Everyone was doing it, okay? I mean, that’s not why I finally broke down, it’s not the reason, or even an excuse, but everyone was doing it. So how bad could it be? Right? Right?
It was when I googled my own name — my own name! — and found two people there, with my name, but they weren’t me!
I have a very unusual name. The idea that there could be other people with the same name didn’t shock me, I’d seen them before in search results, but they were always down low, maybe on the second page.
But these hits were high. First page, near the top. And they aren’t me!
So I did it. Not because all of you are already doing it — don’t deny it! — but because people looking for me would already think I’ve done it. So I decided I might as well.
But I didn’t know, I didn’t understand — the hours wasted, the time gone — now I know, but it’s too late.
God help me, I joined Facebook tonight.
The Unfocused Life 
Ha, ha! I, too, uttered that last line not too long ago. Old boyfriends came bubbling up to the surface and I cursed my mistake. But, I’m on FB now. Friend me!
I’m reasonably confident that any old girlfriends will be more than happy to leave me uncontacted, and I intend to return the favor.
I sent you — or the person I think you are — an invitation. Let me know if you don’t get one from a guy wearing sunglasses, because then I’ll have some ‘splainin to do.
Oh dear . . .googling yourself and joining facebook? I have some snow that needs to be shoveled if you’re looking for something to do.
Sounds tempting. It’s not that I don’t have enough to do, it’s that I had a few moments in the day to stop and think, and needed to put a stop to it.
Is is useful for aspiring novelists, can you tell me, and how, exactly? I only ask because I’ve thought about it, too. I haven’t done it because I don’t want certain people to find me there. What are the privacy controls like?
Sure, it’s useful for aspiring novelists, if what you need is another godawful time suck.
Seriously, I don’t see anything about it that is particularly useful to me as a writer. It’s fun, and I’ve ended up getting back in touch (or Facebook in touch, which isn’t really the same thing) with a lot of people I’ve lost track of over the years. So far, no stalkers.
I haven’t figured out much about the privacy controls, but it seems like unless you accept someone as a friend or send them a message, they don’t get to see anything about you. I’ve received one friend invitation from someone I didn’t know — no mutual friends, either — who claimed to work for the big law firm I work for, but in a city where we don’t have an office. I hit Ignore, and that seems to be the end of it. I could block him from further friend attempts if I chose to; haven’t bothered, yet.