Monday, November 08, 2010

Who are my friends?

Nowadays people who doesn’t know facebook might be considered as outdated, especially those who works in office or in front of computer most of the days.
Personally, I don’t think that they are outdated, because I still have many friends that are not active in internet, some even hardly ever touch internet.
On the other hand, they might have better lives, peaceful, rare and real. They make friends with real ‘touch’ (face to face, voice on the phone, or handwriting on the paper),
They do real thing (if they play fighting, it’s real punch, if they play game, it’s real game) and if they grow vegetable, we can actually cook and taste them.

Haven’t watched Social Network or what the movie called, but I do agree that networking bring another level in human life, although I might be one of the few who prefer real ‘touch’ but with networking, we can keep up-date with our friends, although not in so much personal level as it used to be. There are many advantages from internet, each comes with its own baggage, but consider that now we can again, keep in touch, make friends, discussing similar interest and gain knowledge, lots of knowledge.
As my good friend pointed out lately, there are many things we can learn from internet, and it’s actually indeed amazing. Show of hands from those who had learned a recipe from internet, read something useful about things you want to do, place you want to go, pets you want to keep, found something that you hardly know it exists, and just to fill up some spare time, reading something funny or something you like, the list goes on and on.

I haven’t reached Twitter level yet, it sounds like an interesting concept though. For facebook, it’s nice to see what’s up with friends, how are they, how they look like now, and whether they are the same persona after all those years I haven’t seen them. How they multiply and go on with life, I really think it’s nice.
But on the other hand, friends can get a bit tricky. Who are my friends? Is knowing someone for a while qualified as friends?

I do appreciate the concept that we can find new friends through facebooking. But most of the time, I don’t understand the friend requests. Someone can pop up from somewhere asking to be friend without something I can link too specifically. I simply don’t really want a total stranger to see what is happening in my life on personal basis. And if you genuine want to be friend, what is wrong with a start? Perhaps some effort to introduce, intention bla bla.. just like the old time concept, penpal. It would be nice to know someone bit by bit instead of pouring too much information by giving them access to your day to day life. I might be too outdated to want this, but yeah, I guess I need more than just to meet the eye to make friend. And that is not even ‘meet the eye’ ; p..

The funny ones are requests those who locked up everything in their profile and suppose that I can take a guess about who they are. I’m on the bandwagon and understand completely that people lock up their profile, me too. But if you try so hard to protect your identity, why ask random people to be your friend? One click away and they can see everything. Or they might be a ghostie, a term for fake id account to spy or gain information.
I’m sure most people have any kind of friend requests. But think about it, I want to be your friend. My online name is not even real. And that’s it. Take it or leave it. Of course I’ll leave it. Who knows you are a psychotic crazy person or worse, someone from work? ; p
This also apply from people with ‘open’ profile. Yes, they are outgoing and out to make friends. I do like the concept that “everyone is friend” or the kid’s style of friendship “friend is someone who meets your eye in the playground/who has the balloon, who run around, who wear funny costumes, well, there are many criteria for a kid to choose a friend, but it’s almost anyone who can talk or play with. I think it’s nice, in ideal world.
But in cyber or real world, exposing yourself to random strangers is never good.

Anyway, another more funny thing are those who tried to do something and it’s so awkward that it’s funny. So those friend requests came with messages like ‘Hi Aping..’ ‘Aping…’ ‘Hey Ping’
That’s it, that’s all. As if that explained more, but they gave me a chuckle nevertheless. I’d like to have new friends, perhaps someone I can click with, someone with something in common, or someone to brighten each other days, someone who has history in my life, someone who comes and drop along, or someone who make right genuine impression, but I don’t want to be just another count in your friend’s quantity without any actual personal relation. It’s pointless.

There was one winner of all though. So this guy send a request, ignore once. He sent a long message, asking how I am, telling story, which and which. At that time, I understood he got wrong person, so I pointed out to him. But he didn’t buy it, he kept insisting, reminding me of things I’m not familiar with, this and that event, who and who (it went on and on for few cycle of Q and A) until finally, one fine day, he accepted that he got the wrong person. But he still insists to be friend. Although he gave impression that he is friendly and fun, but I’d rather he finds his real Aping.

The latest one I got, is from someone with the same name, Aping, and he is a guy. What, there can’t be two Aping in facebook!
So no friend! Hahaha…