Monday, April 23, 2007

Seemingly unconnected items that provide a backstory into why I hate Facebook

Fun surprise for me last week. I went to the bus to pick up some suitcases that Jane had sent home from Italy and Jane got off the bus! The sheer surprise of it rendered me completely speechless, such an uncommon occurrence that Jane actually asked if I was okay.

I had just emailed her that morning to confirm that I would be picking up her stuff and was envying her beaching it up in Thailand. The absolute LAST place on earth I expected her to be was getting off the bus in Medicine Hat! But in the process of booking a flight to London she discovered an incredibly cheap flight through Calgary so she decided to come home for 10 days. YAY!

We've had lots of laughs and lots of Starbucks - can you say tall, decaf, non-fat, no whip, xtra hot, dulce de leche latte? (Not 10 times fast you can't!) Jane is leaving tomorrow and I will miss her like crazy and have to find solace in the thought of all the cool presents she'll bring home with her next time.

As great as this visit has been, it actually is not the point of this blog. This blog is actually about my great dislike of Facebook.

Regularly I have notices in my inbox that I have been added by someone as a Friend on Facebook. At first I didn't respond because I couldn't be bothered and now I'm refusing to respond so I don't get sucked into the black hole that is Facebook. While Jane was here I watched one day as 4 hours of her life were sucked out of her by Facebook. 4 hours that she had set aside to do other things like SORT OUT HER LIFE! Or at least her backpack and when you're a traveller your backpack is your life.

A day or so later she asked me to help her. Help her stop the insanity, the madness, the obsessiveness that is Facebook. I do not have the kind of time that is required by Facebook. I have too many other things to do. Like watch tv.

Plus you have this whole other underlying competition of "coolness" on Facebook. How many friends do you have? Are they from cool places? Do they leave you cool messages? Do you have cool pictures in your albums? Highschool was SO 12 years ago. Do I really need to bring that kind of teen angst into my 30's?

I'm sure I'll eventually feel the need to be like "all the other cool kids" and wear Ikeda overalls, Boca athletic wear and Vans but until then I guess I'll be the kid still doing the tight roll.

14 comments:

  1. I agree with you, H, but at the same time you have to have discipline, I am on facebook, I can't tell you how many friends I have (cause I don't care the #), but it is cool to catch up with people that you lost touch with. But, again, you have to discpine yourself, only 10 minutes a day or when you get a note in your mail box, that how I do things! And it seems to work for me.

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  2. I can't agree more. I just signed up so I could see who was on there and now I wish I hadn't. Maybe I'm old and set in my ways but I like the blog thing. The only thing I think when I get a note in my email is "oh man, I don't want to check this but I'll seem rude if I don't respond". I should get out now. I just don't get what all the rave is about.

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  3. dammit heather, you beat me to my facebook blog :(

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  4. I am a relatively new member to Facebook..actually I have been a member of facebook for exactly 3 days. I can see where it could become very time consuming if you let it. It can be addicting too..seeing who other peoples friends are and if you know them etc. But what I do love about Facebook is it has allowed me to reconnect with some people from my past that I always desired to catch up with but never knew where they were in the world, what they married name was etc. It has been wonderful to see where they are at in life and some of them even live close by and I didn't even know. Now we can work it out to connect in person which will be awesome.
    My motto is "Everything in moderation!" Well that is actually Rachel Rays motto but I think its a good one as well. I personally don't care how many friends I have and like Carson I couldn't tell ya how many I have on mine site. For me its not about coolness or outdoing the other person it is simply reconnecting and connecting for the first time with people I may not have necessarily been able to before. It's a great place for chatting with people who aren't on MSN or good at emailing. Anyway that's my opinion. And if you really want to have time for facebook and other things in your life say for instance like TV, well you could surf Facebook and watch TV at the same time..haha...but not all of us are that talented!!!

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  5. Heather, Facebook is a weird, confusing thing to both Kenny and I. We talk about the annoyance of facebook almost daily. Why are people who I have not spoken to in 13 years all of a sudden my friends. I mean, if I haven't put any effort into the relationship for 13 years, why are they now my buddies? And, what do you do if you have no clue who the person is who wants to be your friend? And why do I care that "so and so" is excited about eating a burrito, and some other "friend" is watching old re-runs of Seinfeld? It is all very confusing to us! I'm glad we are not the only ones!

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  6. I signed up for Facebook...and that's where it stopped...I'm too busy to be on the computer! Everyone says it's addicting but I think I'm too old for it...

    It's fun seeing old friends and stuff...but I think I'm indifferent...

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  7. I have to agree with some of the others that reconnecting with people you may have lost touch with is a big plus. I have had people who I'd completely lost touch with add me to their friends list. I love looking at some friends photo albums as well. Of course Jane would love spending hours keeping connected; she's very good at it and always keeps up on her emails (unlike me!). Don't write it off completely.

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  8. Come on Heather... everyone's doing it.

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  9. what's wrong with vans shoes? I had a light blue pair of high tops with dark blue peace signs printed on them. I also had about tirty pairs of chuck taylor converse allstars. soo duhhh, facebook is ridiculous.

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  10. I don't know why it bothers me so that you are not on facebook but it does... join already!!! haha. Keep on writing in your blog. I love your stories and the tapered roll is so classic! nice.

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  11. hey heather,

    while I can see people's point about it being a good way to stay in touch with others, I completely agree with you. I signed up because I kept getting those emails, but it turns out I really can't be bothered with it. Why would I want my private conversations posted for all the world to see? Plus, you're right, there's more important things to do, like watch tv haha. Call me old fashioned, but I think I'll stick to good ol' email and blogging.

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  12. The facebook monster will win you over! I resisted for a long time, mostly because I've been on myspace for a couple years. But alas... How else would I have found you?? Ha I've never spent more than five minutes at a time on it before today. I've been on it for an hour and managed to find you. Coincedence? I think not! Its so good to find you Heatho. Lots to say. My goodness, lots of life change. Hope to catch up with you soon.

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