Sunday, March 22, 2009

Socializing

A short time ago I was planning on getting my Melaleuca business back up and running after a break. Unfortunately the group that I originally started with (MomsWIN) no longer existed so I had to change my work email address. I decided on SaferInHome, but never really did much with my business so the email address sat fairly dormant until a few weeks ago when I started getting emails from Twitter on that account.

Now, call me out of touch, but I didn't have a clue what Twitter was (still don't really). I thought it was just spam and deleted it.... until I realized that each email was some sort of update. I managed to hijack the account (it was my email address so I just had them reset the password and email me the new one) so that I could figure out what was going on. Near as I can tell this person had set up their account and accidentally put in my email address (still not sure how that worked). I didn't want to close the account, but I didn't have a clue on how to reset the password so that the creator could have their account back (since the password reset would go back to my email address) so I left an entry telling the person to email me and I'd give the account back. After a couple weeks of no response (I'm guessing the person who had the account either didn't know what email address she entered, or was no longer interested in it) I closed the account knowing from my research that no one could use that email address on a Twitter account once it was closed. And in my opinion, good riddance.

Having said that, I think it's quite interesting that I've always said that I would never have a blog, yet here it is. I also strongly opposed having a MySpace or Facebook account. Okay, so I haven't caved on the MySpace thing, but yesterday when Dan was so excited to get in touch with some old Pennsylvania high school friends enough to set up his own Facebook account I caved in myself since I'd received several invites and actually knew people on there. I'm not sure the purpose of this Facebook thing. It allows for chats and mini-blogging (also known as updating status as far as I can tell) and little applications (called games and quizzes). I've manage to add this blog as well as my Goodreads account (though I'm not sure how part works) and my Photobucket account. I've connected with some friends I haven't spoken with in years (except in random emails). But I'm still not sure what else it's good for. Any hints?

3 comments:

  1. For most people,Facebook is like an open diary with the intent of allowing random encounters with strangers - i.e. unrestricted computer dating. For bands and some actors, it's a form of advertising above and beyond their own official homepages. Unless you have a large contact base, it's just another way to eat up time when you should be doing something else...

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  2. It's a way to stalk your friends with their consent. :-)

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  3. I got on Facebook a couple years ago after Jack sent an invite, kinda like I joined Plaxo after you sent me an invite. Didn't do much on there until, suddenly, some of my friends from back in elementary school and junior high were on there. Suddenly, we were posting class pictures and tagging each other in them and just having the best time reminiscing.

    Mostly, I treat it like an interactive yearbook. I can check out the pictures they post of themselves, their families, etc. and make comments and get responses. Chat and message options are nice, and I've taken my share of dorky quizzes, but it's the easily-updated pictures I really like.

    Oh, and my dad recently joined Facebook, so my younger siblings have caved and joined (they were already on MySpace... gag). The funniest thing is that when he landed a new job in a new city, it was his status updates that told me... he never called or emailed! Well, I guess that's what Facebook and those status updates are for, huh? ;-)

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