The first time I saw facebook was about a year before I began college. My brother was logged in, and I asked him how I could join.
He explained to me that facebook was open only to college students, and users had to have a university e-mail to sign-up.
I was distraught as I returned to my Xangas and Myspace for social networking indulgence.
It wasn’t until my freshman orientation in July of 2005 when I received my student e-mail and was opened to the world of facebook.
At the time the link was http://www.thefacebook.com, you could only have 1 picture, and there was no such thing as a marketplace or Mafia Wars. I sat at the computer console in the LSC for hours, and had almost 100 friends by the time I got up.
I was addicted.
My addiction carried into my first semester, and has lasted for the entirety of my collegiate career. My original 100 has become over 2000. I’ve orchestrated birthday parties, casual soires and even had my own fan club called “I Know Mr. Basker.”
Every time I sit down at any computer, no matter what the reason may be, my natural inclination is to type http://www.thefacebook.com. It takes a few minutes before I realize that I was supposed to be doing something productive.
However, recently my multitude of “facebooking” memories has been clouded by a myriad of developments to the site. This over development has caused a clash of conflicting interests, as my love for the facebook is met with a web site overload.
I had to wait almost a year until I got my student e-mail to join. It was like a secret society that I had been inducted too, but now it’s open to any adolescent with a Gmail.
Now I come home from church to find my father playing Farmville almost every night.
There was infamous layout change that caused for several anti-facebook groups. Then there was the time they locked me out of my account, and I wrote a column to start a revolution. Only one person responded, but I was still eventually allowed back on.
Sadly there are several other Facebook follies that have hurt my loving heart.
Because I believe in God and am single, there is never a lack of “Christian Single’s” advertisements on my facebook. I’m constantly asked if I want to meet beautiful Christian Asian women in the 77014 zip code.
Of course I want to meet beautiful Christian Asian women in the 77014 zip code! But why is facebook trying to help me?
I can do it myself, facebook!
Facebook is like a short man trying to compensate for a lack of height by buying a big truck and working out a lot. He tries so hard, but everyone still knows.
It was when I finally gave into my dad’s invitations to join Farmville that I knew that things could never be the same. I know Mark Zuckerberg has made a massive monetary empire, and I can’t be mad at him for it. I would have done it too.
But just know this Mark, you didn’t need the mini-feed, chat, or sync with twitter to get my loyalty. I would have wasted my hours even if there was no Honesty Box.
You had me at hello.