What is up with Facebook?

    Myspace and Facebook have been created for college students by college students.  It was a way for them to talk, chat and share in an unique online environment.  Now there are all sorts of them out there including sites like Club Penguin for kids.  Some of these sites require a paid membership which reduces those annoying ads and some are free. 

    I have had both a myspace page and a Facebook page for several years.  It has been great for the most part.  Myspace fell behind Facebook but is now doing the exact same things as Facebook.  The only real difference I have seen in the two are the people who use them.  More teens tend to use Myspace and more adults use Facebook.  But what is the attraction to such sites?  It was intended for college students but even grandparents use them to keep in touch with the grand kids!  I even know of kids that use Myspace or facebook that under the min age of 13.

    What is the hype?  I cannot speak to everyone else's reasons but I am sure it is not far from my own.  I use Facebook for various reasons.  I was once hooked on the games like Farmville and Farmtown.  Would get online in the middle of the night to just harvest crops!  Had to break that habit.  I do have a game on facebook I play and I deleted my Myspace page.  I have always used it to get in touch with family and friends.  Facebook has become an important part of my life.  I have friends on it and I have networks.  I love it when I post a video I find on the Internet and I start seeing it for several days later being posted by friends from both the east and west side of the country!

     I think that it is a way to socialize in the same style medium many have seen as the old school "chat rooms" and forums.  One day I logged on and there was a friend request.  I opened the request and noticed it was from a person in Virginia.  I figured it was someone that knows my family whom are mostly in Virginia.  Due to privacy settings, I could not see any other information.  I excepted the request just to see who it was.  As it turned out, this was a neighbor of mine from when I was in like 7th-8th grade!  I was floored that she would have remembered me at all let alone that she would contact me.   She is now a good online friend.

     I am friends with many folks all over the country.  I even have one that lives in Europe!  Old family members.  New friends.  I can check in and look to see if anything major is going on.  It has help us!  When my oldest girl started have seizures, we were able to keep folks informed and in prayer through Facebook.  When my father-in-law went into the hospital recently, Facebook was instrumental in maintaining contact.  Having this is a comfort.

     Speaking of comfort, I have this one friend, a sister if you will.  We have known each other for many many years.  And were we are not as close as we once were, we are always there when we need each other.  Her girls used to call me Uncle Joe.  The one thing I know for sure is this, we have a part of each other.  A bond that will forever go with us.  So every time I log onto Facebook, I look to see if I have been "poked."  Out of all my friends, she is the only one that "pokes" me.  And just seeing that she has done that lets me know she has thought of me.  And then and there I pray for her. 

    I also get to post things like this blog.  I am dabbling in the realm of writing and this gives me a forum of sorts to share my attempts.  If you go to this link, and look at my other blogs, you will find several poems and stuff that I have done.  I love the feed back I get.  I wish people would give me feed back even if it is bad. 

     So Facebook to me, connects me with the world of family and friends.  I get news, laughs, comforts, information, expressions, games, and more.  I even get it on my phone so I can check in anywhere!