09 July 2008

You've got a friend request

So the epidemic has begun. Everyone is jumping off the bridge, Dust. And yes, we are following. I succumbed to facebook in February I think. I actually didn't. A coworker here thought it was the right thing to do. He actually sat at my desk with his laptop while I was working (for real) on my computer. He asked me questions and set up the page on facebook. He even chose the photo off the work network. I let him do it because it was easier than saying no. He was stalking everyone to do it.

I resisted because I thought it was something high schoolers did or college age anyway. I didn't think I knew a lot of people on there. Plus it would be one more thing to maintain and feel bad if I didn't do it. For a several months, it stayed pretty static. Granted I didn't try either. I'm so glad it emails when I need to do something or it might be dead by now.

Today I have a plethora of "friends" on my facebook links. I've learned to change my photo and follow links to others pages. I'm certainly not a pro. It's not an intuitive operation but I'm getting the hang of it. I still don't do any cute video posts or music or anything. I can't keep up with the real things I have to do in life much less the fun bits of a facebook page.

So I'm curious now that many of you have joined facebook - Is it going to replace the blogs? If it does, are we are microcosm of the internet at large? Is everyone migrating to a social networking page? Will blogs go by the wayside? I certainly have no answers and can't cast stones since I don't post regularly.

What's funny and Dash touched on it, is the "friendships" established with people I didn't really have more than a brief or nonexistent acquaintance with at some point in the past. I got invited to join an Evangel Alum group. I even put a photo up and as soon as I hit post I realized how stupid it was. All the people who have ended up connected to this site were not in my social sphere THEN. So NOW what are we going to have in common? It's absurd really but an interesting phenomena of the internet.

8 comments:

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  2. I don't know what happened to me... I fell off the blog pretty abrubtly. So many things were happening at once over here that were emotionally challenging, cultural, etc... It was too much for me to record - so I took a break, hoping no one would think I was being aloof. A couple of you guys recommended that I just wriet a short blrub - like a daily journal - but I couldn't even do that HA! I guess it was like trying to write a short story about a crash I just walked away from...
    Anyway - I youngster (25 yrs old) signed me up on Facebook to keep me in touch at IMM here. I found that I could be silly and flip in a brief, shallow sort of way. My only complaint is that I'm friends with a self-described lesbian/wiccan fellow high school alum and I'm in a KS ministers group, along with being friends with every missionary's kid here. So now I'm silly - and CAREFUL!
    FWI - There's a term called "Fakebook" This term applies to those of us who fill up our friend's list with those brief or nonexistent acquaintances.
    (But you can't say no to youth groupers and George Wood!)
    Its fun

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  3. Yep, I didn't know what I was getting into when I got an invite to view a friends site. Yeah, my goal is not to aquire 300 friends. I am not sure I want to throw my friendship around willy nilly. There have been a few friends I accepted where I questioned whether they were worthy (like, do I remember you from college, or hey your in the youth group at church and i really don't know you) but I don't want to be rude or mean, so heck yeah, you can be my friend.

    I like it cuz, darwin seems to be more ALIVE and funny.

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  4. I still need to sign up. I think I'll do that this weekend.

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  5. Well if every one else is doing it, I don't think I'll be able to resist.

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  6. I signed up for myspace last year because a friend from college wanted me to. I can't believe that some people have like 300 friends.

    Maybe Dust can do a GoldenDust page on facebook so I don't have to keep it up. ; )

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  7. Too many of the 20 something people I work with are in facebook. I've never been tempted, I have little free time. It sounds kind of bizarre too.

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  8. Anonymous7:05 PM

    Yeah, facebook is a strange beast of the internet. Reconnecting with people isn't always like actual reconnecting. Saying your friends with someone on facebook is so loose. It really can mean next to nothing. It is fun spying on people though and seeing what they've been up to. Kind of creepy though in a way.

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