The internet

It's a funny thing, isn't it? Brilliant, but also really horrible.

A conversation in the pub with Marianthi last week got me thinking. She has never had a Facebook or a Myspace or anything like that, so doesn't miss it. I kind of envy her, as she's not obssessed about how many people are online, and where the fuck has that person gone, and why hasn't this person answered my email even though I can see them playing Farmville. She takes life as it comes, and that's nice.

My friend C has recently deleted her Facebook account, and says she feels liberated. She, like me, was constantly on it, posting and feeling like you have to let everyone know you've just eaten some toast. What the fuck? It seems so stupid. I'm beginning to realise I don't want everyone to know every fucking thing I'm doing or where I'm going to be at 8.30pm on a Thursday. No wonder I have nothing to say to people, I've said it all online already. I'd like to surprise people by turning up to something, and be surprised to see them. A bit of spontaneity. Remember that?

And remember before we had mobile phones when you made arrangements to meet someone, and you just trusted each other to be there? And if they didn't turn up, you might've stood like an idiot for a few minutes checking your watch in a rainy pub doorway, but then you'd go home and think 'oh well' and move on. Nowadays, you'd send them a billion text messages demanding an ETA, and you'd probably be pissed off.

I heard on Friday that my employers are monitoring Facebook use and thinking about banning it. There are a lot of us on there when we should be working, commenting on each other's pages about how, huhuh, we're on there not working.

Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of doing that, we walked over to each other's desks instead and hung out for a while, or went for a cigarette break together, or had a chat in the kitchen over coffee, and perhaps, maybe, even arrange to go out for a drink! But I don't, because I already know that they can't make it, because I already know where they'll be at 5.30pm on a Wednesday, don't I.

So maybe it's a good thing if my work ban it. But will I ever delete my account? I dunno, probably not, but it's a nice thought.