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

[crboltz.livejournal.com]

I use LJ as my soap box for political opinions, recipies, occasional rants, and small updates on my life. I joined FB recently, and what I find amazing is the quick connections to various people. Because you allow (or can allow) friends to see data like physical address, Email, phone, and I work in an industry where people move a lot, I found it a great way to keep my palm pilot up to date It also allows me to contact professional contacts when i'm going to be "in the area" etc. I do post some not terribly private life updates, but for the most part I use it as a combination twitter/address book. Overall I'm not big on twitter, because I would feel bad not twittering for long periods of time, and frankly, my life isn't interesting enough to twitter a lot.

Overall, my LJ is rather personal (even the public stuff), and my facebook is professional/private -- I kind of treat like things I would say hanging out with co-workers after a show. It is also great to keep tabs on my former students -- That I way I know when to hit one of them up for a job :)

Sorry for rambling, but my tummy is rumbling and that makes me unfocused.

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your take on this topic - appreciated.

And please, you need never apologize to ME for rambling...it's one of my hobbies and I like it when others take it up, too, even if just for a short period of time (such as when hunger hits ;-)