So I was reading this article in The Bulletin the other day - well actually it was over about 3 days cause that's how long it takes me to finish anything in the 'leisure that doesn't include kids' category - anyway, the article was about Facebook, and parts of it got me a little mad. Not much, just enough to make me put my two cents out there.
Why is it that people can't accept Internet communication as 'real' communication? Email is snail mail's poor cousin. An ecard is what you send if you haven't got your arse into gear to send a 'real' card. Blogs don't rate as high as newspapers or magazines (although the content is often much more insightful) and Facebook is apparently "as much about obsessing over the dull details of my life as it is about connecting with others". Well here's how I see it.
People choose. People choose which method of communication they use and how often they use it. Online methods are no better or worse. Nor do they have to replace the 'old' methods, they can just be added as options. Personally, I'd rather receive a 'real' card for my birthday so I can put it on the mantelpiece for a week (or 6, depending on when I get around to recycling it!). I do love getting letters, but would rather receive bi-weekly email updates than once-a-month out-of-date snail mail.
As for Facebook, well as far as I can see, it's just a communication gold-mine. I post photos to keep everyone up-to-date on the kids growth spurts, drop a little line to my close friends every now and then, catch up with cousins I haven't seen in years and just keep an eye on everyone else. What it means to me is information. Knowing what everyone is up to keeps them closer. Having a young family when most of my friends have dogs means that I don't get to see them very often. When I do, I spend most of the time catching up on the 'big' things I've missed (new job, latest dodgy boss story, holiday news) and never get down to the nitty gritty. I don't know what their day-to-day lives are like. I miss that. If all of my friends were on Facebook (many are now) and just posted little updates on their wall every now and then I could read the day-to-day stuff and be able to have 'real' conversation when I do see them.
I am a communicator by nature. I remember nearly all my cousins birthdays and ring or send cards. I keep friends. I am still in contact with people I haven't seen more than once or twice in the last 10 years. My longest friendship has now been running 27 yrs and 7 months - since I was 30 days old. What I love about technology is it makes this possible. It doesn't mean I don't send cards (and even the odd letter) or ring, it just means I also send emails, Facebook messages or have online chats in between the cards, letters and phone calls. It increases and enhances my communication.
Most of all, this instant communication means I get the day-to-day stuff that tells so much about a person. In the spirit of day-to-day stuff I am going to start a Meme (if I've remembered the term correctly). Check it out on Bubba Updates and have a go.
