Wednesday, October 17, 2007

MYSPACE REVISITED


Those of you who have been "reading me" for awhile know my feelings about myspace. If you don't know, or you have forgotten, you can see it HERE.

I have browsed around myspace....only friends and friends of friends. I usually just see my friends' sites when I have an email alert saying that someone has said something.

So the other day, I was reading an update from a friend and decided to "nose" around her page. There were a LOT of people on there. WHO in the WORLD has 419 friends? There weren't even that many people in my high school! I am happy with my 14. (What makes it a bit sad is that in my 14 friends is "Tom." I think he is a moderator and is self-proclaimed friend to all residents of the myspace world.)

All was going along OK. I mean, it's been a year since I have opened my myspace account. I have my blog addy listed on there, should any of my 14 friends care to look at it....I can think of about 3 who do just that.

Anyway, I read updates and decide to see who the friends are. Then, if I see someone I know, and look at THEIR page, I see a banner that says I am in their "extended network." Is that like 3rd cousin twice removed?

The other day, I had a "friend request" pop up on email. Well, I'm ALWAYS open to new friends and figure it is some long-lost buddy from back in the day who wants to reconnect and get to know the new, improved, and BEAUTIFULLY more mature me. So, I open it up and see who wants to chat. Well, the name was a name I use for at least 4 friends that I have. (Not myspace friends, but my "for the reals" friends.) In order to hone in on the identity of this gal, I click on her account. Hmmmm there are children...I don't recognize them. SO, I click on her photo album. FINALLY I recognize her.....and she doesn't know me from the man in the moon! I KID YOU NOT! If I grinned really big and said "hello" upon passing in Walmart, she wold clench her purse close and hastily say, "HI" as her footsteps quicken in a bolt for the door.

A similar thing happened a few months earlier. I was invited to be a friend. (Isn't there something cosmically wrong with that? And INVITATION to be a friend?) Sorry...I digress. So I get the invitation, but don't know who it is. I approve it so I can peak into this person's "privatized" page. No pictures. UGH!

Not one to be insensitive and say, "Hello...who the heck are you?" I look at HER friends...praise be, there is a friend that I AM in contact with who is on her "buddy list." So, I email and say, "I don't mean to sound stupid" (cause really, the whole world would be a LOT better if we could just keep from looking or sounding stupid, right?) "BUT, who is this person? Is it so-and-so?"

Her reply? "I'm not too sure."

WHAT?

That is crazy! I mean CRAZY!

I use the excuse that I have dial-up...which I DO, but I use it to poo-poo the fact that I can't tolerate myspace. The fact is, fast or slow, I just don't think I could take it. It is techno-sensory-overload. There is simply too much for my taxed brain to deal with! And it makes me sad because, I'm a GOOD FRIEND, gosh darn it all, and I have a lot of GOOD THINGS to say! DON'T SHUT ME OUT JUST BECAUSE I'M A myspace RECLUSE!

So, if you are one of my 14 friends....well, not Tom - you're not invited...I invite you to email me and/or read my blog. If you are TRULY a friend that I keep up with, you have my email. If you want to get in touch, via email, just leave a comment on my blog with your email. The comments are moderated, so nobody need know your addy!

I will just feel a bit more comfy if I keep my space truly MY space.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You need to change your setting on myspace to be that no one can add you as a friend unless they know your last name! That stops them dead in their tracks.

~LL~ said...

Please note the embarrassment as I ask: You can DO that? ROFL!

~LL~ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Since you've always been one to speak your mind... I'm going to as well. Meaning no harm or insult here at all (honestly =-) but blogs just open us right up for everyone's comments whether we like them or not don't they? Anyway, I am assuming that I'm the friend you emailed to identify your "friend request" on MySpace. Officially my response was "I'm assuming that's her too." not 'I'm not too sure'... but that's not really my point... my point is that, if my kindergartener were on the playground and someone asked to be her friend I would hope she would always say "YES." Without pause for reflection, consideration or to confer with her current set of friends. And after having opened her heart she would only close that door if SHE deemed it necessary to do so. I'm not a big fan of MySpace either, (ask anybody, noting as well that MyPage is now gone.)but I had every one of their privacy factors in place... my page was as private as it could be and I still tried not to use any of my families details, etc. with the complete understanding that I could "prune" my friends if need be. Instead I chopped down the entire tree... but that's a story for my blog.

Sorry,
Ly

~LL~ said...

Ly,

You are right about my wanting to confirm the identity of you-know-(or assume you know)-who. And your correction of my misquote is duly noted.

The main one whom I was referring to still does not know me, nor has she ever contacted me further to try to get to know me.

And yes...I had noticed you were no longer on myspace and asked a mutual "myspacer" about your absence. Glad you still read...we need to email more.

Sorry if I offended you. Love ya! You will always be my "Lilley's Lunch-pal!"

~LL~

Anonymous said...

I'm not offended... Just offering up another opinion/view.

What was it... "half a chili cheese burger and a bag full of penny candy???"

yum.

oh, yeah and a cherry sprite.

time for lunch,
Ly

Anonymous said...

It is a sad day when I am the voice of reason, but you two chill out! Your lucky either one of you crazy cows have friends, especially one as wonderful as me! ;-) Took me awhile to understand all this crazy code talk. Have a nice one pscyhos!