Let’s get socially networked

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

Facebook and MySpace are the two top social networking sites. Personally, I like Facebook more than MySpace because it’s easier for me to use. MySpace tends to have more obvious advertising that gets in the way…but look who’s talking. I have ads on all my blogs. Still, Facebook seems more organized and eye-friendly than MySpace. I’ve done previous articles on Facebook and believe that, from my research, both sites try to protect minors from predators.

Tonight I was adding my camera to sell Ebay and found out that I was also able to add it to Facebook through Ebay, which is very cool since I have quite a few fellow photographers as friends.

While I don’t check my Facebook or MySpace accounts all that often, I do check them. Sometimes I even try to search for people I know, people I’ve met in the past or classmates from eon’s ago. I used to have a paid account with Classmates.com and am a non-paying subscriber to Reunion.com but they aren’t as entertaining as Facebook or MySpace. Even when you pay for their subsciptions to Classmates.com or Reunion.com, you don’t get to interact with people or friends like to you do on the other social networks ~ for free.

So, my question is: Why aren’t more baby-boomer classmates on these social networking sites? Both Facebook and MySpace are fairly easy to use but you have to take the time to learn them, which for some of us, is in short supply. So, my answer to this is to ask one of your kids, nephews or a teenager to set your account up for you. They’ll have a blast and get it all taken care of. Then, all you have to do is invite a few friends and…voila! You have a social networking page. Just for the record, to date (kow), I’ve not received one piece of spam, porn or been asked to add someone I don’t want to add.

Many of us baby-boomers that graduated from high school and college eon’s ago are so busy with our lives it’s often difficult to find the time to do the social networking our kids or grandkids are so into. Still, I’m thinking that if someone was my friend in high school, chances are they’d be an even better friend today. We all have great life-experiences that have enriched each of us. So, if you’re reading this and don’t have a Facebook or MySpace account…get one and link me in. I’m always happy to have new and renewed friends.

~ Diana

Posted in Entertainment, My five-cents | No Comments »

How can anyone say, “I hate Ed Hightower”?

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

This is the caption of a Facebook application. Who is Ed Hightower? He is a man that I have a lot of respect for, always have and always will. Unlike those that post such negative information about someone they’ve never met. I have actually met Ed and had conversations with him. I haven’t talked to him in a long time but we went to high school and college together.

In school Ed was a stand-up guy. He was respectful, kind and worked hard at his studies (what we called schoolwork back then). I can’t imagine that the NCAA would have given this man such a prestigious position as a referee for the Final Four if he weren’t all that he is supposed to be in his position.

During the last game I was listening to the sports commentators talk about Ed Hightower and what a benefit to the game of college basketball he is. I agree.

The purpose of this isn’t to bash the bashers but to ask them the last time they ref’d a game next to him? When was the last time they had a conversation with him? Do they have the education and background Ed Hightower has? Exactly, what is it that these bashers dislike about a hard working man that has devoted his life to the the education of young people, his family and the game of basketball. I’m sure jealousy is in there some place but not sure where. I’m sure that shallow thinking is also a part of their thought process…or lack there of.

All in all, how can anyone on this planet ever hate someone they’ve never met, never talked with and never even occupied the same space they do?  We can dislik the actions of some. We can strongly disliked what people have said but hate…hate is such a strong emotion and borders with the other emotion of love. I’m all in favor of using all the energy in the world for love but why use that much energy on a person you’ve never met. Fine, dislike a call a referee has made. Fine, dislike something someone has said. But please, don’t advertise your ignorance by hating someone you’ve never met.

Ed Hightower is a good person that has done nothing but make this world a better place just for being a part of it and I am a better person for knowing him.  Diana

Posted in Current Events | No Comments »