COMMON CRAFT
The more of these I see, the more I want to start communicating with others using stick figures on little scraps of paper and dry erase markers.
I very much appreciate the care and planning that has gone into these deceptively simple-seeming, ostensibly low-tech productions.
Communicating effectively is, in my book, the height of praiseworthy high tech.
EXPERT VILLAGE
The Expert Village tutorial on how to register for FaceBook was nicely done, clear, and short. I also watched the Expert Village walkthrough of the FaceBook guided tour, which was the next video in the series.
Unfortunately, I didn't see how to proceed to the next video in the series, which was mentioned at the end of the guided tour video. The video I wanted to watch next was on building a FaceBook profile--but I couldn't find it.
I found this lack of continuity frustrating. Did I miss something?
These videos were obviously intended to be viewed in a logical sequence, but I couldn't locate a listing of all the videos. Nor could I figure out how to proceed from one video to whichever one followed it. Alas!
FACEBOOK REGISTRATION & PROFILE
Disappointed but undaunted, I just went ahead and registered for Facebook, using my work email on the advice of the first Expert Village video.
Filling out my profile wasn't much fun, since I truly don't want people I don't know to be able to learn much about me without my knowledge. I can't imagine who would--and yet, clearly, many people don't mind. I sure do.
I'm downright averse to getting that friendly that quickly with people I don't even know. It's one of the reasons I don't frequent bars.
Not interested in shallow. Not interested in short-term. Quality in relationships is important to me.
FACEBOOK WALL
Okay, enough tortured self-disclosure. Moving right along, I go in quest of finding out what a Facebook wall is.
Since I couldn't locate the Expert Village video on Facebook walls, I went to Ask.com and typed in "What is a Facebook wall?"
The explanation I came across on Webopedia was the clearest. It stated that in Facebook, the wall is a section of your profile where others can write (graffiti-like?) messages to you or leave you gifts in the form of small, icon-like images.
Okay. Interesting. I returned to Facebook and clicked on the Wall tab, then added a couple of messages with links to two of my favorite websites: Adventure Beach Bengals and Thormahlen Harps.
I didn't really have any photos or video that seemed suitable to share. Hm. I'll have to ponder that. Maybe I should create some, like when I took photos of the cats. . . .
NEXT TASKS
Next tasks: joining groups and adding friends. I'll try to work on this tomorrow. Right now, it's 9:30 p.m., and I need to brush my teeth so I can read a chapter of Fire and Ice (book 2 in the Warriors saga by Erin Hunter) to Garrulous Unicorn.
This talkative colt is on spring break at the moment and will--as soon as I chase him there--be in bed productively regenerating lost brain cells. An activity I intend to emulate. I'll add more to this blogpost tomorrow.
MULTIPLE DETOURS
I sat down at the computer twice today hoping that I had perhaps 45 minutes to an hour to work on 23 Things. Unfortunately, I spent most of both sessions helping others with their 23 Things questions.
No complaints. These folks have generously helped me when I was stuck, so returning the favor is only just. It seems people are having trouble with wikis and podcasts today.
One person I was able to help. The other I made arrangements to work with tomorrow because neither of us could figure out over the phone what's going on with his podcast. It was working earlier today. I listened to it around noon and then posted a comment on his blog.
I don't know what happened between then and now. We'll work on it tomorrow when we're both in the same room looking at the same computer.
ADDING FRIENDS & JOINING GROUPS
All I was able to accomplish this evening was asking several people if I could add them to my list of Facebook friends and joining two groups: the ALA Members Group and the Library 2.0 Interest Group.
Both procedures were simple and straightforward, but I'm afraid I was so distracted I wasn't able to absorb much. I'll have to come back to this tomorrow and try to finish up.
FACEBOOK, DAY 3
Okay, I'm back after a night of rest and regeneration. I successfully uploaded a picture to my profile. Overnight, four generous people have consented to befriend me.
One of them recounted a story I had completely forgotten, about how I had saved him from raging rapids in 1986 using only my two floor harps and a length of rope.
He must have been about 12 years old at the time.
While reading his vivid narrative, it all came flooding back to me. (I used to tote those floor harps everywhere, especially while hiking in the woods.)
Well, it's a small world. I'd always thought this fellow looked familiar somehow, but had chalked it up (absurdly) to the passing resemblance he bears to a historic American president.
Of course I confirmed all the details.
ALERTING NEFLIN
The instructions for this Thing say to "Be sure to let [NEFLIN] know when you join [Facebook] so we can 'friend' you." I wasn't exactly sure how to do this.
I wasn't clear if logging it on the blog would sufficient, or if I'm supposed to use another method.
So, I searched Facebook for NEFLIN and saw Stephanie Race's Facebook account. But she recently left NEFLIN for a job with the State Library and Archives of Florida, so I didn't think I should trouble her.
I also saw "Brad Neflin," but haven't seen Brad's name attached to any of the NEFLIN's 23 Things blogposts, so I held off approaching him.
There were several Jennifer O'Neills, so I thought I'd better try something else. (There's probably some obvious method I'm overlooking here--but I'm new to Facebook. I'm sure I'll learn more the more I use it.)
My next strategy was leaving a message via the Meebo widget located on the NEFLIN's 23 Things blog. I was able to type a short message and edit my name, but I didn't see a control to allow me to "send" the message. I'm not sure if it has reached NEFLIN or not.
Finally, I opted for email. I'll check my email and Facebook account over the next week and see if I get a response. Keeping my fingers crossed.
WHAT NEXT?
Well, I think I've exhausted Facebook for now. I'm not quite sure how the groups work--perhaps by joining groups, I open up a wider circle of possible friends? That's kind of a scary thought.
I think Facebook would be much more appealing to me if I were a lot more bored than I actually am (which is not very) and had a whole lot more unscripted time on my hands.
To call me fully engaged with my life and work would be an understatement.
I think there must others like me out there somewhere in the world. Perhaps I should start an anti-social network called Camouflage for all us quiet, inwardly directed people who just want to be left alone.
What I need a whole lot more of at this busy juncture in my life is not friends but time to myself.
Onward!
No comments:
Post a Comment