You are what you tweet!

I am the epitome of a reformed anti-networking, non blogging, google hating twenty something. Clinging to my literary nature, I stood firmly defiant to the dawn of the Internet era, as it latched onto my generation at the tail end of our youths. My children, on the other hand, know no other way to define mystery words outside the world of Wikepedia and Bing search engines. Speaking solely for myself, well...here I am...a daily blogger. Almost with a severe urgency to talk to, well...mainly me at this point in my green blogging career. Nonetheless, I have built a relationship, a love affair of sorts, with my networking capabilities. I am somewhere in the great continuum of fiber optic and high speed connections, not quite Twittering, venturing into the blogs of others, but an avid Facebook guru.

Although, not yet finding it necessary to let my friends and family know what exactly I am doing on a moment to moment basis, I have found it very beneficial, amusing at times, to peer onto the wall of those in my box of somebodies'. I find it ingenious, that by one small blurb, I can evoke emotion and support, sometimes anger and contest, from those who are called my "friends". These are the people that made a conscious decision to let me in on their daily buzz, as I mutually agreed for them to browse my photo albums and join my cause. So what if I have 79 more friends than Bil...it's not a competition, but a superb idea of networking! I feel connected and involved...oh and I never miss a birthday. I get to be so much cooler online! YAY...

But not all of our fellow facebookians make that vital connection between the Internet and the real world. Contrary to popular belief, there is a continuous imprint of everything you do on the Internet. Someone is always watching the goings on of the cyber world, and they carefully monitor and elicit needed information. Not to be limited to "big brother", spectators could be anyone of interest... your employer, your school, your parents, an uninvited admirer, your ex wife's lawyer. Hello! It's public information people. If you write it...and you post it...you own it. It's all fun and networking until you throw out a racial slur, evoke a threat against others, or your teenage daughter gets knocked up. Freedom of speech, yes, but read the fine print prior to checking the "I agree to the terms and conditions" box. One of which points out that what you say here, doesn't stay here! Oh! and one of your grand dad's photos you uploaded...yah, that is fair game to be cropped and used to illustrate the ad at the left side of your screen, on how to turn your profile picture into a farm animal. What? Seriously? I signed up for this?

More importantly, what you say, how you relate and react to others...it all speaks in volumes of your character as a human being. If you incite violence, or pose threats...I can safely assume there are some underlying anger issues. Fairly enough, I will have to spend some time with your FB profile prior to letting you spend the evening with my daughter. If you throw out a string of hatred driven "what I am doing's"...not so sure you should be holding a position to pass judgement on others. And if you have that much free time at work to mobile facebook me, make sure the passengers are not aware of your inattention to the rail your driving. Clearly, the time lines will match up showing your final score on BeJewelled,moments before you derailed and killed a of couple of people. Sort of defenseless at this point...but, hey...thanks for Tweeting or I may have missed you on the six o'clock news! Not limited to employers, but admissions experts and psychologists as well, browsing their interest's facebook page to get a more intimate look at who they are letting into their offices as a prospected client. Don't be naive to ignore the obvious. If people with good intentions are peeking in on you...you can bet the farm that those who have other intentions are watching you closely as well.

It could very well come back to clamp it's unerasable jaw down on your credibility...maybe something like karma's dysfunctional cousin from your step father's side. You could lose your scholarship, your dignity, your cushy lifestyle arrangements, even break the law... all in the time it takes you to spout off to let anyone willing to listen see the intimate details that are... well...you. Facebook let's it all come out! I get to show you all what Michael Jackson song I would be, the Harry Potter character I should have been, and what Transformer I could spontaneously morph into. You can all take quizzes to see how well you know me as I tend to my farm of digitally enhanced animals. I can send gifts without going for postage, and throw food at you...no seriously...what is up with that? I can let everyone know just how neat I am.

Don't misconstrue...I am not a hater. I love the great FB for very specific reasons. Like many before me, the extremely well liked natives to facebook with 357 friends, I have the opportunity to find people where I lost them, and never let go of those that I've grown accustomed to. It does offer others the opportunity to know me, and see me, which helps my accountability on a deeper level. This connection also does for me, what I've needed...that genuine sense of caring for others...that taking me out of me. I find more reasons to pray for people, and kinder ways to connect with strangers. I can do that there, and it is wonderful. I am just thankful, for today, that I know how to work my security settings, keeping out the riffraff. More importantly, I am thankful that I think before I tweet.