Social Networking on the Interwebs

So, I'm a hip and cool blogger (yeah, I know that saying I'm hip and cool immediately negates my ability to actually be hip and cool), so I'm up with all the new technology on the internet. I am familiar with MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like, and rest assured that if there is something I don't know about, my friendly librarian in California will make sure I learn about it quickly.

As a college administrator, I've known about Facebook, and therefore been a member for a long time. In fact, one of the first times I felt "old" was when some of my student staff were talking about Facebook one day, and I had no idea what they were talking about. They literally had to show me the site to explain what it was.

Flash forward to now, and Facebook has been inundated with everyone and their mother, trying to reconnect with friends from the past and current. Last year, when Facebook moved away from requiring a ".edu" email account for membership, I was worried it would quickly resemble MySpace (a.k.a. "MyStalker") in regards to the creeper factor. So far, I think I've been happily misplaced in my fears.

Now, it seems like everyday someone or other from my past has joined Facebook, and has friended me. It's been quite a pleasure catching up with old friends, to see what they are conquering in the world these days. I only hope that the information they are garnering from my recent years is equally enjoyable.

So I encourage you to give these social networks a try. You don't have to share too much of your personal life, and I strongly recommend keeping certain things private, but you can immensely entertain yourself by catching up with those you had lost long ago.

But seriously, did my mother have to join?