With a third of March gone, I thought I slap a couple quick thoughts on the wall about my Facebook holiday.
On the whole, the thing is going fairly well. As I suspected, the traffic to my blog is pretty much unchanged. After all, I didn't specifically invite anyone, so my audience remains confined to my wife, my nephew (sometimes) and niece-in-laws (mostly) and the many, many people who leave anonymous posts directing me and my 6 readers to websites for payday loans, Canadian prescriptions and porn.
This latter group has actually been out in force lately — so much so that I reluctantly had to close down the ability to leave anonymous posts entirely. After I got four in one morning from the payday loan guy (or, more likely, payday loan comment 'bot), I decided I didn't need THAT MUCH attention, especially of the artificial variety.
I'm actually not at all a fan of anonymous anything on the internet, since it apparently brings out the worst in people. One of my friends from work has adopted a "never read the comments" policy. "No good can come of it," he says. I'm afraid I must agree; the mean-spirited often hide behind the cloak of the internet, though I have known some who haven't minded being known for who they are. Facebook is full of them. In any case, I think it will become my policy, too.
Unfortunately, I don't think I can adopt a no-Facebook policy for long. It's not because I miss it so much. Once the habit of checking went away, I got over missing it fairly quickly (apart from the odd "did you see what so-and-so said on Facebook" encounters). But I cannot shake the feeling that while this boycott has been good for me, it's ultimately a selfish act. I may be keeping my temper down, but it's at the price of being more involved in the lives of people I care about. We are supposed to care more, not less.
As for the hiatus itself, it's going pretty well. I was becoming amused by the increasingly persistent emails from Facebook reminding me of all the great stories from my friends that I was missing by not logging in. Unfortunately, shortly after that, a friend of my mother's told her that she was going to send me something for her. Since this lady didn't have any of my email addresses, I knew she could only mean Facebook. Reluctantly, I checked my message section (empty) and my wall (pretty much as I left it, safe for a few 'likes' from friends on my hiatus message. I still feel a little guilty about "falling off the wagon," but it was in a good cause.
1 comment:
I barely touch it, you know this. I check for birthdays/anniversaries and prayer requests, and ignore the rest.
But your point about being less involved with people's lives is well made. I think that's why I chose a middle road, sort of a compromise, when it comes to facebook. Not saying it would work for you, but it's something to consider. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. *g*
I do have to disagree with you on anonymity and the internet. Yes, it lets some cowards have the nerve to post horrible things because they do so without fear of consequence.
But it also lets some very brave people show that bravery for the first time, in a small way, such as when they argue for some basic human right, or recount their own tale of abuse in an effort to give comfort and hope to others. There's a kinship in being anonymous, and some personal stories may only be made public if the original poster is safe from retribution.
Sorry, way off your point, I guess, but I just want to point out that it does have a purpose, and isn't all bad.
Now, let's hope that this doesn't get eaten again...*g*
Post a Comment