I just read an hilarious column bashing Facebook, or MyFace as I like to refer to it, by Matt Labash in The Weekly Standard. I would link to it here, but who am I kidding, I have no idea how to link.
I myself tried to go on Facebook after getting the feeling that it would somehow be “good for the career.” Which career I’m not sure: agent, writer, new blogger, professional self-hater, whatever.
Here’s what happened: friend requests. I’m not from the friend request generation. When I was growing you made friends by having rolling papers on hand. No one asked to be your friend and you didn’t “accept” or “decline.” Also, what’s this with “getting poked?” I remember driving a bunch of CIT’s around at camp one summer and one girl in the back seat, we’ll call her Wanda, had just slept with half the waiters. “What can I say,” she said, “I like getting poked.” Why I remember this 100 years later is beyond me, but the term seemed exceptionally revolting to me back then and still does.
I’m also a diehard Woody Allen type vis-a-vis the club thing and not wanting to be a part of one that would have me. Here’s a list of things I haven’t and won’t join:
synagogue (sorry Mom, not now, not ever)
book groups (no, no, no, no)
jogging group (that’s what they invented IPods for)
PTA, or any school related function
any volunteer group
I lasted two days on MyFace. I’ve worked hard to lose people in my life; I couldn’t afford to have them pop back up. I also couldn’t bring myself to use the word “friend” as a verb. And the less I know about what my exes are up to the better. Do you feel me?
Finally, when you sign off of MyFace they ask you tell them why and there’s a list of reasons to check including too much drama. Check.
Tell me your MyFace experience.
Filed under: Uncategorized |
Betsy Lerner 
I feel you. I’m doing okay with Facebook. I’ve met a lot of really cool people who happen to click on my website link and read about my book. I love it when they post things on my page like “Where can I buy your book?” “Your book sounds awesome.” Or the best “Do you think you will stay in the Bible belt after writing such blasphemy about the Bible.”
I’m the kind of person that I like interacting with my audience. I want to know my reader so fb can be a great place for that.
I got kicked off of MyFace when, after ten years, someone made a complaint that I wasn’t who I said I was. I had joined before all the rigmarole about having to use your real name. I’m a woman. The internet is not friendly to women, much, much less opinionated ones. I couldn’t be bothered to re-up by providing a photo ID which MyFace swore it would immediately delete after they’d verified my bona fides. Who were they kidding? So I check my sisters’ accounts via my husband’s account. It was mostly about staying in touch with family via posted photos of the kids anyway.