Learning To Use “Facebook”

First of all, if you don’t know what Facebook is, it is a popular social networking site that gives people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends and upload an unlimited number of photos, share links, videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

It’s becoming more and more important for us “older” people to understand new technologies like Facebook and social networking. If you’re clueless about technology, you will be lost in just a general conversation a fifth grader may be having with his buddies. Believe me, I know. I work in a school district, and those kids know what they are doing when it comes to a computer and social networking.

I often hear my students throw the words, RSS Feed, My Space, Facebook, Dig, and they “tag” to each other. I just listen to them and feel real OLD, because for the most part, I have no clue what they are talking about. To me, it is like a Morse Code they use to keep the enemies out of their worlds; which by the way is us adults! They carry IPODs with them and watch TV shows, listen to their music, and they even have pictures they uploaded on them for all to see. Yes, my daughter gave me an IPOD for Christmas, but she uploads all my music on it, because I have no clue how to do it. When I ask the students about their little devices they so firmly hold in their hands, they just tell me I needed to “get with it” and snicker at me, shaking their heads.

So, where am I going with this? Well, it happened one day. I was invited to join Facebook by a friend.  Now, after dealing with months of peer pressure, I finally decided to sign up and see what this whole Facebook thing was, and join into the more “techier” world.

Well, I joined, and that was easy enough, but the first thing I seen on my friends “Facebook” site was she had a “wall.”  This wall was for her friends to write message to her on. After looking around some more, I seen I had my own   “wall” to be written on, too!

As soon as I distinguished this, the first thing that came to my mind was that writing on walls is sort of a graffiti thing gangs do on buildings or trains, isn’t it? Also, my mom always told me never to write on walls, and now I need to, in order to communicate with my friends?

But, after looking around some, I seen that was just about the only way to send her a message, and all her other friends were writing on her wall, and it was the norm thing to do. So, taking a deep breath, I put a “hello there” message on my friends “wall” and I felt kind of naughty doing it, too; if only my mother knew I was writing on someone’s wall!  But, I got over it, and started to search around her site some more and took a look around.

Wow! She sure has a lot of friends. Lots! I feel kind of inferior to her with all the friends she has. I don’t have that many friends outside the Facebook walls!

Now, feeling pretty friendless, I started to read other people messages to my friend on her “well written on” walls. The messages all seemed really short and I hate to say it, but dull. That made me feel better; I might not have as many friends as she has, but at least my friends are not so humdrum!

Well, if someone can post they drank coffee in the morning, I can certainly surpass that! Then I seen I didn’t have a picture for my “profile” and EVERYONE else who sent my friend had a picture for their profile, so I thought I better get one so she knows who wrote on her wall.

After looking for 20 minutes through my pictures I had on my computer, I decided to use a cartoon looking one I had found on another site that actually looked like me; in a cute, cartoon way.  After uploading my profile picture, I started to feel more Facebook worthy, and now I had a picture of my profile, I could write on my friend’s wall.   

Once I started to write a message; I had a lot to say to my friend about this whole “Facebook” thing; and how lost I felt about using it. That’s when I found out I couldn’t send long messages, only a few lines at a time. Gee, I could only write short messages on these walls? Well, for heaven sakes, why would they do that? If you are going to be allowed to write on someone’s wall, why can’t they make it so you can at least write a substantial message?

I had my mind made up right then and there, this “Facebook” thing wasn’t going to be for me. Yet, not quite ready to give up, I shorten my message up in a shorthand way, and sent it to my friend’s wall. Pressing, “Enter”, I held my breath. There, it was sent! Now, I am an official Facebook, techy person, which writes on other people’s walls, and has a cartoon “Facebook” worthy picture of herself for a profile, for all my friend’s humdrum friends to see. Does that make sense? If it does, you’re doing better than me!

Next, I looked for a blog to write on or something else where I could send my friend a message that was a little longer than a few lines. After clicking on this and that, I couldn’t find any blog or page to send her a longer message on.  In order to send my friend a long message, I would have to send her an email, which I could do right there on her site. Well, I did that before I was on Facebook! So what is so special about writing on a wall? I knew there had to be more than this for everyone was doing it.

Going back to my friend’s page, I noticed that now everyone could read what I had written on my friend’s wall. Yes, it was public! Everyone was going to see who had written that message on her wall, which said I was totally lost at this Facebook thing! I felt kind of stupid, and naughty, and a feeling that said, “big brother is watching you”, all at the same time. Gee, it was a good thing I didn’t write anything bad!

After that, I decided that was enough for one day. This all took me hours to do, and I really didn’t have the time. So, I got off the site and decided to wait for the next day and hope my friend will write on my wall and explain a few things to me about all this.

Well, before even having my first cup of coffee the next morning, I booted up my computer to see if my friend had written on my wall. Yep, there she was, on my wall! I now had a couple messages on my wall. Yippy! I am doing it!

That kind of gave me a smile and a jump start.  But wait, what is this? My friend had sent me a tree?  Yep, on the right hand side of my page, right on top, there sat a nice green tree. Not only a tree, but and a “hug”, too! Under the tree it said I needed to harvest my tree! What the heck was I going to do with a tree? I had no idea why my friend would want to send me a tree to harvest. How was I to harvest it or where was I supposed to put this tree once I harvest it?

Deciding it was safer to leave the tree and not kill it; from the lack of not being able to plant it somewhere. I wanted to forget the tree, but send my friend a “hug” back. If she can send hugs, I should be able too! But, where are the hugs? Finally, after much searching, I found that if I clicked on the hug she sent me, it went to a page where I could pick out a hug to send my friend one too! Oh, there we are! Okay, I will just do that! Maybe that will make her feel better for not harvesting her tree she sent me.

Looking at all the hugs, I wondered which hug to give her. Gee, there are way too many of them! How does a person pick? Shrugging my shoulders, I just looked for a pretty one, and clicked on it. Oh, no! I see it takes points! I don’t think I have any of those. How do you get points? Gosh, I hope I don’t have to pay for them! Looking further down, I seen I could have sent her some hugs that were FREE! Darn! I didn’t see that. I better see if I can take that expensive hug back and give her a free one. I managed to delete the expensive hug, but couldn’t make the free hugs work, so I just decided to not give my friend a hug after all. Besides, my family was starting to ask what was for dinner. Was I on THAT long?

The next day I decided when I got home I couldn’t wait to see if my friend wrote on my wall and answered my question about this tree she sent me and how am I to harvest it. I hate to see any tree die from the lack of me not taking care of it, especially if it is from my friend! I wouldn’t be happy if a friend did that to me, much less not even able to give her a hug back; because of the lack of points that I didn’t know how to get. Are you still with me?

I went pass the family and straight for my computer to booted it up. Gee, this Facebook thing is actually getting to be time consuming. Yes!  My friend sent me another message on my wall telling me I better harvest my trees or they would die!  Looking over to where that tree and hug was she sent me that last time, I seen not only the tree and hug still there, but now I had about 7 more trees, and now I had a Holstein COW standing there, too!!!

What!? How am I to take care of a cow, if I can’t even harvest her tree? I am guessing that is what she wants me to do with it. Right?  I will have to put it in a barn and feed the darn thing. Really, I don’t have time for this, my friend!  Maybe, I can find some hay on the page where they keep those hugs for points. Yes, maybe there will be some FREE hay, too. But where am I going to get the barn? I’m I going to need to milk this cow now and then?

Okay, FRIEND! I am having problems leaning how not to feel guilty for writing on someone’s walls, much less leaning how to harvest trees and take care of cows on here! I decided I had enough of my “friend” for one day. I shut the computer down, and went to bed. Besides, I was spending way too much time trying to figure out how to get around on this site; and do all these weird things like harvesting trees, when I should be making my family dinner and washing my clothes. However, as I tried to sleep that night, I thought about those darn trees and that poor cow, and how I had no shelter for or hay for it. I hate to see anything living die because of me.

First thing the next morning, before coffee or even getting dressed, I opened my Facebook site. Sure enough, there was my friend again. She had the gull to say good morning to me, after giving me a cow, all those trees to take care of!  She also explained to me that the trees and the cow were part of a game she plays on here called the “The Farm Game.”  She said she plays this game with all her friends on her Facebook!

Looking at the clock, I decided to write a VERY short message to her before going to work. I asked her to please stop sending me trees, and cows, that I didn’t have time to play the “farm game” and if I did, I wouldn’t know how to play; to just stop sending any for now! Then, I signed off and went to work; with a headache.

Later, I got home, booted the computer up before even looking at my mail on the table, and signed into my Facebook. There my friend posted a message on my wall, saying she would stop sending me anymore trees and cows. Thank goodness! But I still had the darn trees and the cow sitting there on my page and that really bugged me; I still felt unfeeling for not taking care of them. So, after playing around some, I found out I could click on them, and bring up a menu to “ignore them.” Good, out of sight, out of mind. I did just that, and they disappeared! 

Now, not feeling like a killer, I had time; and a clear mind, to go on with my research on how to work this site. Reading more messages, and Goggling the words, “What is Facebook?” I found it was a site where you should put up messages on your wall throughout the whole day on what you’re doing. This was to keep your friends more “connected” with you. Gee, isn’t that kind of invading someone’s privacy? Plus, my days are just humdrum, what would I put? Oh, that word, “humdrum” sounds familiar, doesn’t it? I guess I am just as humdrum as the rest of my friend friends. The light is starting to come on….

I sent another message on my friend’s wall; that I didn’t really know what I was doing and I was having a hard time learning how to work this program; and I didn’t know if this “Facebook” thing was for me. Well, I wasn’t going to get out of it that easily because she sent me a message back, asking me to please not to give up, but to just give it some time. After thinking about what she said, I thought, you know, she is right. I tell my students all the time not to just give up easily, but to keep trying. What kind of representation would I be to my students?

So, I could at least give it more time, and keep making an effort at it. Right? So, I went on trying to be a good Facebook Buddy, even if it felt like I was losing my pirvacy. I started posting what I was doing during the day, where I was going, what I was make for my meals, and what chores I did during the day, and my friend and I wished each other a good day every day. Soon, I was beginning to look forward to knowing what my friend was up to, and I bet she was looking forward to what I was up to, too. Plus, just the pleasant good wishes of bring in another day was a nice change and welcome for me.

Soon, after getting on my Facebook page each day; posting my boring days, and looking at all my friends boring days, I started to get it! I started to feel more “connected” to my friends, and I even found a couple of my other friends on there, too, and they too, joined my Facebook world. Even my daughter-in-law is now on my Facebook, with all my wonderful grandkids pictures posted up for me to see! I even had my sister’s join me on my Facebook because we do EVERYTHING together. And just the other day, I had my hairdresser join my Facebook, too. Isn’t that cool?

Now, after a few weeks of trying to learn Facebook, my walls are now covered with graffiti from my friends, and I don’t even mind, or feel guilty for writing on someone else’s walls. I post my daily “doings” a couple times a day, and a lot of my friends, do too. We all know who is doing what, and when their doing it, and with whom. We pass nice messages, wishing each other a good day, and even what we are eating for our meals. Pictures are passed on to each other; that we would normally never have seen with out Facebook, and recipes are exchanged with one another, along with some interesting links. I even found I could chat live with my friends on the site.

So, it took me a few weeks to “get with it” and I know I have a lot more to learn, too, but I am glad I did give it a chance, and didn’t give up. Like a lot of other things; it just takes time. The only drawback thing is, now my usual bedtime is two hours later than what it used to be. And, maybe, just maybe,I  will even be able to take care of trees and cows on my Facebook, too. In ending, I guess this old girl can still keep up with the times “somewhat.”   Now if I can only find out how to “Tag” someone!