Facebook Review

www.facebook.com

Overall 4.13 of 5 view all 114 reviews

Saxguy
Skokie, IL

It can be ok, depending on your perspective

daily computer user, family oriented, into trying new things

Pros

FUN, Fun for teens to mid twenties, Great way to keep in touch, can be used to promote good causes

Cons

hasn't led to music sales, poker ap locks up.

APR

2008

Facebook —

I first joined facebook, really to promote my music, through a couple of music themed sites, Garageband, a free site for posting legal and rating music, and Ilike, a music oriented site for bands and their fans, with connections to buy at Apple I-tunes.

So, I joined. At facebook, you can become "friends" with people you know or who have common interests. My friends at Facebook center around 4 major groups:
- epinions users (one group)
- musicians
- Lutherans (I work at the Lutheran center and support their programs)
- young adults I know (music students, my son, my niece and nephew)

I have about 70 "friends" now.

It has a nice feature where you can identify potential friends based on your address books in AOL, Gmail, yahoo and a separate finder where it lists people who are friends with more than one of your friends.

I have enjoyed the correspondence and interaction, and have used the mood indicator to publicize some of my gigs. I've really had a good time.

However, it has had no impact whatsoever, as far as I can tell, on attendance at my gigs, or music sales, whether CDs or online. I didn't have high hopes, but I've basically gotten zip.

So what's left is the interaction. In my world, it's been pleasant and respectful and I've had no problem with it.

They have some neat games. I play a little hold 'em poker and that's fun, except for an annoying tendency to lock up which seems to happen a little too often when I have a monster hand. Still, I'll keep playing it once in a while.

My respected Viewpoints colleague, CyndiA, has raised some legitimate and serious concerns about privacy. She is right. Posting something, anything on Facebook has the potential to be shared with the internet world. Problem is, it's likely in an inverse relationship with what you WANT to share with the world. The corollary is, don't PROVE you've done anything really dumb.

Part of performing and teaching music for money is publicity. That goes with the territory

So,for me it's ok, it's fun. It hasn't gotten me any pub that has impacted audiences or sales. Poker is annoying but not enough to stop.

And, I'm always open to new friends. Look me up on Facebook.

Please check out details on my upcoming LIVE CD release at www.jazzobsession.com

Any reader who has questions can contact me through www.jazzobsession.com or my Viewpoints member page.

Thanks for reading. God bless.

Last edited on Oct 05, 2008