On On-Line Social Networking

[mlerules]

I've been ruminating on the purposes and goals of on-line social networking recently as I've been wandering around in FaceBook these past few days. I have some thoughts that'll likely spill/spew forth here before long. This pretty well sums up what I do NOT care for about it.

Why do YOU use FaceBook and/or LJ and/or MySpace and/or whatEVER? What goals do you have in using it/whatEVER (if any)? What needs do you hope to fulfill/have fulfilled? What do you want to, hope to, and actually GET out of it? What's it FOR, in your opinion? (And what's IT?) I'm curious and'd really like to know, as it might help shed some light on these issues for myself. (And because generating and engaging in at least some slightly more in-depth discussion/conversation is something I value and prefer LJ for over FB, at least so far.)

Comments

[anansi133.livejournal.com]

I had a similar thought when I last logged on to OKstupid. It suddenly occurred to me, why am I letting a machine do my flirting for me?

Granted, these other 'services' aren't as sexually motivated, but 'flirting' can be in all kinds of ways not sexual. And Madison Avenue media machinery doesn't scale well to the individual.

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Heh, I hadn't actually hard OKStupid before - GOL (Giggle Out Loud) ;-)

Seems to me that OKC provides you w/Flirting Fodder, but it's still up to you to do something w/it (with them). Otherwise you have to Get Out and Find People, which ain't always easy to do, 'specially given poly and whatnot.

*****

So, the question remains: what do YOU use LJ for and/or WHY do you use it?

[anansi133.livejournal.com]

I think my main reason for LJ'ing, is to procrastinate on my serious writing-it's so much easier to just prattle as if it didn't really mean anything, than to go out and find the right audience for my very best ideas.

It's also useful to check up on people's 'perpetual Christmas letter'.