Social network sites 'monitored'

Social networking sites like Facebook could be monitored by the government under proposals to make them keep details of users' contacts.

The Home Office said it was needed to tackle crime gangs and terrorists who might use the sites, but said it would not keep the content of conversations.

Civil liberties campaigners have called the proposal a "snoopers' charter".

The idea follows proposals to store details of every phone call, email, and internet visit made in the UK...

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Are you scared?

Not scared.

It sounds like an oxymoron to call websites like facebook and twitter social networking sites. They are anything but social, get off these sites and get a life. Being social is actually about interacting with ppl physically face to face or via the phone, typing away on keyboard can never replace social interaction. These interactions are not social. Ppl have just become lazy they can't even be bothered to go out and speak to their friends who live around the corner. They're rather be twits and sit on twitter to a mate who most likely lives less than 10 minutes away, and is a mate they even see regularly at school, uni or work.

Twitter appears more banal than facebook, regular joes and even celebs telling us what they are eating at any given moment, that they're going to the corner shop, or even bathroom. Do we really need to know all the boring details of life, especially the life of strangers. Seems like another form of voyeurism, following on from the big brother culture, not socialising at all.

I think it's unhealthy to be a twit

“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]

Hajjar wrote:
Not scared.

It sounds like an oxymoron to call websites like facebook and twitter social networking sites. They are anything but social, get off these sites and get a life. Being social is actually about interacting with ppl physically face to face or via the phone, typing away on keyboard can never replace social interaction. These interactions are not social. Ppl have just become lazy they can't even be bothered to go out and speak to their friends who live around the corner. They're rather be twits and sit on twitter to a mate who most likely lives less than 10 minutes away, and is a mate they even see regularly at school, uni or work.

Twitter appears more banal than facebook, regular joes and even celebs telling us what they are eating at any given moment, that they're going to the corner shop, or even bathroom. Do we really need to know all the boring details of life, especially the life of strangers. Seems like another form of voyeurism, following on from the big brother culture, not socialising at all.

I think it's unhealthy to be a twit

Lool your spot on talk on msn with my friend and she lives right next door! I can just open my window and talk to her.

I'm sure people said the same thing about the telephone when it was invented, or even writing letters. Does it really matter if you text someone rather than see them face-to-face?

I, for one, have found Facebook invaluable for inviting people to my wedding who I might otherwise have lost touch with, as well as generally keeping in touch with them from across the world.

Don't just do something! Stand there.

I guess it depends on how much you use such stuff and how much of a focus it takes and how close the people really are.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

i think letter writing and telephone calls are very personal. A lot of time and effort goes into letter writing. It's a shame this art form has now been replaced with abbreviated text messages like "salam how are you?". I don't know about you guys but i appreciate a mate using the effort to write out a text, to instead dial my number and say hi how are you? I can't talk for long, just wanted to see how you're doing." If it's too hard I duno put my number on speed dial and after all excuses if there's no contact are these ppl worth calling mates?

I really think a lot of ppl avoid human interaction in these modern times. What does that say about our psychological state. No one is soooo busy that they can't make a 5 minute call.

Well if you never had facebook all those mates contacts would be in your diary rather than an online database. If the site went down 2moro would these mates be lost forever? Surely you have their details saved elsewhere?

“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]

Hajjar wrote:
i think letter writing and telephone calls are very personal. A lot of time and effort goes into letter writing. It's a shame this art form has now been replaced with abbreviated text messages like "salam how are you?". I don't know about you guys but i appreciate a mate using the effort to write out a text, to instead dial my number and say hi how are you? I can't talk for long, just wanted to see how you're doing." If it's too hard I duno put my number on speed dial and after all excuses if there's no contact are these ppl worth calling mates?

I really think a lot of ppl avoid human interaction in these modern times. What does that say about our psychological state. No one is soooo busy that they can't make a 5 minute call.

But surely it's better than no contact at all. And how is being 'unsociable' the same as 'bad'? Just because you personally prefer something it doesn't mean that you can dictate what other people can/should prefer.

Hajjar wrote:

Well if you never had facebook all those mates contacts would be in your diary rather than an online database. If the site went down 2moro would these mates be lost forever? Surely you have their details saved elsewhere?

How is a paper diary in any way preferable to an online database? It's more difficult to keep in alphabetical order, it's more difficult to search through and there is FAR more chance of ME losing a diary than of Facebook going down. Also, it takes about 3/4 months to send post to/from Syria to London, so it would have been impossible to contact everyone, and get their replies in time (and far more expensive too).

While I agree with you in the fact that not all change/technology is 'better' for us, that doesn't mean that it is all evil/for the worse either. You have to take the rough with the smooth, and accept other people's 'right' to be unsociable Blum 3

Don't just do something! Stand there.

It's almost like you are talking about me there. I am touched.

A benefit of email etc over talking is that you can take more care over your words, thoughts. You can actually think things through and have a chance to think before hitting the send button. Not always the case, but there are many times in face-to-face/phone conversation where I feel irritated as my thinking takes too much time for me to make useful contributions/arguments.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

i wasn't dictating anything Yaqub, my personal feelings and opinions. Just as you seem to think there is nothing wrong, and it's a great tool i am allowed to think it's a waste of time.

“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]