Facebook.

Ok- it had to be done sooner or later- a post about Facebook. Several thoughts:

There are alot of "tracker" sites that allow you to download a program that tracks how many times someone visits your facebook page. While I'm glad those are around for those who want to use them- I'm thinking- isn't the point of Fb to interact, to voluntarily post and create a site for friends to visit and connect to you on? Am I naive in thinking it was just a pretty easy and cool networking site that I just joined in Oct. due to friends persistance...why would I worry who was looking at my page?
What if, someone I knew 10 years ago, or even 5, looks at my page about 4 times a day about 2 times a week- what if' they're just at work and bored? I used to work full-time and was always checking up on my net stuff to see who had sent me some dumb but funny political article or cartoon...it doesn't mean these people are stalkers does it? I figure- if you choose to be on FB, you can also choose what info you put on your page, and it is a networking site right? Why be paranoid. Do I really want to know if someone I knew years ago is looking at my stuff all the time? Maybe it would change the way I thought of them, maybe I want to keep that image in my head of them as a good person, not a stalker, and maybe- just maybe, they are just bored during the day like we all get and use our pcs as a distraction, not as a roadmap to our future lives.
Also, when someone, like myself, posts pictures of the Sarah Palin rally I went to see her at here in Clearwater, do they automatically think- Jennifer's a dumb redneck racist? Do they know that I've also gone to see Pres. Clinton and Pres. Bush and that I try really hard to see any politician in person that I can? There's too many puzzle pieces missing when posting photos, or info. Obviously, it's up to each person to choose these items to post. but does it really convey who we are? No. not really.
I think FB is like a yearbook for 30 year olds and older. not in a bad way, but it doesn't really show us in our totality. I was in the Latin Club in high school- but hated Latin (loved the history) and had issues with my teacher (when did I not have issues with most Bay High teachers). We can pick and choose what we post. Like anything on the internet, it could be all about image and not about a real person. As much as we might try to portray ourselves truthfully- joining groups like "Cave diving kicks ass" and "Poetry is a dead language" is fun but doesn't tell anyone what you really do every day.
The truth is- everyday life can be dedious at times, and no matter if you really did see the Holy Grail or jump off the highest cliff in the world in a parachute, it's just one moment out of your whole entire life so far. I think these moments are what make us excited, and make life fun, and we all have had adventures of of our own, but sometimes it seems like the best and brightest times are picked out to showcase. A "one -up manship" comes into play at times.
Luckily, most of my "friends" on FB are people who I came to know well in the past, maybe not for more than a few months or years, but I have always been open and honest enough to attract open and honest people with genuine souls and who are enough of their own person to not have to prove themselves as something cooler than cool.
That is the best part I have liked about FB- to see that the people that I adored/admired/loved/missed are still out there-living life as the same people they were a decade ago, maybe older and wiser, and with no intent other than to keep in touch with me for the same reason- because we can now, and because it reminds us who we were a little while ago in life. Also, to remind us we're all still around, and doing just fine...no phone calling necessary.