For the longest time, I resisted joining Facebook. I have nothing against it, I just wasn't into the social networking thing. I am in LinkedIn, for business networking. However, last September or so, one of my business contacts started a Facebook group so I reluctantly joined.
I will say I am now enjoying Facebook to a degree. There are people I've know from high school that I have kind of reconnected to. Some business contacts I've known only by phone I now have more of an understanding. But there is a dilemma. Who exactly is a "friend"? Here are people who have been suggested to me recently.
- The younger brother of a high school classmate of mine. I'm not sure if I ever traded two words with him.
- Many people who work(ed) for my first employer out of college. Many are good friends/acquaintances. I'll have to dig through those deeper.
- A female 1 year behind me in high school. The name sounds familiar, but that was so long ago, I don't know if I really knew her, I knew a sibling, or what.
- Various people from a professional listserv I belong on. Those should be fine, as I'm Facebook friends with others on the list.
- This girl who I worked with during high school. She also went to high school with me, but I think a couple of years back. The thing I remember the most about her? She took me, a mutual female friend who also worked with us, and our not-quite-out hispanic boss to a party themed by her Asian ethnic background. Oh, and she was trying to "turn" said boss.
- People who I may or may not have had class with at the University of Maryland. Hey thousands of students in each graduating class, I can't keep track of them all. Besides, I read the Diamondback everyday. Some of those names were reporters/editors for the paper, I think.
- Finally many random people who happen to be friends of friends of mine. I can't fault Facebook on those.
So really, who do I choose to be Facebook friends? I guess each person has to decide on their own, but I don't know if I should be "friends" with all of the above people. What's funny is I've had more interaction with some bloggers than some of the people Facebook has been suggesting to me.
