Facebook or not to facebook?

There has been a tremendous amount of hacker activity on Facebook in the past 6 weeks or so.  Apparently it is quite easy to hack someone's account, basically using the account as the source of the spread of viruses.  First it happened to my cousin, who poasted a warning on her own wall almost immediately alerting people that someone had hacked her account while she was online and sent out messages with a link to click.  The link contains a virus.

The most recent instance happened just a day or two ago.  I received a message from a friend via email with the usual link attached that takes you to that area on your Facebook page.  When I clicked it, my PC went haywire until Norton isolated the malware. 

Bottom line is, if you see something odd from a friend on Facebook, they may not have actually written it.

I joined FB to connect with my family who lives all over the place to keep them up to date on my progress.  I am not doing that - the darn place is too much fun - I have reconnected with other firends.  I have a grand total of 27 friends now I think and I am just plain happy with that - I farm and play fishes with my sister while we chat and my brother has talked me into the Mafia Wars - a little too on the stressy side for me he lives out East and I rarely see him - we chat when we play and it is like getting to know him all over again.  In private we talk about me but the family in all on and pictures and news abounds - and there are rude people there just as in life - there is the block member available and the chat is notorious for cutting out in the middle and leaving you hanging.  In Farmville, some of neighbors rarely play - in Fishville some tanks have no fish and in Mafia Wars - I 'bought' hitmen to have a bigger crew.  I like the farming the best.

Hi everyone, YES I got my new laptop back, well actually it wasnt gone, just didnt have the desire, time or what ever it toook to call Dell...the guy came and put a new wire as the wire you plug into the laptop had bent and wires were showing, so im back online and my poor brain has forgotten SO many things, plus so many changes in the past couple months.

About facebook, I hear about it but not familar with it....is it like all these strangers emailing you in their site?, as with my BC and now I have a PET scan, bone scan etc coming up in a couple weeks and have been having lots of pain in my ribs on the R side, and w/all this crazy weather all i have been doing is nothing, nothing intriguise me, too cold on my fibromyalgia and RSD, and my diet is pitiful, as to stand for very long, (over 5-10 min) Im doomed, and basically its just me, as my son works all the time, but, oh yea forgot he finally for all you OLE gals he finally got his journamans card in the construction (painting)field....took him 3-5 years daily, then work got slow and he was off 4 months, and this job now looks like its almost to a close and he's a growing boy, and I know he should be out on his own, and i like him around when he is, as I fall alot, and I havent even cooked, bad mom.

Also all you OLE gals my mom isnt doing too good, she had a couple months ago after working so hard, remeber after i was diag in in 04 and 2-05 she had a bad stroke, and i ended up putting her in a home as i was doing chemo and al , well she has had a few more TIA (small strokes) and things just dont look so good, but she is such a trooper, and tries so hard, and i feel like the bad daughter, as my sis up in Wash state was here during the holidays, havent had that in over 20 years, she really helped me here and did so much for mom and so many down at the home where mom is....makes me feel useless...yea depression had set in and the pain, and marriage etc, just too much on my plate, but when i feel bad mom wants to get in her wheel chair and drive it the mile and half home here to help me....and here I am feeling like i do.

Just wanted to let you know Im here and things have changed so much, I didnt know where to post.  But I think of all you guys and yes when things get bad i lay in bed and wrap myself up in the quilt you made for me, its a good feeling.

lots of hugs

Ter

I'm a facebook junkie.  I don't just check it every day I've got to check it every hour.  (Saying that I don't have a mobile phone so that's my excuse!!!)  I've got just under a 100 friends.  Most of them are school friends (I've immigrated to the UK so nice to catch up).  A friend of mine have over 4000 friends, I couldn't believe it, I don't even think I've seen 4000 people in all my life!!!  It's extreme and surely they can't all be friends ... jeez how does she make time to talk to all of them but yeah I'm one of the 4000! 

Thanks to facebook I found all my long lost cousins.  I have reconnected with my best friend.  I have seen a picture of my eldest son's biological father (sperm donator only) and I'm happy to report that when he dumped me and married somebody else whilst pretending to me he's coming back that worked out not to be a bad thing ... ******!!!! 

I'm not addicted really ... well okay maybe just a little ... oh okay a lot!!!

Oh and my cousin told me I should be tested for the BRCA1 gene (yeah I did have it) through facebook so it gets my vote!!!

Shoshi, I seldom, if ever, talk about breast cancer on FB.  That's my "normal" place, where I can talk with my friends and family about regular life.  Here, I talk about my cancer dx and tx and my fears of a recurrence.  I won't talk about those things on FB.

I don't know about others here; but I don't use my phone to connect to the internet.  I use a laptop computer.  And, there is a treasure trove of information buried in the threads on this discussion board.  They are well worth reading, if you can find a way to do it.

otter

BinVA, I wish there were a way to filter those crap notices better. I enjoy about 2 or 3 games on Facebook, but I'm pissed that anytime I do something, my friends get bombarded with it. You can control your own notifications to them a BIT (though every time Facebook "changes" that gets harder and harder to do).

You can click on the "notice" and then click the box to "HIDE" that applications notices. The hard part is doing it without accidentally "Hiding" your friends updates, too.

They (FB) try to cram all this in front of you so they can draw out the advertising dollars. They can brag about a captured audience in the millions.

And they work diligently to make it harder and harder for you to filter out the chaff.

hi everyone,

thx 4 ur answers..i can help w/ the games stuff u c .  !rst any game requests u get under requests, u will c a link that says block this app. & u wont c anymore of that application (re Farmville or anything else.  You also go to account top right hand corner & go to account & then application settings. there u will see a list of applocations & u can "x" out any applications u do not want to see. This doe sNOT mean u will not see ur friends posts u wont c the game posts.  Hope this helps.

This is my safe place to be allowed to talk about this disease.  Although I did initially join FB to keep my family updated...I found it way to much fun and only on a rare occassion, do I discuss how I am doing...and then usually on a chat not on any posting. 

I love facebook. I agree with the majority of FB fans on here...you have to be careful with what you write. You can use it to your advantage (finding old friends and relatives - as I have) or against you by posting too personal things. I think a lot of people go overboard-stating their every move. "i'm going to shower now" "I have to go to work now" blah, blah, blah...It needs to be used in moderation and with sensibility and then it can be a lot of fun.

I reconnected with an old friend that I hadn't seen in probably close to 15 years as well as a cousin who I hadn't seen in probably 12? As well as innumerable people that I went to HS with.

I have also become great friends with another survivor thru FB...small world...she knew 2 people that I knew and we connected thru FB.

Be careful, but enjoy!

I personally like facebook.  It keeps me up to date with the latest pics of my grandsons, my extended family and friends.  One interesting thing that happened is that I reconnected with my high school class and it has been really wonderful to write with them and plan to go to one of their gatherings (I live in another part of California now). 

I also use facebook for business and being in contact with other mixed media artists...I get updates on what they're doing and I can announce sales and whatnot from my business and even personal work.  I'm one of those people who has many, many "friends" but I think of them as contacts.  I have them grouped into classmates, family, friends, artists, etc. so that I can just read what my family is doing if I don't want to look at everyone's "feed".  So....I think that the decision to go on facebook is a very personal one; it depends on what you want from it.  the games can be a good distraction from depression and anxiety.  You can always try it and leave if you don't like it.  

Hi its mid early may 2010 and I havent written in long time...well I did write, a long post, then poof It all went kurplunk!, so I gave up..and I now want to write about what is going on w/me now, as I am having tons of problems in my stomach, they have found tons of lymph nodes thru my gastronologist, and my onc, wasnt too happy, and normally i see him every 6 months for tons of test in tubes etc....he checked me out throughly, and somehow I can see and read his mind, as at the beginning I did not like him, then I spent alot of time thinking of what he has to deal with, from telling someone they have BC, to how many months if that they have left, no wonder he has so much on his mind...

Please tell me where to post, as so many things and I dont know where to post as Im a stage 4, have had 2 masct's, one each year, from 04, and one in 05, then mets in 06, and now I have had these stomach problems in my lower R quadrant, I thought it might be my appendix, but after being passed around ffrom dr to dr, and test and test, im so sick of it, Im ready to actually give up, as i have no energy, lots of problems and past week the stomach pains since NOT appendix, are in my L side, like coming from my mets in hip.

Im so sick and tired of trying to fight this battle, and I also as some of you know I have fibromyalgia, which is SO bad, even my onc mentioned as he looked at my feet and touched alot of areas, as my fibro is everywhere...plus I have RSD in my L foot, and I cant get around, let alone get to the grocery store, let alone cook...my stomach cant stand looking or smelling foods, I cry alot, and i was suppose to start H20 warm water therapy for my pains 3 X week..which each time Im suppose to go, something else takes its place....

I dont want to keep on going, though I finally got my son who is 28 and at home, he is a big help, as though he hasnt been able to talk about my cancer, but last week we got into a big whopping arguement, and I kind of won, as i told him I think he needs to know what is going on with me, he fought it, as he has led a hard lift, and now after many years of school, he got his certificate, and on that day he was laid off w/the rest of the guys...so he is trying to find any kind of work....he even brought home a dog, she is so sweet, she is a pitt bull, but I havent seen any bad things about her..she has been passed around from owner to owner, and here, we just love on her and she is so happy, she is a bit overweight, and loves this content home where no yelling etc takes place..she comes in my room to check on me...I wanted a dog but knew I couldnt take care of one, as I cant take care of myself...I have a mom who is in a rest home from a stroke, and it takes me having a half way good day, and tomorrow being Mothers Day I have to go..I use a walker, and have a wheel chair, as my ortho told me to have one, as he said "remember, if you walk somewhere, remember you always have to turn around and come back. Please help me, as I really dont want to cont to go on w/these test or being told anything....I do take my cousin who is or was an RN as she has ?s for the doc, which is good as my brain is almost zilch...Im by myself, and feel so so alone....

Please tell me where to post this and other things that are on my mind ..Im putting it in my fav in my home site..but tell me where i should put it.

thanks so much

hugs

Ter, and yes I have a new picture

I stay in contact with a few by email from as it said i joined in 04, but I actualy did a few years prior to that...

thanks and HUGS

Holy cow Tinkerbell,

I did one thing on FB and holy crap, I have 2 full pages from people l have no idea who they are, oh except 2 of them were from my sons friends..one in Iraq, and one here where I live in Bakersfield CA, who I have not seen since they graduated in 2000, which was nice.....but the rest??????  how do i get out of it?  my email is Terriehelene@yahoo.com  let me know if you will please what yours is so if you would write me there, as this bcorg has changed so much , hasnt it since Ive been on it since 2003 or 03.

thanks dude

hugs

Ter

I do FB, but my wall is disabled (privacy setting) from well meaning friends or family not thinking and asking how I am publicly, or otherwise saying things I don't approve. Basically, I see FB as a very useful tool in keeping up with pictures of friends and family or big things that happen in their lives, but I am very cautious about what I share there. The general rule of thumb is, if I wouldn't put it on a huge billboard in front of my house, I won't put it on Facebook. As far as the cancer, absolutely no mention of it ever on FB for me. None of us knows where we will be 5-10 years from now, and employers absolutely browse FB and the web for info on potential candidates. The last thing I want is for a future one to know I've had a serious illness, or hear various other personal details of my life at times. Friends and family have been told to write me privately for details about how I am if needed, but some of them still don't "think", based on the level of personal detail they share about themselves (e.g., "Attn: Robbers, we're leaving on vacation tomorrow!" LOL) and one or two mishaps where they revealed something about my condition publicly (to another friend they thought no one could see - hellooo? What you say comes up in my newsfeed as well as that of your other 282 friends, delete it immediately!...LOL). I also know of three situations where female friends are certain they've lost job opportunities based on what employers saw on their FB accounts. Otherwise though, used carefully for a good purpose, it's great!