Anyone who knows me IRL has probably at some point heard me extol the virtues of Facebook and Twitter while smacking down the lameness of myspace. Why you ask? Well, many many reasons - but I am not ashamed to admit that at some point in the last year or so I realized that myspace is just ... out (no offense myspacers). That is not to say that I don't have presence on myspace, 'cause I do - but I never go to it. In fact, I have a note on my myspace that if you want to keep up with me you should go check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. yah. Okay, that was just some necessary backstory (why is there always backstory with me???)

Anywho, I manage my Facebook and Twitter the exact same way I managed my myspace, the ppl I am "friends" with are ppl that I actually know or have some kind of real interest in following. I have family, friends, and (overwhelmingly) work and other professional contacts. It has been fairly easy to keep my friends list controlled in that way, with the exception of two adds I made through SecondLife (college frat boys) ... but, afterall, it is the exceptions that make the rule. So this last week, all the sudden, I started getting a ton of random friend requests ... well not completely random, I did actually know these ppl to some extent ... old old friends from middle/high school and former coworkers ... even a guy I had a date with when I was in college (but as I recall he got wasted and ended up falling into a pool). So, this leaves me at a cross roads I had not yet encountered using Facebook - you see, when I used myspace I would constantly get friend requests from people I could barely remember, and most often I would ignore them altogether so that I wouldn't have to stretch to remember our history. I do not need over 150 friends online to justify my worth as a human, so there was never much of a temptation to accept their adds.

So Why Do I Feel Conflicted?
So this is weird, but for some reason I have a crazy compulsion in Facebook to accept all the add requests I receive ... maybe it is because I like watching my newsfeed and seeing that random dude from SL uploaded some drunken party pics. Or maybe it's that I want to see which Lost character that chick I met @ the SP Conference turns out to be... okay, not that one - I actually hate those random lame applications (so please stop asking me to be part of your "gang" or vampire "clan" or whatever). But regardless, I see my Facebook network growing at a fairly consistent rate.

My Facebook Friends Block



Eep - and then I found "People You May Know" ... yah, so ... all the sudden I am getting suggested peeps that I may know, and out of every 10 I seem to actually know one! Like this dude that I went to Middle School with, who hasn't changed a bit - and I remember him so I sent him a request. Then, I see a guy I had a crush on and this female who was really weird then and, based on her profile pic, looks really weird now. I did not send either of them a request ... but I have to admit, I am really tempted.

People I May Know Suggestions (out of 15 I actually know 4)


Facebook's goes hyper-viral with 'People You May Know' | Outside the Lines - CNET News.com

What does this mean? Am I becoming one of "those people" who I used to make fun of? I dunno ... but, er, if you are interested in keeping up with my status feel free to add me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. hee hee.