Do You Facebook??

Ok so I admit I am a tech-geek. A cute geek, but a geek non the less. I will also admit that I've gotten hooked on Facebook. Yes it's a great way to quickly send notes to your friends and family, but it is also addictive. So much so that I (and I'm embarrassed to admit) have it on my crack, I mean blackberry.

Sometimes it's pretty cool to see what's going on, get 'poked', have a hug or fancy drink sent to you. I do admit I would prefer to be hugged for real, I've been 'poked' enough thank you very much, and my martini tastes better in a cold glass, not lickin' a warm computer screen.

Truthfully, I'm still not sure how this is different from MySpace. You have 'access' to your friends on both and you can grow your friends, group and association lists without trying too hard. What surprises me is looking at my friends-friends list. I think you can tell a lot about people buy the company they keep (hey, I think that's something that my mom said...). And does ANYONE (well other than my friend Kathleen who knows EVERYONE) really know 400+ people, I don't think so. I know that after sending a number of friend requests some people I would have sworn on a stack of bibles would have jumped at the chance to 'add' me, but they took their time. Did that mean I wasn't worth being their FB friend for all the world to see? Did that mean that as long as we met in the booth, in the back, in the corner, in the dark on alternate third Thursdays bi-monthly it was fine, but in such a public forum where let's face it you are judged, you had to think twice. Nah...it just means that people have a life and they aren't as hooked to it as I am (and you know you are too...come on, I know you're nodding in agreement with me).

Sometimes Facebook can be a curse. Unlike some of the other social networking sites choosing to have a photo or not and what photo, can be a daunting process. You don't want it to be you drunk as a skunk with bloodshot eyes, nor do you want it to be you in your Sunday best. I choose a picture that is probably one of the only pictures of me. Wearing a favorite orange sweater, hair and make-up were perfect. The look was casual yet confident. Of course I then got a comment from a male friend which was really a compliment, but made me really self-conscious, and I changed it to flowers. Hey, as a photographer I find myself changing the photo's often..see I told you I was addicted.

There are so many applications and games to learn. As a friend adds something I think, "hey that's a pretty cool group - I should join" or my favorite during the holiday the largest virtual snowball fight in the world. That was fun!! Look, I'm just scratching the surface of Facebook. I'm still learning how to keep weeds out of my virtual garden, and how to find out what's in the gift box you sent me and mostly how to actually 'search' the application feature. I'm sure with a bit more practice I'll have the hang of it. Then again maybe not. After all it's not life and death right?

So go ahead poke, send a beer, wish someone a happy birthday or send them a hug. Either way, it's just nice to be thought of by someone you call a friend. OH...if someone sends you a hug it's rude not to send them one back or at LEAST acknowledge it. Maybe there should be Facebook etiquette...hmmmm....