Out of date. Behind the curve. Over the hill. That's me!
Ten years or so ago, all my friends were communicating by email. I still had an old, slow computer with a dial-up connection. My means of communication was the telephone. But... I never knew what all my friends knew, because they communicated by email. A typical conversation: "Oh, didn't you get my email? Didn't you hear that we are getting together tomorrow night?"
I finally mastered email when I got my new laptop. I began reading blogs. Eventually, I started my own blog. Things went along merrily for a while. I was emailing with the best of them. I was making friends through my blog. I was following family members on their blogs. Just when I thought I was on top of things, I started hearing about My Space and Facebook. I am not on My Space. I am not on Facebook. I seem to be behind the curve again.
Now, I have noticed that some bloggers have stopped blogging. They go for weeks without posting. Some have given up blogging altogether. They are going over to Facebook. Many of my friends are parents of grown children, and have gone on to Facebook to keep up with their kids.
Even my brother-in-law, who first swore he would never get a cell phone, then swore he would never have a computer, is now on Facebook. He had to do it to keep up with his son and new daughter-in-law who live in California. I have a feeling that we are missing family photos because they are now put up on Facebook rather than on their poor, neglected blogs.
What is an old person to do? Try to keep up, and things just keep changing! I don't think I will even bother mastering Facebook, because as soon as I do something new will replace that! So... if you want to keep up with me, send me an email, call me on my cell phone, or read my blog!
Try reading the Facebook stuff that your most entertaining blogging friends post, and I bet you'll be amazed at how different they sound! I'm often horrified by how my funny, literate, intelligent friends turn into drivel-writing ninnies on Facebook! I don't think it's an alternative to blog writing, posting recipes, anecdotes, photos or thoughtful opinions, and suspect that it's attractive because it's quicker and less demanding than sitting down to blog. And the cluttered screen is so distracting!
ReplyDeleteI think of FB as the hastily-scrawled postcard, and the blog post as more like a proper letter. Both have their place, but I wouldn't like to rely on FB to find out what my favourite bloggers think, or feel, or are interested in.
But that's just my not-so-humble opinion, of course, and I'm sure millions will disagree....
I consider myself a football widow. I have found that parallel play is the best, as I sit at my laptop, humming and 'yes, dear'-ing at the right spots! It makes for a great marriage! I can blog to my delight.
ReplyDeleteI DO keep up with my kids on Facebook, too. It helps, as they are in 3 different cities.
And during the football games, I can make sympathetic comments when my son's favourite team is losing! It is an interesting way to go!
Rachel, from the way you describe it, I do prefer reading blogs... more like a proper letter, as you say!
ReplyDeleteJenn, you are a football widow; I am a golf widow. But I don't mind; while he's playing golf I'm free to do my own thing!
Join Facebook!!!!!! Resistance is futile...
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