Talk:Tom Bisbee
Comment #1: Hi! I think your post was very honest about who you are and how you think about Facebook. I think it's interesting because it seems like you have no desire to share information with someone unless you actually have a personal connection with them. And that could be through a shared interest, game, or face to face interactions. I think you've avoided falling into the traps of social media. It seems that your Facebook profile is the most surface parts of you; purely your experiences and basic information and you recognize that, which is really good. This was done with your different sections of "what you see" and "what you don't see". It seems clear that it's not because you are purposely trying to hide anything but more along the lines of having no interest in sharing, nothing draws you to that.
I liked the flow of your post as well. It was simple and got straight to the point in each section. Having only three sections made it really clear what the reader needs to be aware of and by looking at what is and is not on your Facebook at the beginning, your final section of Authenticity, Embodiment, and Conclusions ties everything together really well.
You touched on it a little bit but I would have liked to read even more about your online communities. Do you have a profile? What information is shared there? Do you stay anonymous unless you are having a genuine conversation with someone? Also, you said that you initially signed up for Facebook purely for communication methods. How has that been? Have you used Facebook to have genuine conversations like you have with your online communities?
Overall, very interesting! It's a different take than usual because you are uninterested in Facebook but still involved with online communities! -Lisa Lyons
Comment #2:
Hey Tom, I enjoyed reading your article, I thought that it was reflective and insightful. As a fellow infrequent Facebook user, I related to your desire for privacy and confusion at the behaviors of serial posters.
I thought that your introduction was funny. I wonder why you have kept your Facebook page if you don’t put a lot of energy into it. Is it just for the convenience of being connected to friends, or are there other societal pressures that pressure you to keep it?
I especially found it interesting that you identify more closely with your gaming identity than your Facebook identity. Is your gaming identity tied to your offline identity, or do you use a pseudonym? If you use a pseudonym on discussion forums and gaming sites, does that anonymity impact the depth of your posts? Do you find that you are able to have more meaningful discussions in online venues with a focus (a game or a forum question) rather than relying on previously established relationships?
I also wonder what your opinions of Facebook’s “chat” feature are and why you prefer gaming chatrooms. You mentioned that you believe that genuine online relationships are possible, are there elements of Facebook’s platform that limit those relationships?
I thought that your conclusion was very thoughtful and wrapped up the article well, especially in stating your how your values when it comes to interpersonal relationships are reflected in your gaming and Facebook use.
Great job! -Joanna Warrick
