Connect with your friends via Facebook

A month or two ago I was exploring some web 2.0 technologies for work and came across one that has provided me with endless amounts of non-work related joy. And for me to devote home time to a social software site, it's got to be good (right?)

Facebook has exceeded my expectations as a networking tool because it's brought me closer to my friends, most of whom I haven't spoken with in years and live nowhere near me.

Let me step back a moment and describe Facebook. Basically, anyone can join. All you have do is create a profile and search for friends or join "networks" of users who share a common interest or background (i.e. high school, college). I am proud to say that I was an early adopter for once! When I created my profile only a few of my friends also had Facebook accounts. Now every time I log on I notice more users from my high school and college, and even former colleagues have joined Facebook.

I'll admit that I had a great high school experience (once I ditched the all-girls Catholic high school I attended as a freshman). Getting back in touch with my high school friends has been something of a spiritual experience for me. We're all now living in different parts of the world and without picking up the phone we can discover our favorite books, movies, music and causes through Facebook's many downloadable applications. So if you thought your high school and college classmates were the devil, perhaps you won't be so keen about Facebook.

Many of my professional friends also have Facebook profiles. It's been wonderful to connect with them online, too. The downside to this, of course, is that I am always asking myself if I should be exposing so much of my personal life to professional friends and/or potential future employers. It's a tough call to make but if someone is going to reject my application for employment based upon the fact that I happen to love R.E.M. or think Clerks is a funny movie, well then so be it.

Most of my friends who have Facebook profiles log on to their accounts on a regular basis. They post photos, write book reviews, join cool networks and download fun applications. I know this because Facebook updates me whenever I log in. If that's not acceptable to you, Facebook has a variety of settings so an individual user can limit access to her profile and/or provide detailed information about herself to the world.

Unlike MySpace, where ten seconds after creating a simple profile I received my first spam email, Facebook has managed to keep control over spammers (amen).

A good friend (who has a Facebook profile, of course) recently told me about an article that indicates the content in Facebook may one day be for sale to the highest bidder. While that makes me a little nervous, I am willing to keep logging on and enjoying this opportunity to connect with my friends. Heck, every time I use my credit card or visit Amazon.com my purchases (and my searches) are tracked. So what will make this potential data sale any different?

I highly encourage obtaining a Facebook account if you want to find out what's happening with your former classmates or colleagues. It's brought me a lot of joy and I think you'll feel the same way.