Twitter? Facebook? why?...

I guess I don't quite get the Twitter and Facebook thing.

I'm tech savvy. I network. But I don't get it...

It all started with a friend of mine in New York setting up a MySpace page. "Do it, Nancy! Make a page!"
"Uh, okay....why?"
"Because it's a great way to keep in touch with friends!"

So I did. On her constant urging. I did what was expected of me. Got a cool 'skin', I posted photos, I updated my profile, I wrote an "about me", blahblahblah. I immediately started getting 'friend' requests from people I don't know, people I don't want to know really...I mean why would I?

The whole idea freaked me out.

Fast forward now to Facebook. I got an 'invite' from a past co-worker. "Be my friend! See the party photos!" In order to see her photos, I had to sign up and make an account. Okay, so if I'm going to go through all that, then I should go ahead and put up a profile, post some photos, write an "about me", blahblahblah. But again, I'm getting friend requests from people I don't know, not sure I want to know, or knew about a hundred years ago. Does it matter? Do I need this? Do I really need to know that one friend 'is hungover', another 'is going to the gym' and one 'brewing coffee'? Will this complete my day? Will it fulfill my life?

How much information do I want to share with people that aren't in my immediate circle....?

But I've been playing along with it. I've been checking in. If I see too many people online, I sign off immediately. It's odd to me to get e-mail notifications notifying me that I've got a message on Facebook. Everyone I know that would send me messages already has my e-mail address; so why not just send me an e-mail? Why send the message through Facebook? Why don't you text me? Or better yet, just pick up the phone and call?

What about when someone posts something on your 'wall'. Do I really want all my contacts on Facebook knowing what's going on in my life? Not really. I guess I don't actually care if you do know, I'm not secretive, but the whole process just seems....odd to me.

What bothers me the most is the 'invites' I get via Facebook. What 80's rock star are you? How many children will you have? What are your 5 favorite beverages? Or one of the best that I saw today, What Saved By the Bell Character are you?

Are you kidding me? Do I need that information? I never even watched the show let alone stay up at night wondering which character I would be!

Each time you take one of these surveys, you have to agree that now all your information and all the information of your friends is now public. Doesn't that worry anybody? It does me. I won't take any of those surveys...no matter how curious I may be about what character I am. Have you ever read the notice when you post a photo? That's how that family from Missouri had their Christmas photo ending up in Prague for a grocery store ad. Once posted, it's public fodder. I really would prefer not to see my image used in advertising...for anything.

I got a notice recently that someone bought one of my photos, that I'm now owned. What does that mean? I'm owned? And if so, where's my money?

But I'm most confused about Twitter. Why in the hell do I need to know what anyone out in the world is doing or thinking at any given moment? And in a 2 line text? I am not going to be peer pressured into 'twitting' my day away....

and yet, I reactivated my Twitter account today. And am now following Carlos. Hmmm.

And in a flash I got 3 'tweets' letting me know these people were now following me. Why? What connection do I have with them? None. Oh, and I like to call the people following me that I've no connection to "twits". I think it's fitting.

There are some people that I know that must seem to always have their computer on, and on their Facebook page. I can't seem to ever log on without seeing them there. What do they do with their days? I guess it's possible that I could just look at the backlogs and see...but I won't. I wish there was a way to sign on and remain 'invisible'.

What will be extremely interesting is that since my blog is linked to the Facebook page, this blog, once posted, will come across as a note to all those on Facebook. Watch. There is going to be a mass exodus on my 'friend' list. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes for me to get dropped as a friend. 46-45-44-43....0. Those friends of mine will think that I've called them out on their Facebook obsession. The only one's that will remain are the people that have a Facebook account but don't log on. By the time they do log on, this blog will have been long buried in the archives.

I've read that they are trying to get people to pay for the Facebook privilege. Privilege was the word used. In which case, I'm not going to have a page, so it will all be a moot point.

Checking the blogs I follow several times a day is a bad enough time usurper. I like to see if my blogger friends have posted anything new. With two computers running and 4 tabs open on each, my computer dependence is bordering on obsession. Add all these other computer/internet driven connection devices, and I may never leave the house.

But thank God I've got an iPhone...
That way I can receive Carlos's updates on Twitter.
:-)