FACEBOOK

I remember the first time I heard about Facebook.  I had told my daughter that I didn't think she should be on My Space. I had heard it was kind of bad, not censored.  So she told me about Facebook.  She told me that basically it was a censored My Space.  So I guess I was okay with her being on Facebook.  I had absolutely no desire to be on it.  I thought it was just a place for teens to go on and talk about whatever was going on in their lives.  I was not about to share my thoughts with the world.

About two years later my daughter was showing me some pictures that my sister-in-law had posted.  I was so in awe that you could see all these pictures, that I decided I would like to be on Facebook.  She helped me set up and account and showed me how to upload and tag pictures, request and confirm friends, and, make and read posts. 

First of all, I found that I did not like the pictures people were tagging of me.  There were several that I absolutely didn't want people to see.  Nothing real bad, just me looking bad.  But I still didn't want me tagged.  I found out that I couldn't untag myself and that the only way to remove the tag was to have the person that tagged it remove it.  I was so upset.  I have since learned how to untag, so I am okay with being tagged, knowing that I can remove it.  I do love to see pictures of distant and close relatives and their families.  So there are the good and the bad to pictures on Facebook.

Second, I was requesting friends left and right.  I would see that so and so was friends with several people I went to school with.  Others were friends of just people I had heard of.  I, of course, have to add all those people.  Then there were all those people who requested me that I didn't even know.  Most of them I confirmed.  Needless to say, I really am not friends with the majority of them.  Almost everyone on my friends list is just an aquaintance. 

I love reading posts.  I don't watch the news, so I love the fact that I can find out news through Facebook.  I heard of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Whitney Houston's deaths all on Facebook.  I like to hear results of dance competitions and other sports.  I also like to hear of engagements, parties, and other events.  I, however, don't like to say much in my posts.  I use to post a lot, but I realized that I really didn't have too many important things to say.

Facebook is a wonderful place to keep in touch with friends and family.  It is a great way to see them, through pictures, and to chat with them.  I don't think that we need to be friends with so many people.  If you don't know anything about a person except their name, delete them from your list.  A lot of people like to stalk their friends and just read their profiles and posts, and look at their pictures.  I realized I don't want people I barely know looking at my pictures and reading my posts to satisfy their curiosity.  It has gotten to be just a public display of your whole life.