Subterranean Facebook Blues

You Don't Need A Networking Tool To Know Which Way The Wind Blows...

I dabbled a toe in the Facebook pond last week, and promptly got sucked in over my head.

One of my cousins has been nagging me to sign up. Following the family reunion last summer, most of the Familia Del Padre got linked up via Facebook as a way to keep in touch. I thought email and phones were sufficient, but that sort of attitude obviously makes me some sort of Luddite.

So, I sign up. Use my real name, my main email addy, I let it all hang out in public.

Within 48 hours, I'm linked as a "Facebook Friend" by 24 people. Some are relatives, but a surprising number are people I have not seen or spoken to in over 20 years.

And therein lies the problem...

I was really not prepared to have the flood of memories generated by some of these long-buried faces & names forcibly ripped up from the dark corners of my mind. Some doors were shut for a reason, and I can't say that I'm overjoyed to have them flung open again.

Don't get me wrong, it's not entirely a bad thing. Some of my friends are kinda slippery in their choice of domiciles, and are hard to keep track of. It's nice to have another link to them in case email addys change, or Xmas cards come back as 'Undeliverable'.

OTOH, what's the proper response when someone you really dislike finds your name through your sister's Facebook page? Sure, Facebook gives you the option to block contact with people, but only if you know who they are beforehand!

So, my friends... If you explore Facebook, tread cautiously. You never know what's lurking out there.