Monday, February 9, 2009

the tyranny of facebook


(rude gnome sculpture by Gary Rith)
SO I am reading the other day about facebook and people DROPPING 'friends' and what that means. I have, or had, 74 facebook friends. There are some oddities in there: a very distant, but sweet and wonderful cousin, some bloggy friends, some people from school and college and some odds and ends. Now, it isn't all about me, but one person irked me slightly. She asked to be my friend, apparently along with everybody else on earth that we had gone to college with. I sent her a cheery note. No response. I don't want to be her friend anymore, and now I AM NOT. Will she notice that she went from 537 friends to 536? Facebook doesn't tell the dropee.
My sister got my dad into facebook, plus an obscure cousin from far away, and then suggested repeatedly I friend them. I dunno. This blog is my public face (HAHAHA!) and it isn't always mature or family oriented, it is...well, clean enough.
On facebook I feel a bit freer. I don't WANT MY DAD seeing my salty language or naughty joking around. It isn't much saltier or naughtier than here, but still....

13 comments:

Susan as Herself said...

I hear ya. Bloggin and Facebook are very different entities. I see them doing two very differnt things, and both are fine as long as I keep that clear.

Wep said...

I use my public face for Facebook and Twitter. I save my salty inappropriate comments for all of you in bloggy land :)

Jay said...

I have gotten friend requests from people I didn't know on Facebook, but then they never "talk" to me again also. So, I'm about to kick a few people out. LOL

I don't have any family as friends on Facebook that don't already know about the blog. But, if my cousins, who I've seen around Facebook on other people's friends lists, send a friend request, I might have to take the links to my blog and Twitter off my "info" page.

But, my mother isn't on Facebook so there is more freedom there just because of that. LOL

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

You can be "salty" and speak in "naughty" terminology? No way... Way? No way.

Okay. Well, maybe I should visit this Facebook that all my bloggies have been preaching about. And, maybe I should try to become your friend? Or, maybe, anonymously -- as a cousin -- from Arkansas.... Yeah, that's it.

[Crap-diddly, did I just give myself away?]

Miss Heather said...

Ha ha ha!! I've had several people add me and had to ask other people who they were... because they're married now or changed their name. I think my blog and Facebook are hilarious because my family checks out both and (I think) thinks less of me now... but oh well!! :)

P.S. I GOT A JOB!

Anonymous said...

Facebook is not for me - too preppy - most of the people that I know on there, that is, except for my kids - 2 of the 3 actually have tried to get me on there, as well as some friends. So I gave it a try and worked for 2 hours to make a blog, I then dismantled it- my little corner here is much better!!

Real Live Lesbian said...

Dude, I sooo feel your pain!

Jason, as himself said...

I don't use Facebook, but it seems that it is beginning to spiral OUT OF CONTROL! How long do you think it will last? Is it just a fad, or is it here to stay?

For that matter, is blogging just a fad, or is it here to stay?

Jessica said...

I hear ya! I was just thinking about this today. I accepted a request from a girl that I've known off & on for many years. I now am rethinking adding her. She only has a few friends at this point, so she would totally notice if I let her go. I like blogging way better than fb. Much less drama.

Linda Starr said...

Gee, I might be one of those rude people or maybe not, don't know much about facebook, guess I better check in.

I think (hope) blogs are here to stay.

Di Mackey said...

Mmm, facebook is an interesting phenomena. I was lured back after photographing a reception here and it was simplest to put a gallery online for people, as they were all on facebook but the politics of it can become complicated fast when people have massive imaginations and can make friends with your friends.

Thinking of wandering away from it again ...

The cooking you and Maude did looked truly excellent, just btw.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

This particular group of commenters? I'd love all of you to be my salty facebook friends!

~ Sil in Corea said...

I just got sucked into Facebook by one of my sons (not the Seattle one, the Poughkeepsie-for-the-nonce one). It's weird,- I mean, journaling is like being part of a community, but Facebook is like being part of a fraternity. Not that I have ever belonged to a fraternity, but I saw "Animal House."
Hugs from the west,
~ Sil in Corea