My GOD man, why Facebook?
For a while there I thought I might be able to hold out against the flood of friends and relatives on Facebook. I was determined to do it. I would be the last person in the world who wasn't on Facebook. My wife was determined to stand beside me as we watched the lemmings swarm into the sea of Facebook. And then the next thing I knew I was wading in the surf.
What happened? How could it have happened o quickly? Why did I abandon my principles without a fight? Well, it started last year, I think. Heather and I had planned a trip around the US. Much of it was to be driving and so, for emergencies, we bought a cell phone.
I had, and still have, an aversion to cell phones. I don't like them. I hate to see people using them (while driving! Gr! While walking in the store! While walking across the street! Grr!). I dislike using them (What button do I push to ....Can you hear me? How do I stop this thing from ringing?) And I have unnaturally thick fingers so they are always hard to use for me, even when I do know what I am doing.
But we bought one. Heather carries it most of the time, and the rare few times I've taken it with me, it has been in order for more "phone savvy" people to find me. Still hate the thing. But I compromised my principles for the sake of convenience, safety, and facility. And we've maintened the connection even after the immediate need has passed.
Despite the tech lust, I won't own an iPhone or other smart phone. But saying that I have to admit to thinking about other smart devices like an iPad or iPod Touch with wifi and then using Skype. See? This is how it starts.
So when I deleted the fourth invite to Facebook and having told yet another person that putting a photo album online through Facebook meant I couldn't see it I just cracked. I signed up. In one day I had over 40 friends confirmed. Most of them were people I was already connected through via email, Twitter, forums, podcasts, Google Buzz, Google Reader, MySpace, LinkedIn, Livejournal, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, ... well, just look at that long list to the right of this page. I'm on all of those.
And still people have said to me, "I couldn't find you online!"
It is really easy, just Google my name. I am the top search result for me (Duuuurrrr!).
So, people couldn't find me, but somehow they knew they could try (and fail) via Facebook. Occasionally they'd find my email address and invite me (hense the four invites I got). My mother was on Facebook as were people I talked to regularly. How bad could the kool-aid taste?
Now, a week or so later, I'm not really regretting the choice. Heather held out about 4-5 days longer than me. I'm up to 132 friends and that number might climb as high as 200 or so and then level off. I've determined (for what THAT is worth) to limit my friending to people I have actually met in person or talked to online. Although for celebrities and groups that I "fan" I may make a few exceptions.
I still have folks welcoming me to Facebook a week later and have continued to find folks I had been meaning to hook up with. So, once I got used to the texture, the Kool aid isn't so bad.
I may have to reconsider my stance on some other things... like iPhones.
C David Dent | Create Your Badge
