Friday, June 13, 2008

Networking Sites

I clicked on to join one last night.

I was being nice, I know the person, and I thought, "Oh, what can it hurt?". Somewhere, in the depths of the internet world, Bob in New Delhi, Chuck in Los Angeles, Larry in Bogue Chitto (that's in Mississippi) and Maurice in Cannes went to work, digging into my address book, ignoring the very defined DO NOT ACCESS MY ADDRESS BOOK, and they did just that, sending out an email to every single person I've ever emailed... including some craigslist apartment listings I'd contacted at some point.

Not once. Not twice, but, 47 times. How do I know this? They even sent me an invite, 47 times. Yes, Bob, Chuck, Larry and Maurice (whom I feel run the world via their comfortable armchairs in their various caves and internet connections) took over my little gmail account, and went bonkers.

So, the few friends I had went, "WTF? Do I want to know some woman who is so pathetic she is sending out invites 47 times, begging me to join her on an networking site out of Fargo? I don't think so."

Even I turned myself down.

What is it, that when we get one of these invitations, we feel we have to say "YES! YES, I will be your friend on a site I will never use, in order for you to have a gazillion friends, even though we never speak, nor email nor have we met." Why is it that there is a guilt attached to saying no. I have a Facebook account, that I rarely attend to, because, well, for one, I'm not sure what it's all about, and I never get around to sending the things other people send me.. not because I don't want to.. I just don't do it. I am also bad about sending birthday cards, and the FMDkids Easter baskets are still sitting here (the Easter Bunny didn't leave Dove chocolate bunnies this year, kids... go figure). I'm signed up for a plethora of other sites, that I used a junk email account for... and when I pull up that account, I find pages of emails notifying me people I don't know want to be my friend.

Why?

I'm not that exciting, to be honest. And, well, I'm not social enough to investigate you.... I'm not good at social.

One good thing, I'm having some lovely emails with those in my address book, since I sent one out apologising for the invite to this networking site.

Now, if Bob and Chuck and Larry and Maurice would just leave me alone, I'd be happy.



Very happy indeed.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where are the keys to the house? I need to put my car in the garage so it doesn't get stolen.

Anonymous said...

ROFL!

Moving on, have you changed the password to your Gmail account?

quin browne said...

*sigh*

this blog is interrupted by a brief family issue


son, there is no room in my attached storage facility you laughingly call a 'garage' even my precious norma (a car they'd steal before they stole yours) is outside.

put your car in the area behind the fence next to the house.


solomon~yes, I have.

we now return to my post of the day

Anonymous said...

When I got your invite to join a thingy in India, I let it sit there and never did click on it to download the software to set it up. I don't know why I didn't, because I trust you. But, I didn't. And then I receive your next email today, advising....... Hmmm. Good thing I listened to the little voice inside, huh? Hey, I'm on FaceBook, too...

Anonymous said...

I only got it once, not 47 times! That's crazy! Your apology email was lovely though :)

austere said...

Eh.
:)

the Constantly Dramatic One said...

Yeah, I'm with TwentySomething there. I only got it twice, but to both my hotmail and gmail ones. Good thing I didn't accept the invi.

I'm already waaay too comfortable stalking people on Facebook....uhhh I mean....meeting new friends on Facebook =D

quin browne said...

well, sometimes, i tend to exaggerate... a bit.


*cough*


i'm glad you are making those new um, friends, cd.

currently, i have 539 requests for things on my facebook account, and no idea what do to with them... it's like my old answering machine...blinking. blinking.blinking.

Writeprocrastinator said...

Virus-wielding bastards...

quin browne said...

i know! if they'd only put that knowledge to good use, like... how to not have your eyes droop and stuff.