a whole new can of worms

[laurenthel]

I was thinking the other day that facebook needed an "acquaintance" action for when someone friends you and you want to acknowledge the fact that you know them and they are technically part of your social network, but without having their news posted all over your wall, or whatever the proper jargon is. Then I thought that they would also need a "

Comments

[vivonelcarmelo]

I have "hidden" just about all my cousins under the age of twenty because I can't stand the banality and the immaturity of their 6+ daily updates. Had I but known that friending them would mean being let in on their little dramas in a way they would never confide in me in real life! Just one of the ways in which Facebook seems like of the most artificial ways imaginable of communicating.

Not to mention all the ways Facebook complicates identity politics. This came up in lit theory class. :/

Lights flashing... that must have been some really juicy gossip. *eyeroll*

[laurenthel]

What is "identity politics"?

[vivonelcarmelo]

It's how people use self-narratives to raise consciousness or articulate the interests or perspectives of a certain group. The way in which people manipulate the "groups" on Facebook is an example.

[dtherese]

I have been told there are ways to put people in groups according to how much you want them to see - but I don't know how to do it. I totally agree about the acquaintance button though. There have been several people who friend requested me and I was like "well, okay, but we aren't friends - I just know who you are."

[ladybluestar]

Yeah, probably not.

Oh dear. I'm glad that nothing was wrong, but that certainly would be weird.