I am on a number of social networking sites, from Facebook to Twitter to MySpace to LinkedIn.  And then there’s the sites like Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, and the like.  Then there are the blogging platforms, like WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, Live Journal, all of which I am a part of.  And forums! I don’t even want to get started on forums.  So basically, I am not a stranger to having an online presence.  If anyone ever decides to go looking for me, they’re not going to have to look very hard.  Google “Jessica P. Wallin“, and you will come across my Flickr photo stream, my former blog,  my MySpace, my Amazon profile, and some articles I’ve written for Idol Mania. And that’s just on the first page.  If you Google “Jebbica”, you will find this blog, my profiles on Backseat Cuddler, MyBlogLog, and The Insider.  Now, I am aware that I may be a bit more internet-friendly than most.  It has been a wonderful way for a shy girl like me to feel connected with the world and share what I have to say and meet people like me who aren’t limited to my small Southern town.

Facebook, especially, has been a great place to stay in contact with people, meet new people, and manage the various business contacts I have or could potentially have.  I have quite a few “friends”, all of whom generally fit into the following categories:

• Family:  my own flesh and blood, people I generally see on a regular basis, but thanks to Facebook, I can now get to know them even better because it gives more insight into who these people really are outside of family gatherings.
• Friends:  my real friends, the people I hang out with on weekends.
• Coworkers:  I see them all the time at work, but hey! Sometimes the verbal banter only goes so far.  Aww, isn’t that a cute picture of your kid!
• Former coworkers: People I used to work with and might not get to see as much as I’d like anymore, and it’s nice to stay in touch.
• People I went to high school/college with:  Oh, we once stood in line at the same water fountain? You dated so-and-so, a friend of a friend, and I don’t really know you. But I know your face, and this is a small town, after all. We’re probably related.  We’re not the same people we were then, so why not? Let’s get to know each other. You never know what might come out of it, or what kind of friendship might evolve because you were bold enough to say on Facebook what you might never get a chance to in Real Life.  This includes teachers, too.
• Blogging buddies:  Hey, your blog is awesome! You like my blog, too? Cool! Let’s be friends!  Wouldn’t it be so cool if we knew each other in the Real World?
• Modeling/Photographer contacts: Because generally, these are a great group of people, and you never know when there might be a photo shoot that interests you or when you could use or give professional advice.
• Musicians/fellow critics:  This allows me to stay up-to-date on what’s happening, and in the event there’s something going on I’d like to cover, I have an “in”. And chances are, I will return the favor.
• Friends of friends: Oh, so you’re friends with this person? Well then chances are, you’ll like me, too!
• People I went to church with:  Wow, I can’t believe you have a Facebook!  You know what The Internet is? That is so cool!
• General people I admire:  I think you’re great.  I wanted you to know.

This adds up to quite a lot of people, and it has allowed me to peer into other people’s lives (un-stalker-ish-ly, I’d hope) and expand my horizons to the ways in which people completely different from me think.  I rarely have anyone on my friends list that I never talk to, because almost everyone has something to say that interests me.  And you might think that keeping up with that many people would consume a lot of time, but it really doesn’t.  In fact, once I eliminated all of the Farmville, Yoville (what the heck is a Yo-ville, anyway?!), Sorority Life, and Mafia Wars junk from showing up on my home page, I have a pretty easy time figuring out what it is people have to say, and I like what I see.  And people don’t generally update their thoughts that often, so even among having so many contacts, it’s easy to run out of things to do in a small amount of time.

So, what I don’t get, are social networking snobs.  For one, it’s called a SOCIAL NETWORK for a reason. One, so you can be social.  Two, so you can network. See how that works? One of the things that irks me so much is when someone says, “Do I know you?” Like, if you did, is your memory so limited that you have to ask? Seriously. I’m sure in all likelihood you aren’t so great that I am a little peon with hopes of feeding you grapes and washing your feet. Get over yourself. If someone sends me a friend request, I assume it is because they already know me, or they would like to get to know me. Are you going to shun someone who comes up to you on the street and introduces themselves? “Hi! My name is PokemonLuver48! What’s your name?” “Uh, do I know you?” I don’t know about you, but I would never say something like that. I would be flattered that someone was making the effort. Maybe I will be granted access into this person’s psyche and learn that there is much more to this person than Pokemon. And maybe there isn’t. But I gave it a try, didn’t I?

And honestly, what’s the harm in that? I’m not a “friend-whore”, by any means. But I’m not a snob. I don’t see any harm in being friendly. Who wants to live in a cave and be a hermit? And if that is the case and you do, then why do you have a Facebook page at all?

Other Gems from Jeb

• Robot Love Story (1)
• The Next Chapter (2)
• A Few Quick Updates (3)
• Can I Just Rant about Hipsters for a Little Bit? (3)
• New Horizons (4)