Old friends - ohmyword.

[Bara]

My word. As many people know, I don't do Facebook, Twitter, etc. However, they do me. It's flattering - but odd.

When I was NINE, I went to boarding school with a Salvation Army lass called Amy. Her father was a 'major' or some such - they lived on a mission. This was back in Africa in the 60's. She taught me to play the tambourine!! (I don't expect she expected me to use it in a rock band...)

Long story short. I'm getting regular bulletins from Amy. How? I don't even have the maiden name I had when we were 9. But they find me.
Amy seems to be having more fun in later life ...

Any odd connections coming back to haunt YOU?

[Goalie]

yes a old friend from School who I wasn't really that good of friends with has found me on Facebook, so I am getting messages from them. then the weirdest is an old girlfriend of Mr. Goalie is asking to be my friend on facebook. I don't think so.

[ZenRider]

Bara are these people finding you through your company?

So far so good. Still have that MySpace everyone talked me into years ago, just before you all bailed to Facebook. Stop in every now and again to dust.

Though there are some I wouldn't mind reconnecting with, there are others I'm happy not to. I think some of the problem people have is not being able to spell my name correctly. Perhaps not a bad thing.

[Big Tee©]

I still haven't given in to the FB craze but it seems to be getting to the point that 'social media' is going to be the only way to get info.

[Big Tee©]

I still haven't given in to the FB craze but it seems to be getting to the point that 'social media' is going to be the only way to get info.

[Bara]

OH GAWD, Terrie! But now we know where to GET her. Does she know she's dealing with ERs and dragons?

Yvette - am I spelling your name correctly?

I just went back on Facebook and there's a message from the brother of a school friend, who fancied me when I was fourteen - at the school swimming pool. I remember her - I don't remember HIM.

I was gracious. I told him that I look 'just the same'! Anyone do Photoshop???

[ZenRider]

I don't like the tracking aspect that social media has become. Perhaps that was the intention, but it seemed a lot less so in the early MySpace days.
Guess I read too many Ray Bradbury and George Orwell books and movies.
Find it interesting that Big Brother didn't come in the authoritarian way we expected, but quietly and making it seem our choice to be monitored and our decisions influenced through advertising and such.

Eventually I'm sure I will be forced to get a smart phone, but am still quite happy with my old flip phone that's not-so-smart.

[Bara]

Have you seen 'The Hackers'? It's a BBC Documentary about the kids (and I mean kids) who hacked into the FBI, CIA, Scotland Yard and published their findings. One of them was 17-yr-old Jake Davis from Shetland. He's in prison.

[Truth]

I don't dp Facebook either. just can't get into that. HOWEVER, i've had a couple of friends track me down after MANY years. The first was a friend from grade school. we've been friends since 9. she tracked me down via the internet, which is how she got the address to MAIL (yep -- snail mail) me a letter. she found me on my employers' website and sent the letter to that address. we've renewed our friendship and stay in regular contact.

the second was a guy in my Peace Corps group. he too found me at that same website and emailed me at the general email address. i was retired by then, so they forwarded me the email. it was good catching up on what was going on with members of our group, BUT we've lost touch AGAIN. hope we can find each other again.

oh Zen......WAIT. was listening to public radio ( i'm an NPR junkie. yes, Bara, i listen to the BBC. it broadcasts here 11pm to 5am) and they had a show on discussing how companies want to track us visually. the computer can see what you're doing and put up things on the screen related to that. like drinking too much, put up ads on AA. having sex? ads for condoms or other contraceptives. THAT IS SCARY. they said it's not happening YET, BUT there is discussion.....AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!

[ZenRider]

Truth, they already do. Especially if you have Comcast/cable. If you do a search on something, you are then inundated with ads for similar items when you open future links. Often not really useful either. Can be fun sometimes to just do a search on nothing relevant to you to see what comes up on the ad strips like the one on top of ER. I do believe it also effects some of the commercials they play on the TV as well. BTW, when I look for something specific, I'm not going to settle for what the highest bidder paid to have their item come up on a search or ad instead of what I was actually looking for. Wonder if they understand, if it ain't what I'm looking for, I'm not going to buy it and I'm really picky about some things.

So far Truth, though I'm sure through money it will change, the government nixed Comcast's idea that was made public (quietly a several years ago) that they want to put something on their boxes that will identify, by size presumably, the age of who's watching so they can target more that person(s). I've really been thinking about seeing if I can get a TV to receive a signal with an antenna out here in the boonies.
One has to be naive in this day and age that you aren't being tracked. Though most of it is for marketing reasons, then government issues. Such as every time you make an internet order, use a credit card, etc.. For good or bad, it's almost unavoidable.

[Bara]

Big Brother is watching you ...