Having seen Ben and some others resign themselves to Facebook, I asked them why I should bother… do I really want another digital dimension to have to check/keep up? And with being a teacher, all social networking sites are slightly fraught with potential pitfalls. (Unlike an ex colleague, who I think is very unwise, I don’t allow friendships with current students)
Well, having dipped my toe in anonymously for a while I decided to jump in properly, and, in fact, I love it. But perhaps not for the same ‘hey isn’t it great to hook up with my old grad school people again’ reasons.
Firstly, I think Facebook have been very wise and seen the future more clearly than sites like MySpace. They’ve recently bought the Mozilla-connected start-up Parakey (“Give your computer the bird”) whose whole premise is about bridging the gap between web and desktop. Watch out for Facebook really becoming an on-line desktop: contacts, photos, documents, events management. I’ve used it in small ways in this way and I think it’s going to be huge.
Secondly, I love the fact that Facebook is ‘dirty’. Well, it is for me anyway. Check my profile and you won’t see a sterile list of Christian leaders. There are real people there. Who swear and post dumb things and chuck stuff around. Some I’ve worked with, some I’ve taught at High School. And I love the fact that they get to see the ‘other side’ of what I do right there on my profile, and others get to see the teaching side too. For me personally i’ve always found that they enrich one another, and provide great moments for conversation on all sides. Some of which doesn’t have swearing or trrible grmr init 😉
Comments
8 responses to “Why I’m Loving Facebook | Dirty Networks”
hehe…that’s funny. I like that part of facebook too – – demonstrating that I’m more than a “pastor” is always nice to be able to do.
BTW-MySpace worked as a free way to get the word out regarding my first book because I had no PR budget. But I sense that that program has clearly jumped the shark. I use the blog as a way to post any articles, press, etc. which is then posted to my Amazon.com profile but that’s about it.
I like the dirty, viral element of Facebook as well. I do hope they workk out some of the bugs with their applications but already it has a much better interface than MySpace.
The key with Facebook will be if they learn from MySpace’s mistakes especially regarding stalkers, pedophiles and the like. As a woman, I strongly encourage other females not to list their year of birth, relationship status and a few other items that will bring out the stalkers. Yes, friendships will develop and over time it may go into the romantic realm. I listed my age on my MySpace page and had to change it after I got some really vile stuff sent my way.
I agree..it’s great to be your facbook friend, btw.
excitd about the book!
I think the reason we all started blogging in the first place is because we saw the potential of online social networks. For me Facebook is the new version of this, and the fact that the take-up has been so rapid and successful bears this out.
So is blogging dead?
(Oh and by the way I disagree with you about Twitter. However immature it may appear at first, I just don’t think that you’ve seen its potential yet..)
It can only get better. Web 3.0 and beyond, when TV, gamming, social networks and virtual environments collide. Before then, it’ll be interesting to see Facebook and MySpace go immersive.
Interesting piece on Facebook on the World Service here.
They call it ‘transparency’, not dirt, but amounts to the same thing.
Like to hear more about what you mean by ‘immersive’.
I really like FB for all those reasons (and the graduate/friends reunited thing too). I think this evolution into desktop that seems to be happening will be very interesting. Already with the Zoho application you can use office type utilities within it.
They seem to have made some good choices that will make it all a bit longer lasting than some web things.
Glad your on there too.
Here’s another ‘Dirt’ angle— talking to Sooz last night about Facebook going nuts, particularly this month. There’s me thinking that Facebook was just for London creatives and networking. Then there’s all the educational stuff you mention. Sooz’s only contact with Facebook is through gang culture. Apparently its be used to target victims and organise attacks.
That’s mad, it cuts right across the social spectrum and is being deployed in different ways to suit different needs—polyvocal design.