(The original post of my Taking Pictures of Food series was supposed to be up for today; however, due to other circumstances, I had to reschedule it. Instead, thanks to some odd timing, I wanted to address something else…).
A lot of people might miss the point of the name of this post – that will be specially true if you do not watch South Park. The episode of two weeks ago (aka, episode 199, aka episode 1404), brought the topic of virtual friends and, well, let’s just say I am not necessarily that interested in that concept. At this point, I am sure some of you might be thinking “WTH you are talking about?!” Before anybody starting bringing some (virtual?) pitchforks and decide to stop reading this blog, please, let me elaborate…
Similar to the plot of that episode, partially due to peer pressure, I created a Facebook profile some time ago. Likewise, due to some partial peer pressure, I created a Twitter account. What, I have a FB account? OK, before some people start looking for it, don’t. I created it just to go to RSVP a meeting and haven’t gone back ever since. If you are looking for me to approve you as a friend, sorry, that won’t happen. If I ever remember the password (at this point, I don’t), I will just delete the profile. *Shakes fist!!!*
So, why I created these if I have no interest in keeping them? As mentioned above, I created it was because it was required for an activity. Otherwise, I won’t have bothered. (I wasn’t given a way around it). Unlike others, I tend to be a more private person. Call me old-fashioned, call me old school (something I have admitted in the past) but I value people I have met personally, specially those who I have created a bond – and people on-line whom I respect for what they have brought forward (hence, I hope to meet them personally in the real world to break bread one of these days). In the first case, I have Mijune, Sherman, Anita, Jessica, Kathy, et al. In the second case, shokutsu (update) all members of the Foodosophy team and Chris. (Just in case: this is not inclusive list but the first names that came to my mind). To me having thousands of unknown (or known only by reputation) people in your Facebook friend list or people following you in Twitter at times is akin to the concept of miles wide but barely inches deep. (Or to quote that episode of South Park “Friends shouldn’t be some kind of… commodity for a person’s status!“).
Don’t get me wrong, I have met people on the initial basis of meeting them on-line, though this tend to be more an exception rather than a general rule. For example, I have met frequent reader and commenter Holly, as well as fellow bloggers Erin, Karl, Elaine, Eudora and Shirley. (Oh, none of them even via Facebook/Twitter but from here).
And, just in case to show you that it is not personal, I don’t have even that many schoolmates in my Facebook page. If I wanted to, I can easily ditch 2/3 of my current list (added long time ago when I first started using it) and keep only a handful. That won’t make any difference to me. Come to think about it, let me do it *now*…
Of course, some fellow bloggers had a FB page long time ago and then starting blogging (Sherman seems to be such case), while some of other bloggers just started it or have it for business purposes. Regardless of how it came out to its existence, what works for them does not necessarily work for me (and the opposite is also true). I don’t care how your “restaurant” is working or how your farm is growing. I simply don’t care (so stop pestering me with those updates!). If I were to care, I would use a more personal electronic medium, like an email or, as requested by some, a Twitter direct message.
So, to the people who have been waiting for my status update in Facebook or have asked why I haven’t followed the trend of others to create a Facebook page, I apologize. It is not for me. If you want to know how I am doing or what I am doing, in general, this blog is my main medium, followed by (way far back) Twitter. And I thank you for checking both!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I know exactly where you’re coming from;
I didn’t actually set up my fb account until this year. We needed to utilize it for business. My classes never shut up about the utilization of social media in marketing and the managing of an online persona. If it wasn’t related to school, I still wouldn’t be touching it.
As for twitter, I haven’t quite made my way around to it yet ; D
However, it’s easy to see the benefits of having both if you’re trying to gather attention towards a certain product/service/(foodblog). And I’ve considered possibly doing that.
At the same time, like you said, it’s horribly impersonal, and puts a slimy business slant onto everything…
Phew. Am I ever happy not to have sent you an invite…..
Personally I might side with you on a local level of “friends”, however for me FB has brought back some incredible people from my heydays of travelling and working around the world. As an Expat that is worth it. Relationships with those have since moved to a more personable level. (Phone, meets, etc.)
Professionally though, I have to say it helped Victoria’s micro niche business incredibly to have a site on FB. The gluten free market she is in, is very hard to target with any form of mass media advertising, whereas FB lets her pinpoint people afflicted with Celiacs.
Hence the savings in advertising were substantial and well worth the efforts.
No Twitter for me (yet) and I can’t agree with Yen on the “slimy” aspect of staying in touch with prospects or existing clients via FB. If I do not post by Wednesday night what’s special at teh bakery for the weekend, my inbox gets overloaded with inquries from customers.
But then, Celiacs are a bit more frantic when it comes to a solid supply of good products.
In terms of “slimy..ness”. I should have probably clarified that it greatly depends on your intent of use. You use social media as a means of getting information to your customers as quickly as possible, because you care for them.
I guess a better way to phrase it would be that it -can- be horribly impersonal, which could cause a negative business slant.
Yen, it is a good thing that, at least, higher education institutions acknowledge it uses. And that is fine, which brings Peter’s point…
Peter, as you mentioned, using social media has provided ways for promoting your personal business, which, I believe is great. However, as I mentioned, that is not for me. While the blog earns revenue in the form of ads, it is not a business in the same sense as your bakery, which fills a niche market. Of course, in a funny note, since Kevin has mentioned I tend to complain about businesses and what not, I could start a Facebook page for people to vent about what has occurred in restaurants! (Of course, to balance things, also to provide kudos).
I value my privacy and have resisted joining either FB or twitter.
I have found that FB especially, can be used as a way to hurt people (slander, harassment, etc) and have not found any pressing need to add another invasive media tool into my life.
I hate Big Brother.
Again, this brings up the ol’ case of personal preference. Some people do, some people don’t. It’s all good. End of story…
After reading the post, I’m not surprised by the ‘sides’. And really, like Sherman said, ‘some people do, some people don’t’.
I hold mixed thoughts about the FaceBook world. As someone who’s had an account for what seems like forever, it now basically sits dormant. To relate on a personal level; after spending plenty of time away from Edmonton, I realized how ‘barely deep’ the connections were. People add you because they met you at a bar, you add coworkers of friends etc…the list grows. At one point, I was almost 500 friends in, and yet never found myself (or had others for that matter) engage in anything substantial. The random birthday wish and so on, just doesn’t cut it. So, I decided to erase every single person and see who would notice. Now, almost a year in, I think I sit around 16 friends..two of which I added. Goes to show you something..or atleast it did to me.
On the other side of things, I agree with H.Peter, in that many small niche markets can find a base of supporters in the vast world of social media. Celiacs (to use that example) can share ideas, discover new products, and in general eat a better life. Nothing wrong with that. Of course, like all good things, the opposite can be true and we are all well aware of how annoying that tele-marketer, internet spamming company can be.
One of my mains goals going forward, is to reconnect in the world. Build that depth, swim from the shallow end to the deep. And the best part, is that food is a fantastic medium of this. If I bake too much bread, it gives me a chance to stop and visit a friend, if I want to try a new place…you get the idea.
oh, facebook… how it annoys me. i don’t blame you one bit, i don’t understand why some people have 700 friends. i use it for school (group projects, mostly) but overall it’s very fake. what happened to meeting people in the real world?
FB. Shallow. Indeed. Fake to a degree. Valid points.
And yet, unfortunately when most of them meet in the real world? Guys especially, what do they talk about? Anything -ball (in Canada add Hockey). Not much more of a deeper end, is it ?
Although I do agree that facebook is not as good as meeting people in real life, but sometime that’s just not possible. The one thing I do love about facebook is being able to find your friends from way back in the days. I have found a few friends who I’ve met in Thailand, and even found one who is in Vancouver too. In this instance, facebook had actually helped in leading us to meet in person.
Twitter on the other hand, I have a account, but never used it. Just like Sherman said, it’s all about personal preference
You must log in to post a comment.