Two-Faced??

Ahh, Facebook. One of my favorite AND most hated sites.


I have had a FB (Facebook for the FB-ers out there) for over a year now. I think it is a great site for social networking. Keeping in touch with far away family is now easier (and they don't overstay this way), sharing photos and chatting without needing an immediate response are my main reasons for using it. Oh, and, um, maybe a game or two. OK the addiction to a game, uh, games may play a part too. But being able to send a "hi" and "miss you" and I SAW that picture!!!! out to family and friends without worrying about time zones, travel prices and phone bills is a wonderful option. It can be a lot of fun. It has also inspired some creative videos which express some of the not so great parts. A few are included next.


The downside
Etiquette and Netiquette are not mutually exclusive. Unfortunately this seems to be a foreign concept to many.

And those people you didn't keep in touch with because you didn't want to? Well, a reunion may be just around the corner.


Facebook is a TOOL not a replacement for social interaction. See the difference? I don't believe people really have 518 friends or that those 518 "friends" need to know everything about you. In fact I think that it can be very dangerous. You wouldn't stand up in a packed football stadium and pass out those snapshots of you drunk at the pool party...would you? Or announce your intent to divorce to your soon-to-be former spouse and kids over the mall P.A. system...would you? Or hand out you phone number and house address to everyone at Disneyland...would you?


This is a public site...assume no privacy. I am amazed at what even my own family have posted apparently unaware that I can see it. I have opened the site to find 15 status updates from the same person detailing their stomach flu. I have receive a wedding invitation on a public wall message.
Despite all that...
If people take the time to find and use privacy settings and assume that nothing is "secret" online then Facebook is a great site to visit. I use it almost daily to send non synchronized chats to distant family and even to nearby friends and co-workers. And, um, to play those games .