Most of you seem to be already familiar with the "friends" option. I had never heard of it until recently, when a few members sent friends requests to me. I said yes, but am not really sure what it means. I don't use stuff like IM, texting, MySpace,and a lot of other things many seem to be into in recent years. The email inbox and phone seem to be enough to keep me busy, lol!

So can somebody explain what advantage (or disadvantage) there is to having (or being) "friends" on a forum? I have occasionally needed to email or send a message to a member, and I just went to their profile and sent it from there. But it is rare for me to need to do that. So I am not sure what being "friends" entails.

Thanks!
 
Vinman said:
I consider you all friends on the forum.
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Vinman said:
I come on this site for its professionalism. Not to play the myspace game
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Hey Vinny! Good to see you around. Hope all is going well for you. :cheers:

I think this is just an enhancement of the "Buddy List" system. I never used that system, so I don't know what makes the enhanced version more attractive to users, but obviously it is.

Like you, I consider all members to be my friends (or at least I do when one particular member is elsewhere. ;) ). I prefer a simple, bare-bones forum format with few bells and whistles myself, but as Dale implied, the social networking trend is here to stay. I never joined ANY of the Myspace, Facebook, or Reptile Geeks type sites. I have zero interest. But I don't think this friend/buddy list means much here. For example, if you and I aren't on each others' lists, it really doesn't say anything about our real friendship.

And I wouldn't say that this place is strictly a professional forum. In fact, I think that fun and frivolity may already dominate. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing-- I just don't think that the new features/enhancements will make much difference in the overall atmosphere here.

Take care,
-Deano
 
kathylove said:
Most of you seem to be already familiar with the "friends" option. I had never heard of it until recently, when a few members sent friends requests to me. I said yes, but am not really sure what it means. I don't use stuff like IM, texting, MySpace,and a lot of other things many seem to be into in recent years. The email inbox and phone seem to be enough to keep me busy, lol!
Click to expand...
I'm with you there, Kathy! I don't even own a cell phone. I'm accessible enough as it is...

So can somebody explain what advantage (or disadvantage) there is to having (or being) "friends" on a forum? I have occasionally needed to email or send a message to a member, and I just went to their profile and sent it from there. But it is rare for me to need to do that. So I am not sure what being "friends" entails.
Click to expand...
I don't think there are ANY advantages or disadvantages. I think it's just a fun thing. It's like photo avatars, the rep system, and some of the more obscure emoticons. :shrugs:
 
I think forums can be an insular place sometimes...... The reps and the friends thing allow you to see who, if any, agree with you or like your posts....
And social networking isn't a bad thing... We all need someone to buy off or sell to or ask for help....

And as Dean said.... This site is more about fun than anything else... I use a few *scientific* reptile forums... They are great for info but not much fun to just hang out with like minded people....
 
Well in my oppion it is child like. Dean I know yo are my friend. I dont need to have your avitar posted for everyone know that . I feel also that this will lead to conflict . with people affrad to speak their mind because the blacklash that might get because the other person friends list has many people on it . Again the child like behavor or the lack of honesty because you cant go agenst someone in your friends list. I see it only as a down fall. It will set us back instead of putting us foward.
 
kathylove said:
Most of you seem to be already familiar with the "friends" option. I had never heard of it until recently, when a few members sent friends requests to me. I said yes, but am not really sure what it means. I don't use stuff like IM, texting, MySpace,and a lot of other things many seem to be into in recent years. The email inbox and phone seem to be enough to keep me busy, lol!

So can somebody explain what advantage (or disadvantage) there is to having (or being) "friends" on a forum? I have occasionally needed to email or send a message to a member, and I just went to their profile and sent it from there. But it is rare for me to need to do that. So I am not sure what being "friends" entails.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Kathy
What i have noticed about the "Friends" is if you look at "whats going on" at the bottom. Your "Friends" have a + by there name. Also if you hit the Quick Links at the top of the page. Then click on Your Profile. It has a tab for Friends. If you click that you can see who are Online at the moment. They can also leave you a little message. Maybe a inside joke or some else. Other than that I really don't know.. As i don't have a myspace. I have enough to do with my home life.. I come here to escape my problems not make more. :grin01: Thats all i have for you..
 
I personally think that some people are reading too much into this friend feature.

I don't look at it as a way to form alliances or gangs like some are implying, I think like RobbiesCornField mentioned earlier, it's a simple feature that makes browsing the forums a little easier, like the subscribed threads feature- If you want to find someone easier, you can just click on their picture and go. For example: I enjoy Toshiro's pictures and if I friended him, it would be a lot easier to have a direct link to find his posts instead of searching for his name.

Maybe I'm a little ignorant but I just don't understand why we're all arguing and stepping on people's toes over a small feature that I feel was intended to make our lives easier.
 
measley said:
I personally think that some people are reading too much into this friend feature.

I don't look at it as a way to form alliances or gangs like some are implying, I think like RobbiesCornField mentioned earlier, it's a simple feature that makes browsing the forums a little easier, like the subscribed threads feature- If you want to find someone easier, you can just click on their picture and go. For example: I enjoy Toshiro's pictures and if I friended him, it would be a lot easier to have a direct link to find his posts instead of searching for his name.

Maybe I'm a little ignorant but I just don't understand why we're all arguing and stepping on people's toes over a small feature that I feel was intended to make our lives easier.
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You also just joined the site this year. You were not around for the BS from the cliques that were basicly bulling the site You dissergee with one person and 10 other people jumped on you weather you were right or wrong. I was it was not pretty. I know that you were not awere of this because it was from 2 years ago and back.
 
I'm not on any friends lists that I know of, nor do I come here to worry about such. I use to chat for hours each day with a friends list a mile long. Did that mean those that were on my "so called" freinds list weren't friends of mine? No, not at all. I still respected many of them and considered them friends.

I won't say I have really developed "friendships" on this forum as I never looked at a forum the same as I did a chat. I respect MANY people on here and value their input on here and will continue to read the posts and occasionally add my 2 cents, but for the most part, I just come here to try to learn more and get a few laughs along the way.
 
Vinny, I'm sorry, but I just don't think it's that big of a deal. I belong to other forums that have the same features, and I can assure you there is no drama that is a result of the friends lists or personal profiles. Certainly there is drama...there is drama everywhere. But the friends list really has very little to do with it.

In reality...it doesn't change anything. It doesn't have anything to do with how you actually feel about certain people on the forum. But it does give you the ability to have a contact list of people that you might want to have private communication with.

It's not about alliances and "backup" or who's got the most friends. It's just a contact list...like a phonebook, but for private messages...
 
Thast waht it is desined to do that does not mean that it will work out that way. I guess we will have to see what happen. Only time will tell
 
Vinman said:
with people affrad to speak their mind because the blacklash that might get because the other person friends list has many people on it
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I'm supposed to be scared to say what I think? ooops. I must have missed that memo.....lol.

Good to see you posting a little more than you were for a while, Vin!
KJ
 
I agree with both Measley and Tyflier here...You're making a big deal out of nothing...

If you don't like certain features or forums or whatever on the site, DON'T USE THEM and stop whining about it...You're ruining it for the rest who do appreciate all of the features, forums, etc here.
 
Maybe we should ask Rich to change the name from "friends" to "acquaintances"? :shrugs:

D80

PS. I notice that, so far, Mr. Vinman you did accept two friend requests . . . :sidestep: :D
 
I honestly don't see the big deal. I rarley look at other peoples profiles, usually only to send PM's but then I can do that by just clicking on their profile name in a thread and select send private message.

I probably won't even notice the difference, appart from the ocassional friend request that is sent to me or vice versa.

This is a corn snake forum, which is full of fabulous people. It's the PEOPLE that make the forum and we all strike up particular friendships with particular people. People mentioned clicks in the past, thats the people that form these selective groups, not the forum software. Thats like blaming your spoon for the soup being too hot!
 
Thanks for the info!

I am always for having MORE fun, lol! Especially if it does NOT mean more work!

I don't see any really important plus or minus from the feature as described so far. Just some harmless fun for some, and no hindrance for those who don't care.

I have long noticed that I spend far more time on the General Chit-Chat than on the other subforums anyway, (and I am sure that must be true for some other members as well), so many of us already enjoy the informal, social aspects of this community. I really enjoy meeting many of the members at various shows and having dinners with them, too. I also DO miss some of those who left after the infamous "meltdown" a couple of years back. But I get to see them at shows as well. So, although I doubt that I would make much use of the "friends" option myself, maybe it might come in useful, and I don't see any harm in it. And I DO value the social aspect of visiting "friends" here on forums as well.

I certainly don't mind helping out on answering my share of questions like many others also do, but that is not the main "fun" I get out of my membership here. I guess I see this Chit-Chat forum as my form of online entertainment and social networking instead of the usual MySpace, Facebook, etc.
 
Well I like this feature and I have "befriended" some people that I appreciate on here and also really feel glad a few people have chosen to "befriend" me. I never thought about negative implications or it turning into a contest or anything like that.
As you can only befriend people once it is not like you can have a little click building each others friend count by doing it over and over? I think if you like it use it and if not - ignore it!
 
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