Social Networking in Real Time with Real People

It was a good idea, but it didn't work for me, so I have opted out of Facebook.

Basically, I am a writer, so I blog. My mind likes to twist and turn with ideas and issues that interest me, and I write about them in whatever frame of mind I am currently enjoying. Because I share my blog with students, I am cautious about some topics, as well as my perspective on others. Freedom of speech extends only to those who have the funds to defend themselves in court against those who demand their freedom of speech at the expense of others whose point of view they do not share.

FB is akin to the current passion for on-line farming: if I have chunks of time to spend doing something, I'd rather not use it maintaining an imaginary farm. Instead, I need to pull weeds, but don't seem able to kneel yet, so I stand and spray weed killer from on high and hope that it does the job for me. I also don't on-line game, mostly because I don't like to play games, especially those that involve mythical creatures in imaginary settings and require killing as many "enemy" creatures as one can to advance to the next level ... of an imaginary game. I do, however, enjoy playing Scrabble for fun, as well as playing Spider Solitaire on my computer.

FB seemed as if I had walked into a "family" of friends who were all in on the back story about which I had no prior knowledge. Because I don't know the "family" members, I don't want to be their friends, even though part of the FB experience seems to be collecting friends in the hundreds. My observation is that these people share personal information that could make me uncomfortable, especially with my "real" family members. The question popped into my mind, "Why would I want to share my personal life with people I don't know," and when I could not answer that question to my own satisfaction, I realized that the FB venue is not the appropriate forum for my mental meanderings.

Few people read my blog, and that is fine as I mostly write it for myself as a means of emptying my mind today so tomorrow's thoughts can thrive. Part of my goal as a writer is to ask questions that other people may also ask, but explore them from my perspective. No one has to agree or disagree with my blog postings as it's not a contest to see who is right, but simply an opportunity to explore ideas and issues and open up thought paths that may not have been wandered before.

I read a few other blogs, including both my son's and my dotter-in-law's, as they are both interesting, intelligent people who write well and often stimulate me to think outside my own little box. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't correct the grammar, the spelling, or the sentence construction of my own blog, much less the writing of other bloggers!! If a student is blogging to earn class credit, I may ask questions and/or make suggestions, but those are aimed at the thought process, not the written expression.

Going forward, I will continue to delete the invitations to become a FB friend, electronically isolating myself from both real and imaginary friends. If I want to talk to my real family and friends, I will contact them in the real world in real time, and share a real conversation with them, my definition of a real social network.