Some Facebook Mocking...So True!

The "Facebook Family" Revolution

I originally posted this as a note on facebook but thought it was blogworthy as well with a few minor edits to make it likewise blogger-related:

This whole facebook "thing" is a unique sort of a revolution. Although I suppose all revolutions are unique...The curious thing about this particular revolution is that it is about connecting people into relationships, into community, into conversation. I suppose blogging does this as well to those "connected" to ones' blog but somehow facebook is more relationship-oriented.

Facebook is not about simply exchanging facts or ideas, but rather exchanging our lives. Don't you wish real life was more like facebook? Where you actually engaged people in real conversations over a coffee or coke? But we don't have time for that because of the busyness of our life - do we? So we wait (typically) for the hours after most have gone to bed and blog, post notes, poke people, or send private messages to our facebook family. How many of you check facebook (or your blog) throughout the day to see if someone has left you note?

The other thing that strikes me about facebook (which blogging did to a point) is that I've reignited so many relationships from my past, from my college years in particular - the time in which my relationships didn't have a lot to do with who I was related to but with whom I actually had something in common with. Facebook in many ways has brought that past back from the dead to life - or at least an online version of life. It has also reconnected me to friends from all over the world.

I still believe that a face-to-face conversation still trumps anything that facebook attempts to do but I will say that this networking has the potential of bringing such a face-to-face conversation into life as well!

So know that you've endured my meandering musings - consider yourself poked and feel free to dialogue or be in conversation whether you like the topic of facebook or not!

Some questions for further conversation: What joys has facebook (or blogging) brought to you? How is blogging like facebook? How does it differ or is blogging unique?

Facebook

I gave in and registered my persona into facebook a few weeks ago. I've been amazed at who I've found - long lost college friends, fellow camp workers, etc. Very cool format and way less annoying than myspace although apparently just as addictive. More interactive than blogging but not as self-reflective. I'm still keeping up my journals here but for connecting with friends & family - facebook nails it.

I had a student do an excellent report on Youth & the Internet - excellent tool that can be used in a good way or a negative way. He noted that spending too much time on the Internet can result in addiction or at a minimum a false sense of community. I agree there is nothing like flesh & blood relationships but i marvel at how much more connected I do feel with friends far away. I also see the danger on spending too much time online and not enough time & presence on face to face relationships.

Soundtrack to post: "Young Folks" - Peter Bjorn And John