March 1, 2008
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Today was one of those days where I could not remember how many friends I had or who they even were. When this happens, I usually sit and sigh, pull petals off a sunflower, maybe ask a bird–usually a crow because that’s all there is around here–if there is such thing as a number one resource for wrestling games…to which the crow responds, “CAW!” and flies away. And then I go back to doing the things people typically do when they waste time lamenting over “Dawson’s Creek” type issues, while a Nora Jones or Vanessa Carlton CD plays on repeat.
After being pathetic for several hours, I had an ephiphany! I know who will know how many friends I have and who they are! Friendster.com! Of course! Friendster is there for people like me, who have trouble remembering that they have five friends! It also lets me compare my number of friends to everyone else’s number, because if I have more friends that tells the world that I am cooler and more fun to be around than they are!
I logged in and my memory was automatically refreshed! That’s right, I only have three friends, not five. Thank you, Friendster! *thumbs up*
And then I logged out of my account…only to realize that I hard forgotten how many friends I had again. I started to wonder: was it three or four? Five, six, seven…? And I kept wondering up to 116 until it occurred to me that…I didn’t know what came after 116! Oh yeah, and I still didn’t know how many friends I had or what their names were!
Suddenly, I felt something…*fart* And then I felt something else! Another ephiphany! Myspace.com also knows how many friends I have and what their names are! Because Myspace is available for people like me, who use Friendster to keep track of their friends but need another forum to keep track of their friends.
I logged in and saw I had–four friends…? That’s odd; I could have sworn Friendster said I only had three friends. But apparently I have another friend–some pale pedophile-looking person named Tom. And…who the hell is he? More importantly, why is he on my Myspace page but not on Friendster? Why do I have one more friend here than there? I have to know, because if I can add Tom to my Friendster page, everyone will see that I have four friends and think I’m really popular!
There was only one way to find out…but what was that way…? What is the key to finding an answer to such a stupid question? I looked around my desk. It had been really messy since the semester started–with my textbooks piled on and my makeup mirror randomly lying there…
Hmm…
Mirror…face…books. Mirror…face…books. Ah ha! Mirrorfacebooks.com! No, that’s wrong. I mean, Facebook.com! Yes! I will log into my Facebook account, which is yet another website devoted to helping people keep track of their friends! And even though it is exactly the same as Friendster and Myspace, it’s still useful in situations like mine–where remembering how many friends I have is so impossible that I need three separate accounts on websites that all do the same freaking thing. It’s not redundant at all!
I logged into Facebook…there, I found my answer…
Comments (31)
A refreshing view of the social networks. It was fun at first and useful for keeping in touch but I’m finding more and more I just don’t care as they degrade the meaning of real friends.
@Ro_ad808 - Ditto. I say it is time to say, “No, I am not going to sign up for a (fill in the blank) account so that you can add another “friend” to your friend count. Love you, but call me instead.”
HAha…your blog always make my day! Really funny and a good perspective on a social networker like me…I am a self confessed Facebooker (FB addict)…Probbaly need FBA (FB annonymous)…But I swear that i know everyone by name on my FB account!
I find that Xanga gives me the most accurate count of my friends. ;]
i used to keep track in my little black book
although i am on facebook, i find it bothersome b/c it makes being “friends” too easy. perhaps i’m a little masochistic, but i don’t think anything that’s worth having in this world should be easy. knowhumsayin?
I was going to write something eviscerating facebook but I thought it would be hypocritical since I a) have a facebook account and b) I actually *gasp* halfway abandoned xanga for facebook ….
*nimbly dodges rotten vegetables, feces and bags of urine*
The irony is there are maybe a handful of people out of the friends list that I would consider to be a “friend” … three of my oldest friends are not even on facebook at all. The real funny part is I have five week private message conversations with a friend that could have been done in an hour using msn messenger but no …. we have to use facebook *wer-wer*.
It’s a neat utility to keep in touch with friends and see what they are up to but it’s all very superficial as the system is designed to make actual “communication” difficult and time-consuming. It’s pretty much impossible to have any sort of writing in even a semi serious manner since any writing you do is stuffed into a little boxes lost amidst all the bells and whistles.
Xanga, in the end, is more my style but I’ll keep my facebook account handy
Aw, I like using Facebook. It’s great for keeping in touch with the friends you meet at summer camps and whatnot who don’t live near you. Though I agree that it has gotten a bit ridiculous lately, but that’s “progress” for you.
Great post regardless. Haha, “Mirrorfacebook.com” Maybe you can start that? I always think “Faceboogers” when I log on.
…and…and…? What’s the answer!
Haha, oh dear. I love your writing. So entertaining.
Hahaha. Yeah, I honestly had never even heard of Friendster until Dane Cook used it in a joke. And I recently deleted my MySpace because I had way more friends on Facebook (none of whom I wanted to check out my MySpace, see how much a loser I was there, then defriend me). I’ve heard people compare all of these sites to xanga… meh. I don’t think they are. I mean, with new features added to each all the time, they are becoming more and more similar, but I think xanga puts the blogging first and foremost, social networking second, whereas it’s the other way around for the sites you mentioned.
ryc: Thanks! It’s okay, I think for the three years I’ve had my xanga, only one person successfully guessed it. I pronounce it as, “Eowynna be Eowyn.” It’s supposed to sound like, “I wanna be Eowyn.” But it doesn’t… sooo I just pretend.
I think somewhere around my third post ever I explained the name and why I chose it – basically because I relate to Eowyn’s character in LOTR a lot, (and because she gets to use swords and wear amazing dresses).
If you start MirrorFacebook.com, I will be your friend!! LOL
I hate all spaces but Xanga.
That being said, I have a MySpace account, which, I’m HAPPY TO SAY, I haven’t checked in two days! That’s a record for me. I have a bunch of friends on there, and it’s sad, but most of them are people that I actually know in real life. Either currently or from a past life—college or high school. (though it’s really hard to find ‘girl friends’ since most have gotten married and have a new last name!)
And I have a Facebook. That one….I only have a few friends on there. With surprise and great happiness, I found out that one of my friends had found me! I’ve tried e-mailing, myspacing her…to no avail. I’m so excited that she found me! We’ve known each other for 20 years and were in each others weddings.
@eowynnabeeowyn - I agree. Xanga is about the blogging, and that’s most important to me. And making new friends–new blogs to read and hope that they’ll entertain me. (like this one!)
Hah! What a way to mock the networking sites. Even if you’re not mocking them.
I have a very good way of keeping track of my friends. Every time I make a new friend I secretly snip off a small sample of their hair. I say secretly because apparently some people don’t like their hair being snipped off (Seriously! WTF RIGHT?). Then I take their hair and wrap them in a colored ribbon. Blue is for boy-friends and pink is for girl-friends. And I take the hair sample and put them in a large album book along with their names, address, house number, cell number, and usually a schedule of their daily routines. This way I never forget who my friends are, where they live, how to reach them, and what they are doing or where they are at say…2:00 am in the morning. Strangely my book is full of only pink ribbons…strange huh?
ooh ooh, how many? a couple more beers and i would’ve fallen over laughing at “*fart*”… good stuff!
Hey I really enjoy reading your blogs =)
oh my god! How many??! You can’t just leave us wondering like that…
we all get those days I had one last week
Something is wonky with my computer and it makes leaving a comment all strange… But hi, and I’m glad you enjoyed the meat hands. I think maybe they’re just trying to show diversity or something, haha.
Myspace is the devil.
Funny, I’ve been known to listen to Nora Jones and talk to critters myself, but it usually requires a Fifth of Wild Turkey and a 12 pack of 7yP to put me in the mood.
I really used hate the fact that I got a facebook.
Then I looked at my facebook.
Then I got one of those dumb, vegetative looks on my face.
I haven’t lived without it since.
no more myspace/friendster for me. I just go on facebook to buy people. I think I was a previous slave owner in my past life. Sooo i hope u’re not expensive
omg… candy. LOL i loved their puffy bring color jackets haha!! I actually listen to Rain now. He dances pretty well haha
It’s my lil fobby korean collection
I am SOOo glad u didn’t say My Sassy Girl` altho that doesn’t have anything to do with Rain haha. I think Rain has a hot body and good dance moves so he is hot. sooo hot. As for the k-dramas every guy I know loves My Sassy Girl so much they all wanted to date an abusive korean girl. If I knew smacking a guy around and ordering him to do everything and whatever I want will get this big of a following, I would have signed up for the bitch lessons a long time ago. hahah
=)
I hate Myspace and Friendster. I usually go on Myspace once in a blue moon. However, I haven’t been able to delete my account. Sometimes, whenever I decide to go on randomly, I would receive a message from old friends so that makes me want to keep the account around a bit longer. But, I’m still a fan of Facebook. It definitely helps keeping in contact with past friends a lot easier.
Also, I don’t think these social networking sites give an accurate portrayal of how many friends the individual might have. Anyways, I really do love reading your entries. =)
It puts the lotions on its skin…and then it puts the lotion in the basket. It puts the lotions on its skin or else it gets the hose again…
Props if you know where that came from =) (it doesnt count if you internet mined the data though)
those blogging lessons are hilarious! keep it up yeah?
im rich, i can buy friends.
so you never did tell us how many friends you have on FB. I am guessing it’s 3, right.
and the answer was?