This is response to yesterday's post. I think Facebook is a great tool for finding a person on the internet that you have lost touch with.
My great-grandparents had 85 great-grandchildren scattered across the country and we haven't spoken with each other in 10 years, and in some cases 20 or 30 years. Last week, I formed a group on Facebook: "Descendants of my great-greatparents," and today there are 28 of them on the group. And we have been talking just as if we had flown across country to family reunion. I have learned that long lost cousins passed away, and others have wonderful families or are nearly homeless or are in jail. Also, most of the cavers on Cavetex are on Facebook and much more socializing is going on their than here on Cavetex. Just last week, a caver left a cave he had surveyed and immediately reported it to Facebook. I don't think it has appeared on CaveTex yet. A call out for rescue, would certainly be feasible, and maybe better than CaveTex. I will let someone else dissect that notion. Also, Facebook is a great way to look up old flames. But it has opened up a can of worms. People are obsessed with it. I spent quite a bit of time on it is this week, when I could have been playing tennis or golf, or at least getting outside and enjoying the weather. Also, marriages are being affected. We have one computer in the house, and my wife has just discovered Facebook ( in Spanish ) and is now trying to write daily to her cousins back in Mexico, and her hundreds of friends she has met in life. So, now I need to get a new computer. Another problem, is that in many American families there is always a problem somewhere: either a black-sheep of the family, or disowned members, or divorce issues, etc. I have had to block close family members, or at least hide them from my news feeds. And it does affect you when a friend de-friends you. Another problem is that the newbies to Facebook, don't understand how to selectively send out their intimate thoughts. If you post something controversial or sad, the whole friends list will see it, which is not the way to do it. You need to micromanage your friends in special list. For Example: Cavers, Old Friends, New Friends, Sensitive People, Close Family, Close cousins, Distant cousins, Best Friends, Old Flames, etc. Then when you post something on your wall, click on the list that you don't want to read it. Personally, I am annoyed by all the games. But apparently some users are fond of that feature. I will let Butch, or someone else, explain the fascination with that. Facebook seems to be a different tool than MySpace, or the other social sites. It may be a fad, but it is going to be around for at least a few more years until something better comes along. It needs better search tools, and more ways for users to weed out things. There is Facebook Lite though. Maybe they need a Facebook Pro ? David Locklear caver in Fort Bend County ( 175 miles from the Center of the Universe )
