Is Facebook largely pointless?

[Sam Slater]

[quote]I don't think it is strange to post things about ones favourie pornstar - like everyone else on here does.[/quote]

No, but going on and on about every aspect of her being (her breasts, her pussy, her 'half bush', her comments during a scene, her facial expressions and even her fucking singing with a hairbrush on youtube......I mean, for fucks sake) IS slightly strange.

Most people just post things like "My favourite boobs are....." and "My favourite pornstar is...." and leave it at that. Not you.

Why am I being critical of someone posting about pornstars on a porn forum? To show you how hypocritical you are when complaining about people socialising on social networking sites!

Get over it. When I visit my Mum she might ask what I've had for tea. She doesn't need to know and it won't drastically change her life in any way but she asks. All mums do! She might ask what I've been studying this week at Uni without any fucking clue at all about Muscle Dystrophy but, again, she asks. If I call a mate up one of the first things I might ask is, "what are you up to?" even if I have no plans to do anything about his answer. There's a lot of rhetoric and pointlessness to a lot of socialising when you think about it. What would a girlfriend get out of knowing my favourite colour? What do you actually get out of knowing someone else likes Poppy's half-bush too?

What do we get out of even having this argument?

[Jonone]

The technical term is 'phatic speech' or 'phatic communication'

[max_tranmere]

sam, certain comments get responses and chats form around them. I agree that most things that constitute small-talk are pointless, for example the standard "how are you, yeah fine thanks, how are you" that always follows people saying 'hello' to each other, has no purpose. People still do it though. "How are you" is really just a greeting, not a question like it sounds. People may have a convesation around their favourite colour, the fact they saw a man with purple hair in the street just now, or about how they didn't sleep too well last night because when said face to face, or on the phone, it generally gets a response. People saying these things on social 'networking' sites say them as statements, not to get a response, but just a statement. I see little point in it if it isnt done to start a conversation, and generally when "I spilt a cup of tea on myself this afternoon", or something like that, is typed on Facebook it wont get a reply, is accepted as an isolated comment, not the start of what would be a chat if said to someone's face or on the phone, and therefore has very little point.

[Sam Slater]

But a statement can be the start of a discussion, no matter how mundane. In fact I'd bet that people who just report their eating habits aren't really not wanting a response but actually do hope that any response will be the start of a discussion.

Fred: "Just had pie and mash."

Alice: "Lovely, not had that in ages!"

Fred: "Ah, I'll take you out for some next time."

Alice: "Would love to though got to watch my weight!"

Fred: "Bah, you look great as is, Alice."

Alice: "I bet you say that to all the girls!"

Fred: "Only the ones I want to take out for pie and mash *wink*"


There you go, Max. Pretty easy wasn't it? A supposedly rhetorical statement that's leading to a guy getting laid. In fact I'd like to bet you that you've more chance of getting laid with the above conversation starter than your 'half-bush' posts.

[Sam Slater]

A good non-phatic post, Jonone, cheers !happy!

[max_tranmere]

sam, everything you've just said I covered in my previous comment.

[jj]

No, it's wholly pointless.

[jj]

Sam Slater wrote:
> We're a social animal. It's inevitable that communicating to
> friends is of primary importance to us, however pointless those
> communications are.
Communication usually involves a transfer of USEFUL info. But
then I'm not an ethologist.......

> Have you ever considered the possibility that you are
> socially/psychologically inept in some major way?
What, like the denizens of facebook?

[jj]

....here's a novel idea; they could perhaps meet and talk
face-to-face.

To me, nothing so defines our dysfunctional modern society as
people's unwillingness or inability to engage directly with one
another.

[Sam Slater]

So you're admitting that pointless statements can lead to purposeful conversation?

That's good.