Friends face…

Because I’m ill I have time to kill. I can’t go to work, I can’t watch TV, I can’t even play games on my PSP. All I can do is watch the ceiling and think about things I otherwise never think about. To hell with it. Take a cup of tea with two aspirins for my headache and turn on my sisters laptop (so pretty – laptop, not my sister:-) ).

I could easily survive without TV, without sun light and vitamins, but I woul’d survive a day without internet. Why? Because I am addicted, because I feel like I’m on a deseted island. There are mails from my friends, mails from people who owe me money (yes, Ebay could be tricky), mails from work… And there is Facebook - a place for friends (ok, the slogan belongs to Myspace, I know). It’s funny, that I signed in to Facebook only a couple of weeks ago, not earlier, although I proudly present myself as a social networking techno geek.

Facebook is a tipical social networking platform – founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. It was first meant only for students in the US, than opened for students across the globe and now, Facebook is inviting everyone. The main purpose is connecting with friends in your trusted network. You can share photos, videos, documents, intimate thoughts, whatever. It’s fierce rival is Myspace, but I think they differ in many ways. But I’m not going to talk about pros and cons of Facebook – perhaps some other time, without the headache. If you are interested in debates about Facebook vs. Mysapce you could try here:

- MySpace v. Facebook: “It’s not a decision, it’s an IQ test” by Michael Arrington

- “Facebook Hammers Myspace on almost all key feature” by Ben Gold

What I would like to point out, is the fact, that more and more I think that applications like Facebook are those who help me maintaining realtions with my friends. I even dare to say, that it has come to the point that those friends who are online are better friends or different said; closer friends. Because I’m always busy, I can’t stay in touch with everyone, and that’s a shame, because I don’t want to lose my friends, BUT, with just one click in Facebook I can make the difference. I can for example superpoke all the friends in my network. That means I haven’t forgoten them, that means they mean something to me. It’s much easier to interact through Facebook, than inviting everyone to a drink. But is it the same? Is it really the same, if I send Boštjan an “interactive” beer or if I invite him on a genuine Zlatorog beer?

Social networking platforms like Facebook and Myspace are a great way to interact with friends and they say, that they should strenghten realtionships between friends. But is it so?

Yes, I know, I’m annoying with moral questions, but recently I’m thinking a lot about friends, because friends are the best thing you have in life, they are sometimes even more important than family. And that’s why I’m asking myself if it is the same if I interact with them through Facebook. Yes, it’s better than forget about them, but what about those friends that don’t use internet that often.

Because of my headache, I must end my philosophical thinking… Perhaps it’s better so, perhaps I’ll even delete this post tomorow. But that were the toughts running through my aching head. Your thoughts, arguments and anything else about my moralization are of course welcome.