Monday, January 10, 2011

Facebook Follies

I've been on a forced vacation from Facebook.

This supposed communication wonder has bots that automatically expel you for supposedly 2 days if you violate their rights and responsibilities.

My particular sin is having too many ignores and probably though not yet substantiated a complaint that I bothered someone.

Here's my side.

Being in showbiz, I network. Most people do to some degree or another, whatever their line of work or hobby. I have approached strangers and have come away with friends. As for Hollyweird, it's pretty much standard practice.

Far as FB goes, as I said in a previous entry, I got it to keep in touch with certain folks. It's cheap and if you can arrange it, you can engage in realtime chat.

I managed to connect with some people I didn't know in the biz along with actual friends.

My approach has been and always is courteous and straight forward. Some have 'friended' me and others have not. No biggie. I figured there would be those who wouldn't for whatever reason/s they have.

It's just another way to contact pruposeful, energetic folks who have a positive drive and with whom I might work. Nothing more or less.

The length of time is as long as a person wants to take or they can opt to ignore in a quiet way. Again no harm or foul. I've done it myself. One guy I know pretty well didn't friend me for quite a while. He doesn't use FB much, It's not a big deal to him.

I simply got irritated the bot declared me trying to contact people I didn't know. Duh. That's how you network. Or there is the option of knowing someone and having them introduce you.

That's worked for me in the real world. It's how I met Robert Wise and Patrick McGoohan for instance among many more.

Now, I'm not making a big thing of this. My career has existed before FB and jolly well might after.

The reason for bringing it up here is simple.

I wonder what people who are either addicted to FB or 'depend' on it (close to) do if they are banned?

Oh no! The sky is falling!

As for me FB is just another tool for comm and if it becomes onerous, it gets the heave ho from me.

I've been fortunate to have met some very nice folks both in and out of the show biz industry there and will keep in touch no matter what.

Chalk this one up to a polite rant if you like.

And I am full well aware of security issues. One should be careful what one gives up anywhere let alone online.

The net should be a tool not the other way around.

As for friends, it opens up the question of what a friend is.

That can vary and as for what I consider close friends, they are few and far between.

Actually trust issues can vary to a degree but close friends trusted implicitly are VERY few.

I call it common sense, something a machine does not comprehend.

5 comments:

teacher said...

I don't use it.

Mike H said...

Neither does my son. And I still conduct business the old fashioned way, by phone and email -s-.

Mike H said...

I've heard of stalking there. Figures. A disease reaches anywhere it can.

There's a nutty harangue right now at a thread. i avoid things like that as if they were the plague. Life's too short and I don't have a shingle up yet.

jacksprat said...

Facebook, where the sheep can gather in one big pen.

Mike H said...

Wouldn't go that far as it's just a tool. It can be what one makes it.