A brief Treatise on Joining the Facebook

I don't think Josh Posner reads this, so I should be safe.

Yes, after many years, I have reluctantly joined the facebook. I should tell you a bit about what I plan on using it for, as I don't plan on using it like everyone else, and I should also tell you why I didn't join and why I did.

1. I am going to use the facebook as a page for contact information about myself. There will be no wall, no pictures, no frills. An address once I get one, an email address, a phone number, etc. The only people who can see are going to be my friends. There will be no quotes, no movies, no books, interests, etc. I certainly don't have anything new to offer in those departments, nor do I think quotes have any effectiveness. If I used those things, it would only be a way for me to make myself sound cool. But, I'm not cool, so why try. I like all the movies, books, quotes, and activities that you do. Leave it that. if you really want to contact me, email me, call, or show up. Don't think writing on a wall is going to seem real to me.

2. Pictures lie. So there won't be any pictures of me on my page, nor will anyone be able to see me in a tagged photo. It's important for me, as best as I can, to be able to represent my image, my person fairly and accurately. If I feel that is getting out of hand, I will resign the facebook. I think fake friends are meaningless. I think the more that technology mediates relationships, the more we need to question and rethink our lives. I don't want just anyone finding out about me - lest it be a future employer or stalker ready to take me down. If you really want to talk to me, there will be means by which you can do that.

3. I'm joining because so many people use the facebook, that if they need to contact me, or want to, they'll have an easy way of finding out that information. Mass emails of address changes can get lost and buried and deleted. So, it's an easy way of finding information. I'm not going to friend you, or write on your wall. If I need to contact you, I'll use your page as a contact page. Feel free to friend me, and if you're my friend, I'll accept.

Ultimately I'm not invested in this. I'm doing it for you, the public. If I don't get any friend requests, so be it, nothing's changed. If you'd like to keep up with me, you're free to do to so in a fairly easy way. If you just want to ask me, that's cool too. But I feel like people will do their best not to deal with people in a real way.

-cjfer-