Thursday 3 June 2010

A Double-Edged Sword {Facebook & the like...}



While I love it & hate having to live without it for too long {although I do welcome a break every now & again} I find technology annoying at times. Facebook, for example, is a good one for bringing all & sundry together, sometimes to our detriment. (& often through our own doing) In the past I've got too "happy" click, click, clicking everyone & inviting them to the party, only to find that some either ignore me totally {while constantly updating their me, me, me statuses} or, worse still, "butt in" on occasion when they can think of something derogatory to say (when biting their lip would have been the better option!) Today I was infuriated when someone replied ON MY BEHALF to a question posted on MY WALL {okay, I know where some of you are off to next but save the trip...it's gone...I deleted it} It wasn't grossly offensive, just rude & inappropriate. If you have nothing nice to say rather say nothing!

Really, at the end of the day, we know that Facebook is just a bit of fun, some social light relief,


re·lief (r-lf)n.

1. The easing of a burden or distress, such as pain, anxiety, or oppression.
2. Something that alleviates pain or distress.
3.
a. Public assistance.
b. Aid in time of danger, especially rescue from siege.
4.
a. Release from a post or duty, as that of sentinel.
b. One who releases another by taking over a post or duty.
5. A pleasant or amusing change; a diversion.

That's what we're all doing there...it's our healthier {& less time-consuming alternative to a drink at the club after work} something that a lot of us just aren't in a position to indulge in. I get to see what my neices & nephews are up to & spy on my teenagers & the company they are keeping, & for that I feel blessed to have access to it. Some of us have a bit of fun there & a quick chat about washing-machines breaking down, etc {nudge,nudge...} makes me feel like we're all just that little bit closer to those we reckon would bring a smile to our faces if we could spend some "actual" time together. In short, I enjoy it for what it is.

A change is as good as a holiday & one of the realisations I've come to during my enforced sabbatical is that my online life needs to work for me first & foremost. If it makes me miserable I'll stop. But it doesn't. It makes me happy MOST of the time & I like to believe that a few of you out there think I have something worthwhile to say & share visually.

Sometimes I think a little "rethink" is necessary via one's "FRIENDS" settings.
friend (frnd)n.
1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

If you feel anyone may be "stalking" you {or just interested in boasting an impressive number of "friends" on their sidebar & has no desire to actually connect with you} then what's the point?! Real life is complicated enough.

Just press X






12 comments:

CathQuillScrap said...

Agree with you most definitely... make technology work for you. Hope you manage to get a good balance

Shayne said...

I am very careful who i befriend. Don't need unknowns involved in my life and commenting on matters they know nothing about!

In short - if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it!

tania said...

Absolutely!! We don't need more complications in life. I don't have FB, just my blog.
Thank you, got my parcel this morning.

Stefanie said...

I still don't really "get" facebook, too lite for me.

Diana said...

I am totally with you on this one!

Lynette Jacobs said...

Facebook doesn't do it for me...much to shallow!

Ann said...

I only joined FB so I could see my daughter's photos from University. I don't leave comments or hunt for friends. I'm perfectly happy with my little blog.

topkatnz said...

I'm totally with you on this one - that's why facebook sortof 'scares' me - I was just about ready to take the plunge - now you have put me off again!LOL

Ella Swan said...

Thanks for the commiserations girls...It really set a bad tone for my day this morning - seeing that someone who rarely makes the effort to speak to me only popped in to leave a facetious reply to a question someone had posted in relation to my status. As it happens I had answered said person hours earlier via FB messages & so not returned to my wall. I was JUST LIVID that someone actually had the audacity to leave such an insensitive & "stupid" remark to a question directed at ME! I've only "got into " FB properly very recently {because I've had no pc & can't leave comments on blogs via my cellphone unfortunately yet I can leave them on Facebook via my mobile very easily. FB's never done if for me either, too light & shallow most definitely, but nonetheless can be fun at times & I enjoy a chat there every now & again. On 2nd thoughts Heidi you're probably better off without it! I joined only because my family have NEVER visited my blog (unless they're stalkers) & claimed they "were on FB" instead, so I thought we could connect there {being "diaspora-d! all over the world...) but what they were trying to say is that they're techno-phobes as turns out they're hardly on FB either ;-D

Vicki said...

Much prefer blogging to FB but do have some laughs with my DD over what she writes. Luckily she hasn't deleted me as her friend, yet! LOL. As for everyone else am not interested either in getting friends just to boost my numbers.

Andrea said...

Here Here on all counts....have a good weekend xxx

Jessy Christopher said...

Well I will never add anyone if I am not familiar over at FB though that person has common friends with me!! It's getting so annoying at times getting stranger adding you as friends, wonder what is their motive.