status crimes

here.  I've committed some.  Vaguebooking is my biggest crime.

ht: Emma

wondering

I have quite a few fb friends that I barely know. I'm good with that. There's one guy I'm pretty sure I don't know at all. His friend request sat waiting for me to respond to for ages, then the other week I clicked yes just to get rid of it. He has 1400 friends and we have 6 in common. His initials are RB and he describes himself as a 'Sydney-based ethicist'. Does anyone know him? RB, do you read this blog? Do I know you, or are you just a random friend-collector?

'like' function

You know how facebook has that little 'like' function you can click on? It lets you acknowledge someone's status update (or photo or whatever) without having to have anything profound to say about it. You can simply 'like' it - which is fantastic*.

I think blogger needs a 'like' function. A 'like' option would help lure the lurkers from the shadows and get more conversation happening. It would also stop the phenomenon that Nathan has documented where the most original and insightful posts get no comments at all.

Has anyone come across a blog 'like' widget?

* 'Unlike' is also a great. I often need to undo thoughtless 'liking'. eg. "Tom's grandfather died today" - I want to acknowledge that I've read this, so I click 'like' then realise that it seems a bit heartless...

facebook cry for help

The 10 and 12-year-old girls updated a Facebook status to say they were lost in an Adelaide drain, and a young friend called for help on their behalf.

Glenn Benham from the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) says it is concerning the girls raised the alert on the social networking site instead of calling 000.

from here.

Concerning? Maybe. Surprising? No.

To them it was probably just like calling mum or a friend for help. They knew their friends would be online. They expected them to respond.

And what a great status update! Would have been a shame to have not used it.

oversharing solution

Responding to Nathan's confession that he just doesn't care enough about his fb friends to want to hear the details of their mundane lives, Ben lays the blame where it should be laid and poses a solution:

You have illuminated the heart of the problem. The responsibility is in the nerdish, sweaty hands of Facebook themselves. All of these problems stem from the fact that you are either someone’s ‘friend’ or your nothing...

So, there needs to be more FB relationship catagories created to choose from, for eg,
1. I know of your existence and mildly care about you
2. I know you
3. I know you and sort of like you
4. I know you and if pressed, would call you a friend
5. I think you’re swell
6. I am stalking you and like to watch you sleep.

Then, as you choose yr category for each person you follow, the Special Facebook Robot will filter out any info that exceeds your relationship parameters, eg, birth and/or constipation stories.

Problem solved. Thank me later.

Facebook, are you listening?

Wow!

That last post took on a life of it's own really fast.

For the record, I actually have quite a bit of sympathy for Nathan's position.

Work that out.

mums and 'oversharing'

Nathan has been thinking about parents (let's face it, mothers) oversharing on facebook, telling everyone the gory details of pregnancy and baby and infant care, and reporting interesting (or not so interesting) happenings of the day. After many comments, Nathan seems to have moved a little in his thoughts on what constitutes oversharing. It's all got me thinking about why we report on our kids. Here are my thoughts.

• This is not new. Women have talked about the mundane details of their kids' lives since the dawn of time. People have been bored by it, written about how boring it can be to listen to, and then done it themselves. The online thing is new-ish, but in a way much better than in face to face conversation because you have the option not to read.

• There is nothing like the excitement of being pregnant. Especially the first time. It's like being in love. You are always thinking about it. It's impossible not to talk about it and write about it. (Maybe just don't mention the....[I'd write a word starting with Hem.. here, but it would scare Nathan.]

• Being at home with kids is intense. I notice every little thing that they do. My mind is focussed on them. What else would I talk about?

• Being at home with kids can sap your self esteem. I'm at home by myself. I'm lonely. I feel fat. I've not had a good night's sleep for a long long time and my mind doesn't feel at all sharp. I'm not getting out much. Apart from my kids, there's not alot going on for me. What else do I have to talk about?

• I love my children. I know that other parents are a little delusional about their kid's giftedness, but my child really is amazing. It's hard not to tell everyone. (I'm not being nasty here. All mothers should think this way about their kids. (But mine are unusually special!))

• Bodily functions really are amazing and amusing. Especially when you can see the whole digestive process from start to finish. Kiwi fruit? Sultanas? Corn? (Need I say more?)

• It is fantastic when our kids reach particular milestones. It is right to celebrate them!

• Hearing what other women are experiencing in their homes, validates the mundane acts of service that I perform in my home. When I feel like I'm leading a nothing life, your status updates comfort me. So keep them up!
  

As a mum, one of the things you want most of all is for someone to tell you that you are doing a good job. You almost never get positive comments on your parenting, but negative feedback abounds: glares in the shops, sighs at church, straight out criticism, tantrums... When Nathan (our oldest) was 18 months old, my mother-in-law told me I was doing well. It meant a lot.

Maybe clicking the 'like' button occasionally could be encouraging.

status abuse

Nathan has issues with Facebook status updates. Being a female and mother, the gory details of pregnancy and childrearing don't phase me. If your child sleeps through the night after not sleeping for 6 months, that is status update worthy. Similarly, success in the toilet after 2 years of mess can legitimately be reported.

Here's what really gets to me (in list form):
1. Status updates that tell the world how spiritual you are. eg. Simone is praying now. Simone loves Jesus. (And other more subtle forms) Seems a little like standing on street corners and blowing trumpets.
2. Status updates that tell me what a legend preacher you are. Includes details of your sermon prep and requests for me to be present when you preach.
3. Status updates that tell me to come to stuff at your church. If you have 700 facebook friends from all over the world, don't presume that we all care about the programs you're running at your church. I, for one, don't. Advertise through groups. You may think you're doing ministry online. I think you're spamming me.

I've made a new facebook quiz

Which TV show are you.

Clearly, I don't have enough to do.

Come try it!

which fictional man do you dream about?

I made a facebook quiz. Amazingly, it's about as dumb as all the other fb quizzes out there. Look on my profile page and you should see it.

stupid facebook quiz...

... tells me that only a couple of you know me.

That's not true.

The questions were just bad.

Here are some questions for you. Go on. Amuse me.

1. Left alone for a week, I would...
2. A book/movie that moves me is...
3. I am most me when...

spooky

A few of us have taken the dumb facebook quiz 'What do people think of you at first sight?'

It's terribly scientific stuff, with questions like : favorite fruit, favorite animal, style of clothing you prefer, what your lips are like...

Strange thing is, the results are not bad. For a few of us (including Andrew - who took the test through gritted teeth to amuse me) it was spookily accurate.

Not sure about my result, though. Apparently I'm cute and people feel they need to protect me.

Have you taken this quiz? I'm into wasting time at the moment. Any other quizzes I can take?