Sunday, April 5, 2009

Tweet! You're Tagged!

With all the serious issues confronting us, I'm not really in that much turmoil about the proliferation of social sites on the Internet. I just thought it would be mindlessly amusing to write about them.

A few months ago I joined Facebook. I still don't really understand why. I think that I wanted to belong; and all these people that I liked were on Facebook. The only problem is that I have no idea what to do on Facebook. You can write on other people's walls, which is sort of appealing, kind of like jumping on your grandma's bed when you're a child. Until she catches you, it's a helluva good time. Of course, these aren't real walls, they are virtual walls.

You can also collect friends. Some people have hundreds. An old friend from my college days that I've reconnected with has 523 friends. Marc has 471. Rod has 156. Beth has 130. I have 35 friends. Maybe I need to work on collecting more friends.

There are lots of groups to join and games to play. Beth, Ken, and Yasmin are my mafia cohorts in Mafia Wars. My mafia name is Lady Sweetness. I have lots of weapons and I've mastered quite a few jobs. I find this to be a safe outlet for my violent impulses. For example, just the other day when this guy changed lanes without signaling , cutting me off and making me have to brake hard, I didn't use one word that necessitated washing my mouth out with soap. I also haven't had the urge to slap anyone upside the head for two weeks.

However, it seems that there are just too many of these groups to join. Some time ago, I evidently signed up for Tagged. I really don't recall doing this but they (the Tagged site) keep sending emails telling me that someone said "Yes" and wouldn't I like to say "Yes" back! I think that Tagged may be a meeting site. I have a message from Rodrigo, "How are you doing sweet looking lady? lets talk sometime." According to his profile, Rodrigo is 25 years old, lives in Brooklyn and has 317 friends on Tagged, all female. Hmm, probably not the love of my life.

I recall joining LinkedIn, a networking site. It has potential for expanding my network of professional contacts but I'm too lazy to use it effectively. That would involve my actually having to spend time building up my profile on the site and joining some of the subgroups.

The other day I was reading Robin's blog, Random Threads, and she was writing about Twitter. I've been hearing rumors about Twitter, that it's more in than Facebook, and filled with celebrities. Why, John Mayer twitters, or twits, or tweets--I'm not certain of the appropriate term. Rebecca also recently wrote about Twitter in her blog, Provocation of Mine (d).

Robin included a link to another blogger's very informative piece on how to Twitter. It's all there-why do it, how to sign up, what it is, everything that one needs to know to begin tweeting on Twitter.

I'm left puzzling how I'm supposed to get anything done. I see my days being consumed by time on the Internet. Do I start with Facebook, maybe play a round of Mafia Wars, followed up by a little wall writing? Then I need to check my messages to see if I've been kidnapped, if so I need to escape and then I must kidnap someone else. Next, I'm off to add some plants and fish to my lil' blue cove. Oh dear I've got to check Tagged, just in case Mr. Right has clicked "Yes" on me. Okay, it's time to tweet on Twitter. Take a lunch break and then, hit LinkedIn, maybe someone in my network can help be find a new job. My boss is also on Twitter and she feels that I've tweeted one hour too many and it's adios for me. Gee, I'm exhausted.

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19 comments:

Unknown said...

blogging has taken a different seat on the priority bus since i joined facebook, for sure. i have given up mostly on the li'l blue coves and the african animals and the mafia wars and the vampire wars as well. i will still give and receive hearts, join causes, and post photos and music. i continue to leave messages on friends' postings and walls, too.

somehow though, i don't feel as if i'm wasting time. on fb i have reconnected with over 20 people from my past lives. and even though we don't chat much, just knowing my friend base has expanded gives me a good feeling. a great feeling really. and somehow i feel i have gotten closer to you on fb, too.

Beth said...

I think a lot of my friends on Facebook were Mafia Wars invites, and I've pared back on some of those.

So far, I've drawn the line on Twitter. I may be sucked in at some point, but you're right...how much time do we have in the day, and how much time do we want to spend on the computer? I think we all need to find a balance in which we engage in real life and real reading, and in connecting with our online friends. I'm still working on it, and I'll let you know if I ever figure it out. :)

Love, Beth

Ken Riches said...

The electronic age certainly can be daunting. I refuse to get into texting, have no desire for tweeting, but am addicted to Mafia Wars and Facebook. Hope you figure out a path that works for you :o)

cw2smom said...

Great post! Yes..it seems this social stuff can take up lots of time..and it's not even face to face! I recently did a FB page and it's okay. My brother who would never do a MySpace, which I've had for a couple of years now...joined and he swore he never would. So, it prompted me to get one. I can't be bothered with the games and causes and invites, so I just try to say hello to my family and friends and let them know what's going on in my life. I much prefer MySpace. I did a Twitter and frankly, it's a pain in the ass as far as I am concerned. I have lots of friends who are on there, most from blogs, but it's just a little ridiculous in my book. I may delete it all together! But...a downside to all of this social networking...even if it's friends and family.....when I had my recent meltdown with CaveMan who wasn't, couldn't or wouldn't let me know where I stood with him in our "relationship" and I told him I was reluctantly "movin' on", he took me off his MySpace and FB friends list! I think we're done, don't you? LOL~Oh...and please don't reply to my blog mentioning anything with Cave Man because I know he's still reading my blog and I hate to piss him off any more than I already have..or hmmm, do I? LOL! Blessings, Lisa

Gerry said...

I decided not to twitter since Doc wants to make videos in my spare moments, and my eyes don't like the strain of any more computer time added. But whatever turns people on I am all for, and wouldn't not think of objecting, since everyone to their own tastes I figure. I have to log so I can keep up with all the deaths around here and adjust as well as blogger ailments. I just caught up with FisherKristina and John today and have been thinking all day about double pneumonia and shingles. Gerry

Anonymous said...

Sorry to say it, but I think you are ADDICATED even worse than I am.
No, I do not wish to be your friend on facebook! I have avoided it for a long time and I am strong willed and will never go there. I am now online seven hours a day and I need to sleep and eat sometimms. So give me a break. Thank you for for the invite and I hope you find some friends. Bill

Yasmin said...

I have been thinking exactly the same thing, Facebook..mafia wars and the simple quizzes I like plus i have caught up with some old friends, but apart from that I find all the requests quite stressful....lol..I'm on twitter, but only follow a few unlike the thousands that some do.

Trouble is blogging has moved far down the list, because were all talking to each other all the time through one thing and another..but I still follow and comment on those that I read, it's like a fulltime job without pay...lol.

Take care

Yasmin
xx

Joy said...

I'm on Facebook but just do the wall and Scrabble. I ignored all those causes, gifts, flowers, etc. until they finally stopped sending them to me. I like being reconnected with former students, family members, and friends.

I have a Twitter account but haven't figured out how to use it.

Sybil said...

second attempt at a coment first dissapeared !! I have not yet joined any of the Facebook, Twitter, etc sites.. I am sure I wouls never know wher I was or even perhaps who I was !! I aint into texting either. My great Nephews and Niece think I live in the dark ages...we were discussing computers a few weeks ago and how "new" it all was....well to some of us !! and they were "gobsmacked" their word not mine !! at the very thought of a computer-less world..just coudn't comprehend at all...
Have a great week,
Love Sybil xx

aims said...

I loved this entry! I must confess, facebook has kept me away from blogger. It's just easier for me to do quick status updates and I love just about everything else about it. I swore I would NOT join but then gave into the peer pressure. If I join twitter, I may never clean my house again and cooking could become a thing of the past, LOL!
I will look you up on facebook, OK?
PS-thanks for leaving a comment on my blog, it was good to hear from you; I've missed you.
take care!

Penelope said...

What? You mean you don't have a fairy garden?

Lynn said...

Wonderful post! You are a lot more with it than I am. I didn't know about Mafia Wars. Sounds scary.

Sometimes I feel a little left out. Other times I feel proud that I'm "above it all". And sometimes I'm afraid that if I joined Facebook I wouldn't have any friends and I'd still feel left out. Just like real life.

I've been thinking about joining Twitter ever since I heard that congressmen are actually doing it. (Tweeting that is) I might be one of the last people to try anything popular but I refuse to be even more oblivious than Congress!

Rebecca Anne said...

Well, you could do as I do, everything half assed and just cling to keeping up by your fingernails! I've got Facebook, but for some reason it's just not grabbing me. Something about twitter and it's non-obligation status I enjoy. As for the rest of them, nope~
We should all just quit our jobs, create a community complete with tents and Wifi and spend 20 hours a day keeping up with everything~~
Simply put, there just isn't enough time to do it all. So I flounder around. Hey! I do see a bloglog community. I think I joined that!
Rebecca

Alan said...

I have been on FB (Pen +Ink got me there, have to stay connected!) but I haven't spent enough time to get hooked. I don't get it. I like to write about STUFF and maybe have a conversation with some thinkers. Don't know how to do the rest (don't ever take me to a party where I don't know the people. I'll be talking to the janitor (the most interesting person at the party) in the corner before I've been there 30 minutes ). Don't have time for FB for the most part and Twitter... won't even go there. I like blogging cause I have things to say. I don't really care if anyone listens, it is just nice to have a forum.

ADB said...

I can tell you that Tagged is a social networking parasite, which feeds off your address book without your consent. Get rid of it.

Mark Olmsted said...

I use Facebook to cement the bonds I have with all my AA friends, many of whom I only see rarely at the occasional meeting. Then when I do see them, I've often been following their status updates and can immediately launch into a oonversation about what's going on in their life.
For someone without a regular job, it makes me feels connected to a wide circle of people, sorta like a virtual high school. Twitter, however, I just can't get into for the life of me, and MySpace is very unwieldy.
But I sense under the humor there's a slight feeling of inadequacy? Like "Shouldn't I be enjoying this more?" Compare and despair, my dear! Don't forget most of thsi stuff was developed by 22 year olds for 22 year olds. We may be trying too hard to recapture the lost A.D.D. of our youth.

Linda S. Socha said...

I can relate! I had a few weeks of not being up to par health wise and I felt really overwhelmed in my online life!

Time for a step back a bit dance I decided...I have my perspective now ...I can handle little doses of face book...although all the save the environment plant gifts have had me a bit on the run...but I have to not be tempted with twitter!:>)
Fun Post
Linda

Sarcastic Bastard said...

I just wanted to say hi, Sheria. I read some of your comments over at Marc's blog and decided to check your blog out. Glad I did!

You are a wonderful writer. I particularly liked the post on Jessica Simpson/weight.

Best to you!

Sarcastic Bastard said...

Sheria,
Thanks a lot for following my blog. You are very kind.

You are welcome to comment anytime.

Have a great weekend.