Way more than 23

I like blogging, and I know it's been a while since I wrote on here, but I only just realised I don't need to stop just because I finished the 23 things program. There's lots of things I've done since and lots still coming out in Web 2.0.

Social Networking. I really didn't want to do this at first, seems so 'vanity', but I've finally decided it doesn't have to be. I got onto Ning and created a small social networking site for my very distant cousins, all descendents of Henry and Susannah Kable. It's rather quiet, but it is a space where people doing research and having difficulties can find info or ask questions. There will be a flurry of activity and then it'll go quiet for a while. Some find it a problem that it's so quiet, but it doesn't worry me, I think a social network will develop according to how people use it and if the people using it are not the sort who like to chat in public (forums) then it will be a quiet network. I just find it amazing that I could create a space for them and 80 cousins joined up!

I eventually got a Facebook page. Not very fussed with it. I know some people really get into it, but I don't make 'friends' with people I don't know so I think I only have 8. For me it's a place I can chat with my niece sometimes. She's generally the only one who is ever online at the same time as me.

I joined up with Friends because I found an old friend of mine on there, and eventually found another one, but that's all. The interesting thing about that experiment was that I realised my memory of high school and the 'gang' I used to hang with wasn't remembered the same as the other two I found. I remember us as a mini gang of odd ones out - me, the smallest one in the school, the allergic one, the discontented fat girl and the two Italian sisters. We use to lunch together away from the rest of the kids most days. Some of us did other things on some days. I think I'm the only one who remembers everyone. I haven't found the sisters so I'm not sure what they remember. All four of them were so important to me. They were the only ones I could hang with comfortably at a very difficult time of my life. After being very surprised I'm just philosophical about it now - memory is a strange thing, especially when involving a bunch of 12 - 13 year old girls who are all going through difficult times!

So for me, social networking has it's uses and disappointments, and quite possibly it's a generational thing.