Sandra Evertson: To Facebook or not to Facebook that is the Question?

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

To Facebook or not to Facebook that is the Question?

I have a question and would like your opinion. I need some help making up my mind about something. I think, most probably I am virtually the last person who is not on Facebook!? I have been holding out, not sure why. (Maybe it feels like writing for magazines, working on my own projects, keeping up with my blog and a variety of other diversions, like raising my fur babies, tending to home and garden and husband... etc.) I don't want any one thing to be neglected. Sometimes it all seems like a lot, and then other times I feel like I really need to dive in head first and catch up!! Life is flying by at such lightning speed any more... there is SO much I still want to do. So my question to you is are you on Facebook, do you like it, does it work for you,do you keep up with a blog too? I am trying to decide whether to join Facebook too and would greatly value any input from all of you!

25 comments:

Gabriela Delworth said...: Hello Sandra,

What a great question!
Well, I believe that your decision will depend on what you are looking for. It will depend on your needs.
Socialmedia requires commitment and time for maintenance.
Do you agree?

I am not on Facebook or have any plans to join.

Gabriela; November 27, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Chrisy said...: Hi Sandra, Yes I'm on facebook - I did resist for a long time but find it's a great way of keeping in touch with friends...and it is a good marketing tool...you just have to be careful not to get sucked into spending too much time on there...I have found that I do less on my blog...just don't have the time to fit everything in. Hope this has helped!; November 27, 2012 at 3:51 PM
Michaele Razi said...: Facebook is a great way to find old friends (and family) and new friends. You can always try it for a few months and if it doesn't work for you, you can always delete your account. I ten to like Pinterest better, just a visual way to organize things that I like. I hope that helps. I know folks on Facebook will love your gorgeous photos!; November 27, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Cathee said...: Hi Sandra-the value i get from facebook is basically staying connected to my far flung family on a daily basis and my many friends around the globe-kind of like gathering at the provebial fence daily -usually I just peek in,say hi add a comment then go aobut my business of real life!I find plenty of time to do the thiings I love and FB is just a place to say hi and makes my life easier by keeping me in the loop on family and friends
when i may not see them for years at a time!; November 27, 2012 at 9:55 PM
Twyla and Lindsey said...: Sandra, I am not on facebook. I am a very private person, in spite of having a blog. I just don't want everyone knowing everything I'm doing. I keep in touch with the people I want to without facebook. Twyla; November 28, 2012 at 7:53 AM
A Marigold Life said...: I am still a hold out on this also and appreciate that I am not the only one :) I have a personal Facebook (which I barely use) but I am still trying to decide about one for promoting my Etsy shop....I feel the same way in that I don't want to put too much on my plate so that I cannot tend to it all whole-heartedly. I too would love to see opinons on this...thanks for bringing it us Sandra!
~Lynn; November 28, 2012 at 10:07 AM
CuteStuffInside said...: Not on Facebook. The more time I spend on line, the less time I have to create. I've limited myself to favorite blogs, my ebay business and, of course, Pinterest (that alone takes up too much time - but, oh, the creative ideas). It's just all too, too much.; November 28, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Randi said...: I'm on FaceBook and I also have a blog. FaceBook is a good way to keep in touch with friends or relatives, share photos etc. I'm not crazy about it and don't often post there. I could live without it. It all comes down to personal choice, I guess.; November 28, 2012 at 3:00 PM
rochambeau said...: Hello Lovely Sandra and want to thank you for your comment about my mom. She was such a cool person!

About Fb
Long ago I did it for 5 months. But it made me feel distracted and not creative and it kind of overwhelmed me. One day I read a post by Christine Lafever who said she quit fb and she inspired me. After that, my creative flow came back.

Recently I made a fb for my mothers cat Coco. ( I think she has 9 friends) and I did it to keep up with a few buds, but STILL rarely check it out.

On a Con view for you,
it is an excellent and instant way to get the word out to your friends about upcoming events, new magazines to come out, etc. More people are FB than blog (I think).

But this I want to say, what you wrote about your life and your priorities sounds PERFECT!!

xox
Constance; November 28, 2012 at 5:36 PM
C Pohl said...: I have a fb account - I only use to check out friends pic when I get a notification that some one has posted something, as some one said I am a private person....I subscribe 2 a lot of blogs, and much prefer them!!!
C; November 28, 2012 at 7:18 PM
Anonymous said...: Hello - i came across this thread as i've had the same dilemma myself - facebook provided me with nothing but plagiarism and down right theft of images - so do be wary . . it was a difficult decision for me , so for the moment i have deactivated my account, as it seems to create so many problems, and i was never sure what the point in it was in the first place. do be careful.; November 30, 2012 at 5:20 AM
Fun With This and That said...: It took me a long time then my granddaughter went to spain ,it was the way I keep up with her. I find it good to see what my nieces and nephew all my family are doing.I do not post much I also keep up with craft friends,Fun to see what they are doing It is allot of fun It is to me a complete different types from my blog .If you do join hope you become my friend.Laura Zemliska Quaglia; December 1, 2012 at 4:44 PM
The Rose Room said...: I think it is great for posting quick messages to give friends and family an update on what I'm doing and also I can see what they are up to. I also use it for sending birthday greetings as it provides a daily reminder of whose birthday it is. I have my blogged linked to it as well. I DON'T play the games on FB although my daughter uses my account to do so. It's good but I do have moments where it's just something else to waste time on or use to procrastinate - and when that happens I periodically consider deleting it!!! Rachael xo p.s. quite good for marketing as well!; December 1, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Anonymous said...: IMO not worth my time; December 3, 2012 at 8:57 PM
Karen Harvey Cox said...: Hi Sandra,

I know what you mean about keeping up with everything. Balance is always a hard thing to maintain, and our virtual world is one of them. I joined Facebook a while back because my daughters were on there. I didn't want it to be a fan page, but a page where I could link to my friends in the art world. It helps me to catch up on what is going on quickly. I only accept friends that I know or what to know. That has worked out perfectly.

When I sign on the Facebook, I only spend a few minutes there, but I open up to my own newspaper, if you will. I can quickly see what people are up to and many times I learn about things going on that I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

I love it. I have just enough friends on there to manage, and I use it daily as an invite to my blog post.

Hope to see you there.

Karen; December 5, 2012 at 9:48 AM
Portrait Painting By Johanna Spinks said...: Hi Sandra:
I am on FB with a public page Master Portraits By Johanna Spinks and a personal page. I also run a blog which is far less active now since I have been on FB. FB is good for all the reasons stated here and I do get some work/leads from it for sure. BUT it can be a big time drain if you are not careful, and, yes, people may 'borrow' ideas. The privacy thing is also an issue I worry about too. The other thing I find a challenge sometimes is seeing the constant thread of what other artists are doing/creating. A lot of if, incredible. I think artists should create quietly. not seeing this daily influence of what the FB art world is making that day or the day before or tomorrow.

Just my two cents.
J; December 5, 2012 at 10:04 PM
Portrait Painting By Johanna Spinks said...: herItsou1700Hi Sandra:
I am on FB with a public page Master Portraits By Johanna Spinks and a personal page. I also run a blog which is far less active now since I have been on FB. FB is good for all the reasons stated here and I do get some work/leads from it for sure. BUT it can be a big time drain if you are not careful, and, yes, people may 'borrow' ideas. The privacy thing is also an issue I worry about too. The other thing I find a challenge sometimes is seeing the constant thread of what other artists are doing/creating. A lot of if, incredible. I think artists should create quietly. not seeing this daily influence of what the FB art world is making that day or the day before or tomorrow.

Just my two cents.
J; December 5, 2012 at 10:05 PM
Sherry "Edie" & Marie Antionette said...: Hi Sandra -

I was on Facebook for a while but decided it was not for me. So I got off of it completely. Too many demands in life to take on a daily who's who and who's doing what drama. I don't miss it.

Hugs, Sherry; December 6, 2012 at 5:08 AM
scarlett clay said...: Totally understand your thoughts on this! I'm on FB but primary reason is to keep up with the few families around the world who have children with Cockayne Syndrome. If it weren't for those connections not sure if I'd be on. It wastes a lot of time and I KNOW I would get more done without it.; December 8, 2012 at 8:11 AM
Jan Ely said...: For me, Facebook takes up about as much time as checking my email. It's PINTEREST that will draw me in and capture my time, brainwaves and imagination for HOURS!!!

I saw your feature article in "Where Women Create"--it was wonderful!!! Congrats!; December 10, 2012 at 9:31 AM
Vickie said...: keep a facebook account just to stay in touch with family and a separate account for business to post important info. girl's gotta have some space! I am more leary each day of facebook, but it can serve a purpose.; December 11, 2012 at 7:29 PM
Roxanne Pafundi said...: Facebook can be tricky...it is a good way to keep in touch with those in other areas of the country...we've moved to different states a few times..so its good to see those from far away and their posts as to what they're up to. Yes, I'm on facebook...but it has its drawbacks..like maybe be vague at first with posts...because it is the 'written' word...some may take an innocent comment out of context and 'boom' blows up at ya...but then you do find out who your 'real' friends are!
Happy posting!
Roxanne ;-); December 13, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Anonymous said...: No, not on facebook - my friends that are on it complain that it's so easy to waste way too much time on it. They feel awkward turning down friend requests, so end up wading through posts from people from high school, college, work that they barely knew/know. Sometimes they spend a lot of time chatting on fb, mostly they just see more boring information than they ever care to about people they would never cross paths with in the normal course of life. What shoes they are wearing, what they had for lunch. Then there's the fwds of jokes, photos, chain mail... It always amazes me when said ppl have spouse troubles & children who act up yet continue to spend hours neglecting real people at home so they can "catch up" on fb. From your article in Where Women Create you seem to have a full "real" life & like me, may not need the social stretching to collect far off cyberfriends. I keep in touch with (only) who I want to in real life. But if you do join for business purposes, use it just for that, another way for ppl to find your business & books.; December 14, 2012 at 11:40 PM
Sherry "Edie" & Marie Antionette said...: Sandra,
I did not want to get on Facebook.I think and still do think its a pain. But I did not have a choice.My Daughter made one for me...like it or not. My grandso is in the Navy now and is only 18.So she thought I should be able to stay in touch with him.
Now I am glad I did. Now I'm seeing and hearing more from parts of my family and friends...and my grandson.
Its still a pain.and I still don't understand it all yet.
Give it a try.
Merry Christmas Dear,
XXOO Marie Antionette; December 19, 2012 at 4:13 PM
Betzie said...: I didn't want to join FB, but now I am addicted. I do blog very little now though. I miss it some but it's hard to do it all.
I have a lot of dog friend people...people who own and show Cavaliers like I do...it's a great place to share our dog photos and wins...but also fun to share family pics or whatever else is on your mind. I think you can make it whatever you want it to be...some people just observe and rarely comment...up to you. I think it's a fun place and it helps me stay in touch with friends I wouldn't otherwise.; December 23, 2012 at 5:03 PM