Social Networking

Recently I was forced to reassess my feelings about social networking sites. I joined FaceBook and LinkedIn a few years ago, at work, as an exercise in becoming familiar with social networking sites. I didn’t really make much progress with either of them, short of signing up and adding a few details, and visiting sporadically which usually meant accepting requests to be someone’s ‘friend’ on Facebook. Of course I only agreed to be a ‘friend’ of someone I actually knew, which seemed odd to me given that were already were friends. The others I declined, which invariably induced an unsettling feeling of being mean and anti-social. I admit to not having much enthusiasm for this way of expanding my contacts. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer talking to people I actually know rather than to people I’ve never met. But blow me down, two people I know but haven’t seen for years, both of whom live abroad, found me – both via the more business-related Linked In site which is where I had given the name of my current employer. Without the enabling technology of these social networking sites, this would have been impossible, as I didn’t have any of my real-world contact details on either site.

As for Facebook, I still don't really get it. It does seem to be full of blather. I'd much rather have a one-on-one correspondence at length with my friends, rather than have the feeling that I'm eavesdropping on all of their friends. I also steadfastly refuse to sent anything virtual - whether flowers or kisses or anything else - it's too silly for words (perhaps that's the whole point - no words necessary). Nor have I used either site to contact friends of friends, but I know when the time comes, there will be plenty of opportunity. Six degrees of separation and all that.