ThinkingSkull.com

I understand the need for social networking. I know what drives it. I’ve worked for companies instrumental in creating the thinking behind what makes it work. I also understand the desire to try and network everyone you know into one pipeline; otherwise, I wouldn’t have to use Meebo.com to coordinate IMs over six messaging networks and port my blogs onto both Live Journal and Blogger so people I know who never look anyplace else don’t have to look very far. If I can’t get them to all join me, I’ll use whatever is out there to join all of them (even if I have to use a “social network aggregator” to do it).

Then… there’s Facebook. Words I’d use to describe it include restrictive, confining, and pointless. It’s the new America Online (the old AOL where you either were or weren’t a member). In fact, it’s worse. Anonymity is discouraged in a network that mines your data (aka “targeted adversing”) and insists that you spend hours or days trying to accurately index how you know each and every person. It’s like your own, personal “Six Degrees of Separation,” so maybe the goal is to make Kevin Bacon your friend so that you technically know everybody.

Actually, AOL at least had its benefits when it was a closed network. Exclusive content, specials, premieres, and chat areas. Not that I’m a MySpace apologist, but the pure flexibility resulting in the perceived ugliness that constitutes the bulk of those pages is somehow freeing, although I understand MySpace is now buying and selling people through their virtual slave trade. Does anyone else notice that “social networks” have become so socially boring (read: pointless) that they have to invent “apps” to give members something to occupy their time with and create fake interaction? It used to be “Thanks for the Add! Your ears are now hanging on my wall as part of my collection of organic once-living memorabilia!” Now it’s attack your buddy, rate their hotness, and sell me your women (how much for the leetle girl, eh?)

Here’s an idea. Start a blog (they’re free pretty much everywhere), then tell me about it. I’ll add you to my aggregator using your RSS feed (yep, you’ll have one). Now, if you have anything to say, I’ll know about it. If it’s more important or urgent than that, email me. Or IM me. Heck, you could even pick up the phone. But please, for love of all that’s holy and for fear of your own mortality, I don’t want play “war,” buy or sell your tainted soul, or assign a number to your picture that distinguishes your worth among the masses based solely upon whether or not you were having a good hair day the last time you renewed your driver’s license.