Monday, March 2, 2009

Transition from Fearful Facebook to Transparent Twitter

Facebook:
It’s on everybody’s mind. Multiple times per day. It’s on your cell phone. It’s on your computer. It’s your lunch break, and your mind break. Thinking back to my early days of college, I first heard of this social networking site from my friends at bigger universities. As a student at a college of less than 1,000 students on a good day, Facebook did not exist. That is, until Kari Jo and I began sending e-mails with information such as our college size, residence halls, fraternities and sororities on campus, dining halls, and other information on the “Petition to add your school to Facebook” form. Once Facebook was introduced to Bethany College (not sure if Kari Jo and I had anything to do with this-but we like to think we did), the world changed. I set ground rules. I would never give out personal information to people I didn’t know. I would never accept a friend request from a person I didn’t know. I went on in my merry keep-everything-to-my-own-personal-bubble way until… I met social media. With the service known as Twitter, I find myself following people. Yes, I admit: I am following complete strangers; and in some cases, products and services. That just sounds creepy. And, I’m somehow okay with it. That leaves me to wonder, when did I become so transparent? And who am I to think the world really cares about what I am doing. Okay, maybe they do. But why? It’s all about the sharing of information. It also has a lot to do with the personal interest factor. So Susie Q is “snowed in for the day”… maybe you are too? You can relate. People love to relate. Tweeple love to relate. It's actually pretty pretty useful in not only personal life, but work/business life as well. Many links, informational pages, facts, and ideas are presented daily through Twitter. Twitter is a great way to expand your network and build your very own web-u-tation.

Well, that’s my 2cents on this. I’m only left to wonder, what’s next? When will the line between my information sharing and privacy cease to be blurred?

Big Brother…is that you?

*Side note: While I still do not accept people I don’t know on Facebook, I’ve become lenient and do accept people who went/go to my alma mater and people who work for the same company as I…and the occasional mutual friend or two. :P

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