Week 24 Year 1 - Monday, March the 26th 2012
"Facebook"
I resisted to the app for years. At the time it came out, there were quite a few online chats available with which I had fiddled around a little and had come to the conclusion that relating online was simply not my thing. Facebook was another such tool, with greater potential which inevitably meant greater headaches too. Somehow I knew exactly what I was getting myself into but I did not spend enough time evaluating all possible different scenarios. Put aside games, causes, pages all those related things that have a purpose of their own. Focus on the “social” side of the app. I got a taste of its ugliest face as I entered the environment with a most harmless, fun loving and naïve approach. I saw it as a game. What a mistake! Don’t get me wrong, I love facebook, but the way I use it has changed a lot and perhaps it is for the best too. Because eventually, Facebook can mess up your life.
It appears that employers are increasingly interested in their own employees’ profiles, at times to such extent that they go as far as wanting access to their personal accounts. Why would that be? why did they not ever bother about their employees using Skype or other IM apps? They are certainly no less of a distraction at work than Facebook is, and have been around for much longer. Yet no one ever made a fuss about them. No. Facebook is different. It offers such a potential and great support to develop and feed almost all of our natural inclinations, aspirations, curiosity, that it just captures the whole of us, inducing us most of the time to give a lot of ourselves away. Facebook is the place to be if you want to let everyone know where you are and what you’re doing. Facebook Is the place to be if you want to quietly fool around while doing something else. Facebook is the place to be if you want to chat and share instantly with all your friends or a selected group at any time and place. Facebook is the place to be if you’re lonely, if you want to let the world know how sexy you are, how popular you are, if you want to know more about someone, if you want to let someone know how you feel about them. Facebook is perfect for the shy to make their timid first steps at a safe distance. - “But then, they also have to be prepared to face whoever or whatever it may be, turning up on their doorstep. Right?” - “oh shut up SUB!” - How many times have we all logged in, made the world know we’re online and witnessed that someone was waiting for us, to show affection, support, play with us or even get on our nerves. And how many times, when indulging in such games did we have to deal with third uninvited parties? Such neurotically hilarious situations!
And the more people we add on, the more things get complicated. ‘Cause eventually we cannot possibly be sharing any bit of information with just about anyone, it’s just unthinkable. It has become evident to all, that Facebook is a real and palpable social domain where it is in everyone’s interest to accurately manage their own profile. I mean, we all have incurred in some embarrassing episodes at some point to prove how inappropriate it is to publish just about anything that is in fact decent and suitable to share, but not for everyone to see. Thankfully we also have the option to define lists. That is a real lucky break. But eventually, it turns out we never know who might be connected to who. Not a thing to take lightly. You may find yourself tangled up in other people’s problems without knowing what happened. A real nightmare! Having said so, I was thinking, coming back to employers that we now need a new function. The “alter ego” function. That would be a function that allows our employers but also, if it were only employers we’d be lucky, our girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, mum, dad, to believe they have full access to our account but in fact, they do not. We, the real account holder, are in control of what that alter ego can see. We need a solution. It is of upmost importance! For instance, employers would only see work connections and related interactions, loved ones would only see those connections that are commonly shared in real life. And so on. That would be so great! - “but totally inefficient SUB” - Cause bottom line is, if I know It, they know it too. Facebook is a socially sociable social network. There is no space for privacy. So button up and play it cool.
Note 1 - about SUB ref. Monday, December the 5th 2011 "About a Druid and his mushrooms"
