More thoughts on Facebook, part 2

Is Facebook just an extension of how I already view community? If I duck real relationships in person, Facebook will probably become this shallow play land with me in the middle. But if I have built real relationships over time, Facebook could keep me in touch with those real relationships and even suppport the ongoing influence of those relationships in my life.

Take Edwin Tennefoss for example. He just found me and now we are friends on Facebook. Edwin and I met in 1992 when I was learning about God and Christ was becoming more and more real to me. That was the year when Ed and I met and we saw God do amazing things. This is a connection that transcends time. Ed and I haven't been in touch really for fifteen years and he only really knows me from back then. My friendship with him transcends a few seasons of my life.

My connection Ed reminds me how real God is because it reminds me of what God has done in the past when I met Ed. When I interact with Ed through Facebook I am brought back to remember all that I saw God do in, through and with me and Ed that year. That is a good thing if I allow it to be. It could be a bad thing if I allow it to be. Does this mean that Facebook and technology like it is morally neutral?

What do you think of Facebook? Part 1

All right. I got into Facebook because everyone else was doing it. It was really cool when I got connected with people I hadn't seen since my wedding. I have actually looked at a couple of their pictures of their kids and looked at what they are doing at times. I even got in contact with my cousin which is awesome. We never really got on the phone with each other and live too far away. But I have mixed feelings.
My home page tells me that I have 80 friends--that is particularly affirming and certainly 80 more than I think I had in Middle School. But are they really my friends? Who are they and what role do they play in my life? Obviously I keep in touch with some of them more than others, but who are these people and how do I categorize them? Forgive me for over-engineering this thing (can't you just enjoy this?). Seriously, what expectations ought we have of our friends on facebook.
I think I would like to listen to you on this one and then weigh in a week later. My thinking right now leads me to lean on my last blog entry ("Are you in my personal space?") and think that Facebook is a unique social circle with me in the middle.
What do you think?