I was just going to blog about Facebook when Jonathan beat me to the punch. In the last two months or so since I updated my profile there, that place has really started to blow up. It's quite amazing. Despite the fact that I go there only once or twice a week, and haven't really sought anyone out, I've already got 15 friends. And the truly amazing thing, as Jonathan already pointed out, is that 14 of them are people I actually know in real life. This is in stark contrast to MySpace - where I've only met about 5 of the 40 people on my friends list there.
Perhaps it's the fact that people on Facebook use their real names that makes it so much easier to find people. Certainly, I've actively taken steps to make myself semi-anonymous on MySpace - I don't necessarily want people finding me there. Recently, I even made my profile there private after accidentally emailing one of my students from a non-university email account - I certainly wouldn't want my students seeking out either my MySpace page or this blog, as both contain a bit more personal info about me than I feel they really need to know.
Which brings me back to Facebook. Anyone can type in my name there and find me - but all they'll get is generic info about my work and education. I've no plans at the moment to include any personal info there (if for no other reason than that I don't want to get stuck having to update yet another internet presence). And I actually find the mini-feed and status updates can be a little creepy - I know I can set up filters for different users to see different levels of information about me, but that seems like an awful lot of work.
It's very amusing, though. Earlier this week I had a giggle looking at the Facebook profiles of some of my students (four of them found me and added me to their friends). Of course, this includes the running 'wall' commentary among several of them, that took place early last week on the subject of their final exam for me. Hilarious. Have they forgotten that by adding me as a friend, I can see all their posts? Or do they just not care?
In any event, I predict the rise of Facebook will soon see the demise of MySpace, for sure - at least for social applications.
1 comment:
The limited profile is your friend, and is not that difficult.
1. Set up the limited profile to exclude all things you don't want your students to see.
2. Check the limited profile box whenever adding a student as a friend.
Limiting things to (non-limited-) friends-only, rather than networks and friends, will also help.
Post a Comment