myJason.com

Jason's Blog

So its been about 2 weeks since I started facebooking. I don’t have any reason to stop at this point. There are a few things that really bother me, but its merely details about how facebook is setup. For example, the live chat built in. It doesn’t seem like anyone really uses it. There is one person who I chat with via the facebook chat, everyone else we just post on each others walls or make comments on existing posts. Speaking of, that gets kinda confusing. How do you know when you should post on their wall versus comment. Well it seems if you want to start a new conversation about something, you should click their name and then post on their wall. If you are carrying on a conversation already in progress, then you just click comment. Seems simple enough, but I see posts all the time where someone says oh and by the way….

I have had a few random requests for friends who I have no idea who they are. Apparently I went to school with them. So I just ignored their requests. I feel that facebook should be a place for people who are really my friends. When I go to add someone as a friend, I think would I really want to go to lunch with this person? If so, I add them.

Tonight I signed up for twitter. I have to say there are far fewer people on twitter — at least that I know. I’m going to experiment with it. For now its an easy way to update my facebook status. If I update twitter, facebook automatically sees the update and changes my facebook status to match. If you want to have your facebook account do the same, just go to http://apps.facebook.com/twitter/

Now I can just send a text message to 40404 and it will update both twitter and facebook. This is a great way to update from anywhere, until I get a cool android phone

Next project, interface facebook and twitter with my blog myjason.com. I’ve already started experimenting and its going to be a fun challenge. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

So its been a few days since I signed up for facebook. My initial impression was positive. Its very easy to sign up and start finding contacts to add. There was even an import for current windows live contacts. Once you get a few people added, then you see suggestions based on who their friends are. At first I was skipping past 9/10 of the suggestions, but then suddenly I was shown a lot of old coworkers (who were all friends with each other on facebook). It was at that moment I thought, this is really cool. There would be zero chance I would be able to contact these people or even find them if it wasn’t for facebook.

After I had added a few people, instantly I started getting approvals on my friend requests! Who are these people that just sit on facebook all day long. It seemed like every 5 minutes I was getting an email that someone else had approved me as their friend. Do I sense an addiction? And who isn’t on facebook? Was I the last one to join?

The downside:
There were a few people I found that I didn’t want to add. We were never the best of friends for whatever reason. So I just skipped them when suggested. Unfortunately facebook kept suggesting them to me. I suspect this is because they were a friend on more than one of my friends list.

It seems like facebook has some problems with javascript. The site doesn’t seem like its using ajax to update conversations (you have to force a refresh to see new posts). The javascript that they are using completely freezes up the page every once in a while. Its so annoying to have to refresh the entire page when you are working on something.

Generally speaking, facebook has been a great communication tool. I can see it being a waste of time and distraction from regular every day life. It is well worth it to keep your friends and family in the loop and not lose them when you are far away.

Ok Ok, settle down people. Here is my view on all of this. Facebook is nothing more than a place for those of you with over zealous personalities to wage the ME! ME! ME! war. I call it FaceButt!

Here is what I mean:
If you answer an absolute YES to any of the following, then you are part of the reason I’ve been avoiding joining facebook.

Do you insist on being the first person to tell as many people as possible about absolutely horrific news?
Do you insist on being the first person to tell everyone someone else’s great news?
Do you insist on broadcasting to everyone know how wonderful or how miserable your life is — All the time?
When someone is getting all the attention does it make your unbearably jealous?
You absolutely cannot stand to be the last person to hop on the popularity bandwagon?
You rarely hang out with people more intelligent than you are? You prefer those you can educate.
You avoid people that know more than you do about things you are interested in?
You are a leader or a follower but never a ‘walk the other way-er’
Most of the time you aren’t stepping back, thinking of others as if you were in their shoes?
Does it anger you when people are in your way? On the road? In grocery stores?
Does it anger you when other cars are going faster than you are?
Do you find obscene gore humorous? jk.
Is your car faster than most anyone else you know?
Is your truck lifted higher than half the other trucks?
Is your house bigger than half the block?
Do you hire a maid service because you are too good to clean your own house?
Anytime you buy something, it has to be the newest technology — no matter the cost?
You spend more money on clothes than all of your friends? For your dog.

Alright, you get the point. I’m not the type of person who wants to instantly jump on facebook to declare that Chris just had her baby. I don’t really want to know how someone is feeling now that they woke up. And I don’t need to feel stalked online by creepy predators from my past.

With all that out in the open, I think I’ll join facebook today — and here’s why.

My wife is really getting into Facebook. All my friends are into Facebook,  I’m curious what is so wonderful. Now that they are both in Saudi Arabia, Nathan and Camille are a million miles away.  Of course its a way to stay connected and read about what the rest of my family is up to. There are a lot of my family that doesn’t sign into google talk or msn messenger.  They seem to only use Facebook. Its possible they have been avoiding me — I guess we will find out.

So I’m giving it one week.

In one week we will see if it is really worth it. I’ll attempt to keep my thoughts documented here on myjason.com and hopefully integrate some facebook wordpress plugins.

Hey, I’m just at work so i’ll be quick. Thanks to airfarewatchdog.com, today I found a great price on plane tickets from SLC to MIA. $146 pp rt +tax via AA.com. We are considering booking something because of the price. Next year we plan to go on a cruise with some of our friends. Plus the beach in South Beach is the best! We loved the warm water, clean beaches and overall atmosphere. Hopefully it all works out.

So I do have to be honest. Yesterday I did honk at someone. Its the first time I have really honked at someone (more than a beep for not seeing the green light) in months. Basically we were heading west on Center Street in Orem when a Suburban pulled out of Target and then crossed all lanes of traffic to make a right turn. I had to slam on my brakes pretty hard. Now the reason I honked, they didn’t just sweep all lanes and get in the right hand turning lane to make their next turn. They made the turn from the right lane (the lane I was in). Again, if you are going to pull a stunt like this, please be courteous and get out of the way asap. I freaking layed on the horn for like 3 seconds while they poked their way around the corner. Honestly people come on.