Jul 31 2005
Anti-Social, moi?
I was just pondering the recent phenomena of online networking sites.
Admittedly, I am usually quick to jump on the e-bandwagon and will indiscriminately sign-up on sites like Global Pau Hana, Friendster and MySpace if a friend invites me to join. However, like my offline personality, I tend not to collect a lot of “friends”and will find myself with probably a dozen or so contacts on my friends list. It’s almost enough to give me an inferiority complex when I see other people with lists numbering in the triple digits.
Although my memberships to Friendster and Global Pau Hana have fallen by the wayside, I still keep my MySpace account active (although barely), mostly so that I can read my friends’ MySpace blogs.
I find it odd when I get a Friend Request from someone I have never met before, online or in person. Those are sent to the Trash without much regard. I also find it rather amusing when I get a message from a stranger out of the blue — sometimes with a not-so-witty comment about how we should “hook up” sometime.
The extensive use of the Delete key can prove harmful to a Friends list. My list sits comfortably at 13 and I’m perfectly content with that. Like real life, I’m the type of person that prefers to maintain a close, albeit small, circle of good friends. Rather than populate my list with thumbnails of faces that I don’t know, my policy is that only friends get approved to be a MySpace friend. Pretty stodgy, I know.
My piece of MySpace real estate is pretty sparse and will probably stay that way. It amazes me that people have elaborate sites with videos, photos, blogs, and messaging. 10 years ago when I was BBS’ing, this would have blew my mind. Back then, I was totally into the “online community” thing, but I guess I’ve somewhat lost that interest in forging friendships with people that I would probably never meet in person.
Being a blogger in Hawaii has its communal properties as well. Although I made that previous statement, there are a few island bloggers that I would love to meet in person and probably will if I ever make it out to a HawaiiStories picnic or Bytemarks luncheon.
I guess I’m not entirely anti-social after all.
A 30-something Christian girl, blissfully wedded to her perfect match (the yang to her yin) of 14 years. Living life in Hawaii, less than 5 miles from her hometown, a slave to her mortgage payment, but seeking balance in her pursuit of family, faith, recreation, and rest.
Yes, I’ve been wanting to meet you for years now! Kane too.. though he’s being coy about whether or not he saw me the other week (but then, maybe I’m just too full of self-importance, hee!)
I’m kind of on the antisocial end of things myself, but whenever I do get out and meet people or spend time with my friends, I usually feel recharged and energized.
i wanted to meet you for years but it took kikaida’s deployment to make it a reality, but i was glad to finally meet you, the only other person that i wanted to meet was riccin and it happened, so i guess i am batting a .1000 haha
Lisa: One day I really hope to make it out to a luncheon or picnic sometime and meet you and the gang! You’re on my short list of “sites that inspire me,” so it would be truly wonderful to meet you in person!
Ray: Thanks for approaching me that day! I’m glad to have met you, too! Maybe I’ll be seeing you more often if I can ever make it out to karate practice!
*kiai!*
Donna, meeting you is one of the things I just have to do in my lifetime. It’s on my “40 by 40″ list, even. Hopefully we’ll be able to hui a little sooner than that, though.