Getting Friends is simple on the insanely popular networking site MySpace.com. You find someone you want to be connected to and you click on their “Add Me” link, then you wait to see if your request has been deemed worthy. Suddenly their little avatar picture is in your Friends list, your picture is on theirs, you’re receiving each others’ bulletins, you’re connected! And another tiny community is formed.
Friending folks on MySpace -- and yes, “friend” has become a verb, like "game," "blog," "google," and "shindig" -- is how you keep in touch with them. You can see their current doings, hear the music they like, view their embarrassing pictures, admire (or cringe at) their choice of background designs, and compare your interests to see how cool yours are. Or, more likely, aren’t. And your Friend list displays the people that are now networked with you.
Some people limit the number of people they Friend to close acquaintances. Some, like me, go after the numbers. Not in an “I have more Friends than you, neener neener” way. More like “I am connected to the world, especially the parts of the world that obsess on font sizes.”
Great column as always, Chris. There's something missing at the end of the sixth paragraph from the bottom, though.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Fixed!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Hysterical as always, Chris. I particularly enjoyed
quote:But they’re in my list and that gives me an indescribable psychological boost of a sort that I’m certain will soon have its own DSM-VII entry.
I lol'd -- literally.
I have managed to avoid the whole networking site thing, except for LJ (which I rarely check) and GoodReads, which I adore . . . and on which I add friends at a ridiculous rate. Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Why not Facebook, Chris? It's like MySpace, only without the spammers and the kiddies.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Chris, are you on GoodReads? Wanna be my friend?
Also, are you interested in ejaculating 5x more?
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Mmmmm... Myspace...
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Why not Facebook, Chris?
I believe you missed the last line of the article.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Actually I just started a Facebook page to see what it was. Haven't done much with it yet...
I think that's it... Hatrackers are urged to stalk me mercilessly.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I can add Nathan Fillion? ...dreams...
I think Nathan Fillion will play my fantasy Jay Gatsby.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Nathan is actually why I joined MySpace, to get his blog updates. The man is funny.
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
Crap that's funny. "Which Buffy character are you? (I'm Giles)." Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Oops, forgot something I wanted to put in there. Edited to add:
"I don’t add everybody. If the maybe-Friend’s page contains key phrases such as “exciting retail opportunity” or “check out the pictures MySpace won’t let me post,” they get denied. I’ll also bounce… no, that’s actually pretty much it. With one exception: I booted Tom right away. he just seemed too easy."
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
*sob* Oh, wait...
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
So sell me on Facebook. What do you do with it?
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Where are the other Serenity cast members? I need a whole crew to fly my MySpace ship!
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Kaylee's on there, and Badger, and one of the twins from the movie...
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:What do you do with it?
Well, it's not as flighty as Twitter, but has Twitterish elements. It's highly customizable, but can't be made as ugly or commercial as MySpace. It's good for local networking, but it's not as slimy as LinkedIn. I find it the most useful of all the social networking sites for actually staying in touch with people, perhaps due to the Mini-Feed.
Posted by Swampjedi (Member # 7374) on :
I think the Mini-Feed has a lot to do with it. It's nice to have a single spot where you can see what people have changed recently. I have to admit, though, that I felt massively violated when the thing debuted.
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