Sunday, November 25, 2007

Not Another Password! (Or, Why Prunella Has No "Friends")

It took me long enough to get the hang of blogging. I do not maintain a "reader" (whatever that is). I hate having to keep track of all the passwords that enable me to do everything from reading certain articles online to submitting my own work for possible publication. And don't get me started on the trauma of transferring to a new computer, something likely to happen again for me within the next year or so.

I've tried to adapt. I've learned how to blog (right?) and I do keep all those passwords handy. But one thing I have not done is this: I have not joined any of the "social networking" sites.

Please, someone, explain the appeal/lure of MySpace/Facebook/et al. Please tell me why I should jump into something that will require me to maintain (another) site, and track (at least one more?) password/account. Something that has a peculiar reek of high school popularity contests (how many "friends" do you have?) Yes, "everyone is doing it," or seems to be. But why?

--Prunella

3 comments:

Peeves and Rants said...

Just recently, someone else and I were talking about becoming "friends" on Facebook. He said I should look him up. But there were three pages of people who had names similar to his, so I couldn't find him. He couldn't find himself either -- because he had forgotten his own user name! A day later, he remembered and then "friended" me.
As for the use of such sites, well, I don't disagree that some of it is a popularity contest. I know some people like to use it to find old friends they've lost touch with, or to exchange music or book or movie recommendations, or to find new, like-minded friends (the way we hope to do with this blog!). I haven't found any professional application for my facebook account yet, but I'm still hoping.

--Curly

Peeves and Rants said...

Thanks, Curly. Please do keep us posted about your facebook account--professional applications and peeves alike!

--Pru

Peeves and Rants said...

Well, these sites are odd, I am seeing, in that you are invited/expected to describe your marital status, sexuality, politics, religious beliefs, favorite movies/films/quotes, etc. So, to refer to your post http://peevesandrants.blogspot.com/2007/12/pol-two-for-one.html, such sites really look to label people!

--Curly