Snob.

Dilemma at hand.
I was never a facebooker or a myspacer, and truth be told...I still am not a big fan. I see value in LinkedIn in that it is for the most part functional in terms of business connections and the personal/political/opinion/silly-crap stays out of it. I like that.

HOWEVER, I did create a facebook page at the urging of my family members and a few friends. For years it sat there unchecked and then I started about 5 months ago paying attention to it.

What I enjoy is the general monitoring of the younger family members because I get a kick out of remembering what "those days" were like and find it fascinating how different their lives are now with facebook, text messaging,etc...the days of passing notes in class are over.

I also enjoy the daily updates from my dearest friends and family. A quick blurb from them can make my day (if it's a happy blurb) or even throw me into friend-role to help someone out. That is wonderful and a human connection that would be hard to have otherwise given the normal schedule of my life.

What I don't like...are the random friend connections from people, who for the most part...I had not connected to anyway for a reason. This presents a dilemma for me:
Do I want them to read what my friends/family are up to?
Do I want to read what they are up to?
Am I interested in engaging in non-like minded chatter?

It has even occurred to me that I find some of these "random friends from the past" embarrassing. They just aren't of the same political and religious beliefs as I am or my current social circle is.

Okay, okay...I know. It is good to have a balanced group. Makes you think..blablabla. But my feeling is that I get that "balance" by being around most of the people I work with and see around town. I am pretty maxed out on that way of thinking. I need balance in the other direction.

So, I started removing the "random friends from the past" from my facebook. I guess I must have decided facebook is important to me. That is not to say that all of those removed are people I don't want to be friends with or keep in touch with...but what I am trying to promote is a nice sanctuary for me. A place that I can check throughout the day and find inspiration, connections to people, and NOT silliness and I do NOT want to have to apologize for any ignorant comments made by anyone NOR to I want to feel compelled to respond. I have a forum for that...and that is most of my life.

Rant complete. Anyway, thoughts?