<p>I’d say it’s the present more than the future. These on-line things move and evolve so fast that I see no reason to think that Facebook will last all that much longer than any of the others. Look at how the on-line communication among youg people has evolved in the last decade:</p>
<p>E-mail –> Instant Messaging –> Blogging –> My Space —> FaceBook —> Texting —> Tweeting.</p>
<p>Do your kids still instant message any more? Mine don’t. Five years ago it was all the rage; now it’s practically gone. Five years from now Facebook’s run may well be over too.</p>
<p>WildChild and his friends are big on Blackberry messenger. He tends to communicate with me that way, too. He also still does AIM messenging which he can do from his Blackberry or computer. My daughter does not do instant messenging anymore, but I think the college crowd does a lot of facebook messenging.</p>
<p>my son texts…constantly…but then again, it’s because his GF a HUGE texter. I can’t wait to see the impact when he starts paying for his own cell phone service. </p>
<p>Anyway, I am slowly getting used to Facebook. I browse for a couple of minutes each day, mostly to see pics of kids of family members and friends. I haven’t invited folks…just respond to invites that are appropriate. I send out bday greetings and sometimes post a few small things. I spend enough time on CC - don’t want to add to my cyber time! </p>
<p>Interesting…I had one friend confront me recently about why I don’t comment on her posts. She feels bad cause she posts and gets no comments. Are you kidding me? I can’t imagine commenting on everyone’s posts. </p>
<p>So, I often wonder if it’s worth it. Back in the day, these family and friends would email me pics cause they knew I wasn’t on facebook. It seemed so much easier…and it would usually prompt personal communications back and forth that just don’t happen on facebook. So now, I’m just a lurker, or I post come useless comment like “Very cute!”. Oh well…</p>
<p>It could be possible that they have a special type of software that allows them to view it. If law enforcement can get a hold of anything on the Internet, I’m guessing other people can too if they know how.</p>
<p>There is a long, long list in a Settings page where you can tell them who every module of information gets shared with (Friends, F of F, Networks, Everyone) - I would go through that very carefully and resist the urge to avert your eyes when looking at the daunting size of the page and options. </p>
<p>People (potential employers, headhunters, ex-es, enemies) who want to find information on you can be very enterprising - go through city Networks, get a friend of theirs to friend you- everything you do to resist them, up to saying no work contacts on FB, makes it harder for them.</p>
<p>Even if you set your privacy settings to friends only, a friend may still share info with others by showing them your info in person. Today’s friend may not be tomorrow’s friend. Today’s friend’s friend may be tomorrow’s hiring executive.</p>
<p>What I meant by that is that “online things” are the future. It’s a shift in culture, much more rapidly and completely than the ones brought about by radio or even television.</p>
<p>I’m willing to take the risk that someone will try to look at my profile. Hopefully they don’t choose not to hire me because I have “learning to be a dark jedi” and “time travel” among my interests. They’re missing out if they can’t handle a little irreverence.</p>
<p>I have my settings restricted to only friends. So if I post on someone’s FB, other users who are not my friends will only see “facebook user” and not my real name. My daughter has her FB setting to friends of friends, but does not allow anyone to post to her Wall.
A friend of my daughter’s setting is so restricted that you cannot even find her name on FB, my daughter showed me her FB and her mother may not be so happy with her FB settings and pictures.</p>