BISKOOT

(Note: Although I mention Facebook in this post, the ideas apply to the social networking concept in general. Facebook is the only social networking site I’ve really used, so my perceptions are based on it)

After giving in to curiosity and joining facebook a few months ago, I am now considering deleting my account, lock, stock and barrel.

Here’s Why:

Information Overload from Status Feeds
This is the biggest reason. Although at first the concept of “status feeds” sounded intelligent, it quickly became a royal pain. If someone I know gets married or has a baby, sure I’d like to know about it. But if I am bored, dreading Monday, excited about Friday, looking forward to this/that, hated a book/movie, I wouldn’t always broadcast it to everyone I know. Think about it – without an online medium, no one would ever do this. I don’t think the human mind is designed to absorb this bombardment of “status feeds” and in the long run I suspect it is not healthy.

Past is different from Present
Running into a friend or acquaintance from your past is usually refreshing. But the point is, running into people from your past is very different from “getting back in touch” with them. Getting back in touch means I am pulling that person out from my past and into the present. Usually I would do this when there is a very good reason (for both of us) to get back in touch. But I don’t think “getting back in touch” with all your classmates from all the schools you attended is such a good idea.

Again, I think this is not healthy. People from your past should stay in your past, unless there is a good reason to bring them back to the present. It is better to focus your energies in your present set of relationships.

App-Spam
I think the concept of Facebook Apps is, to put it mildly, CRAP. Most of these so-called apps do nothing more than generating spam (and making your otherwise well-meaning friends look like spammers)

So, I am giving up on this Online Social Networking hype and going back to the good old social networking over coffee, dinner and morning walks.

By the way, the social networking hype seems to share a lot of characteristics with the dot-com hype of the 90’s. Too much hype, low on substance. My prediction is that sundry social networking sites like Facebook will die a slow death, while specialized/focused platform providers like LinkedIn will survive.