In your face or not

While playing with my pet (left, in his birthday suit) in Pet Society in Facebook today, I was reading Sumiko Tan's article as well. She wrote why she would never ever be on Facebook, because she has enough friends, she values her privacy, she finds the stuff people put on their Facebook pretentious sometimes and she has better use for her precious time.

It is true that we do not even have enough time for our real life friends and what more about friends and "stranger" friends in Facebook. However the difference or rather, indifference is, commitment. In real life, when we are busy, we connect with friends via phone, sms, msn or email. Otherwise, we lead our separate lives without even knowing what is going on with their lives till we meet up (sometimes umpteen years later). Is this considered committed to your friends? A few of my close friends are not on Facebook, but that does make us less chummy. In Facebook, we read and know how our friends feel through their "status", or where they went, without much interaction. And if what they wrote pique our interest enough, we just "comment" or write on their "wall" and then perhaps follow up with a meet up. Does this mode of interaction makes us less committed? To me both are equal in terms of commitment. If not more, Facebook increases the frequency of interaction even though it may be deemed on a superficial level. At least I am aware what my friends are doing and not be in total darkness.

As for privacy, you can just ignore those stranger friends. You can even "hide" news about those people we have no interest in. They won't bite. All the strangers want is to network or promote their product or service or their company or get a date. If they get aggressive enough, you can just delete them, without having to entertain them in the face. As for our confidential information, if you don't want to divulge too much, then don't write anything. If you do not wish others to see your photos or to show them how well travelled you are, then just change the Privacy settings. It is as simple as that.

Facebook is not the only social interaction website around. In fact, everything online can be viewed as pretentious because you do not know if what the other party posted is real or fake. Not just Facebook. There are also the likes of Friendster, MySpace etc...

I do agree we can always find better use of our time rather than stay glued to the computer. Most people already spend most of their waking time online, although we wish we could be at the beach, or having a vacation, or shopping or attending a course to improve certain skill. It is the same with handphone. Anyone can reach you, you can sms or check emails on the go, you can listen to music, watch a movie on the phone, and even surf the net and login to Facebook! Hence because it is so accessible, people are still glued to the internet, not just on Facebook, but everything else. What harm is there with a few extra minutes logging on to Facebook? Otherwise I might just end up being a couch potato binging on potato chips and gaining that extra few pounds.

So, I would say, to each his own.

Nowadays other than checking emails on Facebook to say "hi" here and there, I do not spend that much time in Facebook or in Pet Society since my pet Piggobama is already living in a mansion and has everything he needs: paw points, paw money and everything. The only thing is I am now helping my niece and nephew with their pets instead. Yes even the kids are on Facebook, just because they want to play Pet Society. So I am buying them gifts to build up their houses, as well as chaperone them, lest they become targets of online predators. Actually they do not even have time to login. I do not have time to try Bejewelled Blitz, or Farm Town or Restaurant or other online games.

Here is my vain pet, Piggobama, in his various garb. Oh, and I have not even show you his mansion yet. I think Sumiko Tan is going to roll her eyes. Hee...