As I have previously written, I embrace technology as a means of learning and I am critical of Schools and Districts that appear fearful to embrace technology that has true potential to help students (and teachers) learn new things in deep meaningful ways. Blogs and Wiki’s, for example, are excellent resources for constructivist learning.
I follow internet trends carefully and I subscribe to several magazines that help me to learn about what’s new on the internet. I want to know about sites that have the potential to excite me and my students-places where we can compile rich information about the topics we explore. One magazine that I enjoy and read from cover to cover every month is WIRED. It is a quality publication with loads of information related to computing and technology but it also covers political ideas and trends beyond cyberspace. Last night, I read, with interest, an article about FACEBOOK. This is the second article I read in a month about the popular website. I was impressed by the story of how the 23 year old founder turned down 1 billion dollars (from Yahoo), tweaked the site, opened it to the world and generated millions of additional subscriptions. The value of the enterprise is estimated at 5 billion now. Wow. This seemed like something to check out. So, I decided I’d set some time aside to explore the site for it’s potential as a learning/networking tool.
Which brings me to now. I have spent the past 2 hours “exploring” the potential of this site. I ’signed up’, added some basics to my profile, added a network (local to me) and began looking around. I am now, quite literally, dumbstruck. What is the point of Facebook? I ask this question in all honesty (and with a little frustration having wasted valuable time exploring it). I am truly at a loss as to what the point is. My high school wasn’t listed, so there was no-one to “find”. And beyond finding people and maybe saying “hey, I knew you once, hope your life is going well….well, bye now”, I simply do not get it.
Has anyone used Facebook for any valuable purpose like learning or expanding one’s knowledge base? Any teachers use Facebook? Anyone interested in providing a thoughtful explanation as to what Facebook’s potential is?
Tags: Facebook, Friends, MySpace, Social Networking, Web2.0, Wired, Yahoo
No. I don’t get it either. I did the same thing. Even kept my account for a week to see if anything came to me that I wasn’t getting initially. It’s completely useless. The only point of it, AFAICT, is for people to show off how popular they are by how showing how many friends they have. That’s it. There is no other possible explanation for it.
After using it for a bit longer, I have to agree: what’s the point? I added a number of friends, played a few games like Scrabbulous, looked for people I wanted to connect with after losing touch, etc.
The point seems to be mostly public exhibition and rather meaningless self promotion. Nothing new. But the endless sending of gifts/widgets/etc. that do nothing more than require you to “install” another add on and then require you to “send” the same thing on to others…
So what?
I think the whole point is summed up by this: the other day I got a friend add request from someone I knew in high school. Someone who didn’t like me, and was quite aggressive about that point in our junior year, to the point of maliciously breaking up a very good friendship I had with someone for years. I haven’t talked to, seen or even thought of her for 19 years.
So what the heck is she doing adding me to her little list of friends?
It holds less meaning that collecting bubble gum wrappers. “Look at how many friends I have!” They may be people I don’t know or even don’t like, but I have a lot of ‘em!
Whatever.
I’m a geek. I like to gather information, waste time playing games online or on the Wii… but I have social skills and a life. If I want to interact with someone, I’ll invite them over for a drink or reach out and touch them by either knocking on the door or inviting them out into the real world.