The Social Networking World

Here recently I have been inundated with all of the new forms of the computerized social networking scenes. First there was MySpace. I finally got into that. I wasted a lot of time coming up with neat backgrounds and adding videos and making posts and what not. I tried to check it at least once a day to update my status. Sometimes it only managed to be once a week. But I pretty much stayed on top of it.

Next came the smart phones. For the longest time, I tried to keep my cell phone technology to a minimum. I only needed it to make phone calls, after all, isn't that what a phone is for? Then I apparently needed the ability to text message. Then Blackberry's were the rage. Then iPhones. I finally broke down a couple of months ago and ended up buying an iPhone. This one device will be my downfall. I waste more time now than at any other point in my life. But the worst thing is that it is like a gateway drug. Once I had the phone, I had to justify the money I spent on it by doing all that I possibly can with it. I now can get my email anytime. I get text messages anytime. I have also been drug into other areas of social networking.

First came Twitter. I first heard about this on the radio. So I checked it out. Nothing special. A few months passed and something brought it to my mind again (I probably got an email from them saying that somebody was "following" me). So I re-explored it. And I became hooked. If you are not familiar with it, what it is, is that you leave short little messages telling people that "follow" you what it is you are doing at a particular time during the day. At first, I just posted from my PC. But off course once I upgraded my cell, the world opened up and I can now Twitter any where I am at! And even upload pictures to go with my posts. I'm not sure why this has been so addicting...well yes I do know. I love to people watch. I'm a cop, I watch people all the time. With this you can watch people that seem to be of interest to you. For example, I am "following" Mark Hall from Casting Crowns, Bart Millard from MercyMe, Natalie Grant among others. These folks are avid Twitterers. This is like people watching from the perspective of the people you are watching! I'm not sure why I post so much, because I only have like 5 followers, none of whom I know. My friends have not picked up on this latest craze. It is essentially like electronic stalking!! But now, I have figured out how to link my Twitter posts to my Facebook account.

Which leads me to that: Facebook. I've had the account for awhile, but the only thing I used it for was to find suspects in crimes I was working. But in the last, say three weeks, I have revitalized the account. Everyone seems to have gone away from MySpace and are on Facebook now. So I have now located friends from High School, from both Colleges that I attended and scads of folks from Graceway, plus former Graceway members that had kinda been forgotten since they left. It has been pretty cool to re-establish some of these relationships. But now I am trying to keep up with 3 social networking sites, plus trying to be productive around the house. I'm sinking in this technological world of being in everybody's groups, being friends, finding friends, etc. HELP!!!!!!

I think I will take some time out, go fold some laundry and try to pick up the house a little for Tara before she comes home! It's the least I can do for her! But if you would like to now where I'm at or what I'm doing, I'm pretty easy to find at one of the 3 sites!!!

Have a Blessed Day, and stay warm!

Dale