Thing 20 -- Facebook and MySpace

03/28/2008
Facebook:
I've had a Facebook acct for a little while ... I set it up originally with the intent to see if it would be a good way to connect with students at our college. We have enrollment of about 1100 but our Facebook network only has about 70 members (including alums) so for the time involved I decided not to pursue it ... but I will keep it in mind for the future.

As for personal use, I keep in touch w/a friend but we were doing that anyway via e-mail. I "friended" Lydia from our 23 things learners after I read her plea that she was feeling pitiful without friends. From the assignment instructions I wrote on several walls, and I joined a few more groups (ALA, Library 2.0, AILA, Librarians and Facebook) -- I had done both these things previously but what the heck. I looked around for additional friends to add, but I wasn't too successful in finding people I knew in my age group (yes, over 20 or so!) I did find lots of my daughter's and son's friends (okay that gives you a clue as to my age ... but it's only chronological not in mind & actions!!). I sent a msg to one of my daughter's best friends who has always called me "mom" ... I didn't want to invade her life by asking to be "friended" ... I just wanted to say "hi". Well she "friended" me! Something I'm sure none of my kids would do!! Even so, this is my pledge that I will NOT be a noisy snooper in Laura's Facebook so her friends can rest easy.

MySpace:
I've been out on MySpace before but I've never setup an account & I probably won't do so for personal use. And even though libraries are out there on MySpace I don't think at this point in time that I'd take the time & effort to create a site for our library.

I've thought of MySpace as "wilder" than Facebook but after reading in HS Media Musings that he found (accidently) a Facebook group for having sex in the library I'm not too sure about that statement anymore! I view MySpace as more of a private (that does get public) way for people to express themselves and interact with friends. And I'd take bets that my kids and their friends would not add me as a friend and that's okay. I should add that my "kids" are adults (20 somthings) not teens.