Facebook

Despite seeing numerous peers and profs laud Facebook, I did not hitch my online trailer to this communications phenomenon until months after I graduated from college. I like to think my subconcious was exercising wisdom far beyond my normal means, recognizing the timewasting possibilities of hyperlinking through the entire student body at the University of Washington. After I graduated, losing a part of my identity and social network (@ least until grad school), the voyeuristic pleasures of Facebook began to be revealed.

In all seriousness, I have finally edited my profile a bit, added a pic, added a few friends. But what interests me more than the networking aspect is how this online presence relies on a 'physical' vocabulary.

• poking - even the Facebook creators don't really seem to know what this function is for besides alerting someone else of your existence. Sort of like IMing someone with just a smiley - no explicit message except "I still exist, and I want you to know it." Still, it's interesting that a term so laden with the muscle memory of 'poking' people, a very physical intention, is used
• the Wall - immovable, impenetrable, a barrier, blocking the sightline - words that might be associated with this word so rich in metaphor. It's interesting that users essentially 'tag' each others wall with short, sometimes goofy/crude messages - graffiti for the artistically challenged - thus altering the word's meaning from that of an obstacle to a mutable, responsive pattern of question/response.

Another aspect I find interesting is how the photos are used. I understand having a photo on the profile page, but having one next to every single message can be a bit excessive sometimes. I wonder if the pictures next to the textual message are supposed to help create a sense of physical presence, to make the message resonate more like a spoken conversation. Words leaving my mind, flying through my frenetic fingers, disassembling and reassembling through wires, circuits, and sparks, before finally splatting against the intended Wall.