Showing posts with label facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label facebook. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

OMG - Am I addicted to FB?

“My apologies, my pet cricket has restless legs syndrome.”
Mayor Adam West

I have finally, I think, adjusted my infatuation with Facebook. Yes, we are still in the growth phase, it is still interesting and fascinating at the same time.
Also funny, how many times I received notices from ‘friends’ asking me to join up in this newfound time waster.
I have been sucked in to the FB vortex and believe I have reached the teeter-totter point. Worse, yet, I joined Linked In for some silly reason. Never ever would I have considered myself a person that caves on such things or would I ever consider myself a follower.

The amazing part is our sick fascination with old friends, high-school mates, ex work associates, or old girlfriends.
Do you ever wonder what the girl you had study hall with is doing for a living? Or what happened to that person you used to go out 80’s dancing with at the best 80’s dance bar in town? Or even better what they’re doing at this very moment in time?

Like Twitter, Facebook provides nearly an up to the minute – “Bob is…” statements from anyone of your Friends. I have found it is a great learning tool to see who takes themselves way to seriously and who doesn’t or who should NOT have a FB page. Those that should not have a page are the ones with updates that are either scary or just plain not so interesting.
What I do love is the quick insight into the photos being posted by dear friends and not so close acquaintances. She is cleaning her garage or fixing dinner, he is at his kids play at school. However, along with the ‘doing’ update we get actual photos, even more fascinating insight into their life.
I created a “Way-Back Photos Folder” and have been adding some scanned photos of me in grade school or with long hair. This seemed to illicit some great response, activity and comments under each photo – even better – it inspired my FB friends to do the same and allow me to comment on their bad hair photos from the 80’s. FB brings new meaning to groups of friends, gathering them in one vault.

FB Groups are a fun way to show your support for your favorite cause, or join a silly named group, for example, ”I hate the way people drive in the snow group” to have it show up on your friends page. Otherwise – you can create your own personal group and provide a historical home to keep in touch, keep each other notified and updated on plans for a big trip.

Updates by phone you say? That’s right, especially those of you with an iPhone or Crackberry can update your FB page by cell phone through the web. Those of you with cell phones and no web access, no worries - web charges don’t apply, it’s a simple text message to your FB account to update your status. Even cooler, a small phone icon shows in your status update that you are so friggin cool, you updated your FB by phone. Sweet –that’s right I did it a few times. I couldn’t’ help it. I was fascinated by all the technology for goodness sake.

About 90% of the time, FB has been a positive, sometimes exciting enterprise. I would say the only downside is “Ignoring” requests we receive for someone to be your “friend”. I have turned down several if not most of my co-workers. I like to separate my home and work and prefer not to allow my co-workers to peer inside my life electronically.

During my initial elementary phase of FB, I did find myself discussing my newfound toy with almost everyone I knew or had not seen for a while. Some of my wife’s friends even became my friends first, because she didn’t have a FB page. Now she does and she is hooked. She had several 2/3 a.m. nights digging into the depths of FB. I am glad she has reached out and found old and new friends. Even better I think FB has taught many something about how to better utilized their own personal computer.
I hope to reconnect with some of my High School friends in the coming weeks for coffee and some catch up conversation.

back to it.