I joined Facebook today. I want to go hide under the bed now. The thing asked me for my birthdate, my email address, my hometown, and a few other things I don't want random strangers reading. I don't keep my blogs private, but I don't exactly post my mother's maiden name on them, either. As soon as my Facebook account was established, I hid basically all identifying info except my name, schools, and general location.
As if the sign-up process wasn't harrowing enough, once I logged in the thing told me every person I know who's got a Facebook account, and asked if I want to invite everyone I know who doesn't have one (um . . . no). Then it opened a profile page with a dizzying array of stuff whose purpose still escapes me. Within thirty seconds, two people I'd contacted and one person I hadn't became my friends and MORE stuff began appearing on my page. If I could type from a fetal position, I would so be curled up on the floor right now.
This must be how my tech-challenged mom felt when I asked her to attach a document to an email a few years ago.
I will confess that it's been fun to see what a few old friends are up to, but as I looked at their accounts two things became abundantly clear to me: 1) Many people spend a country ton of time on this social networking site, and 2) I probably won't. Blogs are more my speed and I barely have time to keep up with them, so I don't think I'll do much more than check in with Facebook every now and then.
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6 comments:
When I joined Facebook, I too was surprised at all of the info required so I put in a fake b-day and address. Sssh... Don't tell anyone! You can also edit your privacy options (ie how much other people on Facebook can see about you). Good luck-- it can be a huge time waster! =)
I've shyed away from Facebook for what you've said here, which, it must be said is totally hilarious. As curious as I am about what some of the past life friends are up to, the ones I probably love the most I still have contact with. Besides, I've reinvented myself so many times since and don't really want to have people revert me back to a role I just don't take anymore.
If that last sentence made any sense you are a true friend.
Also, I loved your last comment about working in SLC that summer. I too wish you lived closer because I'd totally pick your brain about that. Last July I visited the place I think you are talking about with my kids. I think it would be so cool to write a story about a "typical" 15 year old girl who gets roped into volunteering in the village. I would intersperse her change, growth and learning experiences with journal entries from a fictitious pioneer grandmother, also a teenager. While their experiences would be different, ultimately you would see that women in ever time are in many ways the same. She would discover this journal some time later and feel a connection to this ancestor through the work she herself had done.
Gotta find time to write, gotta find time to write, gotta find time to write . .. .
Totally hear you on the Facebook thing. I'm not even sure I want my account there anymore, and I check it maybe once a month. My blog is just fine for me.
hehe ... i dont have a facebook account, never was interested. but i do have a myspace (it was great when i was in the yw pres, what a fun way to keep in touch with my girls!)
but my older sister is totally into facebook, to each his own i guess!!
Facebook=world domination.
Haven't signed up for that one, but it is interesting to lurk occasionally on Tribe and LiveJournal and see what treasures, or not, can be found. OH, and, I do know your mother's maiden name...
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