Friday, September 28, 2007

Facebook friends

I'll come right out and admit it: I'm a bit of a Facebook freak. A few months back, a now-former colleague at my now-former company expressed mock shock when I admitted I hadn't yet signed onto Facebook. Using logic akin to "all the cool kids are doing it," she essentially shamed me into getting on the bandwagon.

I recognize that this shining example of the potential of social networking can turn into a monumental vortex that voraciously consumes free time and brain cells. I appreciate the seeming shallowness of building really big lists of so-called friends for no other reason than, well, building really big lists of so-called friends.

But there's more. It's reconnected me to folks I hadn't seen since elementary school. I've used it to initiate and strengthen business connections - which, as a writer, are my newfound lifeblood. I've used it to reach out from the hospital when our son had his accident. In short, I've learned that there's more to emerging resources like Facebook than initially meets the eye.

Not such a time suck, after all.

(And, no, it doesn't replace Written Inc. - or my Words@Work work blog. It complements them in ways I'm still figuring out. If you're also figuring all this out, I'd love to hear from you.)

Your turn: If you're a Facebooker, please click here to visit my home page and add me onto your list. Yes, I'm whoring for Facebook friends. Such is life in the digital age...

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should be receiving a friend request any time now. Should be fun to see how many requests you get. :)

Michael K. Althouse said...

Haven't done facebook - yet. I'm resisting. I have a myspace account, but only so that i can go to friends pages... I haven't even set up my profile and I doubt that i ever will. I'll check out facebook, I've heard a lot of good things - but it might be a while.

Michele sent me,

Mike

Lara said...

i was fence-sitting about whether or not to join facebook for a really long time. my roommate's been trying to get me to join for at least a year. but after the recent mess they made banning breastfeeding and defending pro-ana, there's no way i could ever join. i'll just have to be your blog friend instead.

Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator said...

I haven't ever actually visited facebook before (and I can't right now because of work -- you know, uh, Intergalactic Gladiator work). I don't know if this is something that I'd want to do, but I'll definitely check yours out.

Here via Michele's.

Jennifer said...

I checked it out :)

Anonymous said...

I am yet to give in. Frankly, I don't have the time. I am member of many writing networks and those kind of keep me busy. If I join facebook, I will even have less time which I need to keep up with my reading.

Let me see how long I resist this!

Do you think Michele is a member there? (BTW, she sent me here!)

:D

Anonymous said...

I joined, looked around, decided it wasn't for me and deactivated my account.

I know I'm an idiot, but honestly? I don't get Facebook. Then again, I'm an anti-social person at heart so maybe THAT'S why. *grin*

I'll have to activate it again just to check your page out, Carmi.

tommie said...

how funny you should mention facebook today.....a few "mom blogs" I read are ranting about them for removing pics of mothers breastfeeding. I am taking it you don't have any of those posted!!
happy friday, y'all

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Thanks for your visit and your very kind words, Carmi...Actually, my dear sister Robin was kinder and gentler than me...but she was such a wonderful role model for so very many people---including me. You would have loved her, my dear Carmi. She was bright and caring and very very special.
Hope you little one is doing better now....

I cannot keep up with ALL the things available out there...Now, Facebook! OY! LOL!

craziequeen said...

I'm resisting these social networking programmes. I've been invited to join three so far.

My blog suffices at the moment.

cq

CG said...

You are already my friend :)

Shari said...

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your son's leg is mending nicely.

My daughter had a nice soak. She babies that arm, but I wouldn't want her to push it, either.

About facebook...I don't know. It took me awhile to start blogging. :) So it'll be awhile for me to "get" Facebook. Maybe when I'm done with classes I'll check it out.

Laurie C. Schultz said...

I was a skeptic (as I am with so many things today), but I tried it and now I am addicted (as you know). I, too, have been reconnected with so many blasts from the past, it is almost surreal. There is no way that I would be in contact with these folks otherwise. We all haven't rekindled an offline friendship, but it is nice to say hi and to catch up, even if it is with just a poke or two.

Viva Facebook. (I'm suck a dork).

purplefugue said...

I'm not signing up with Facebook out of sheer stubborness, I think. Everyone is on it. Everyone is talking about and I just get a thrill of saying, "No. I'm not in Facebook." and watching their reactions when I do so. Haha! I'm on Linkedin.com and that's keeping me plenty busy. Everyone else who knows me, calls, messages, emails, writes or visits my blog. Better yet, we meet. :-)

awareness said...

Already connected! :) I'm AMAZED how quickly you've connected to so many!!

I'm still a fence sitter on facebook though....havent put much time or effort into it. My obsession with my two blogs seems to have filled my cuppeth to runneth of overeth.

Though I have had some email connections that are meaningful, facebook seems like a little cocktail party of small talk, which is fine when it's happy hour...... I think it would be very different if I was using it for networking career wise.
And maybe one day (maybe soon) I will turn my attention to that type of facebook function too. You just never know. :)

Rainbow dreams said...

I joined up after the summer after a friend nudged me in that direction... and I'm not completely sure - I only have a few friends on there as yet - I'm sure it has potential - but is most definitely a time waster if allowed to be...

great to see you there though! :)

Shannon akaMonty said...

I hated the idea of facebook...until I actually signed up.
I am completely delighted with some of the applications (who knew Scrabble was so COMPETITIVE!) and I love finding old friends. :)

Hello, Michele sent me! :)

Sara said...

you've got "mail" in the form of a friend request from me :)
how's your son's leg doing?

Erin said...

I was glad to see you joined Facebook, Carmi!

I was resistant at first, too, but boy am I hooked now! I just love it!

Hen Jen said...

funny I stumbled on your post about facebook, I am trying to decide if I should join. The thought of finding old friends, or being found is luring me..and yet I worry about it being just another time drain. Glad to hear a positive thought on it.