Now, I am a fan of Facebook. It's a great way to stay connected with people you don't normally keep in touch with. One friend said it best, "It's like cyberstalking. You can peek into the lives of people- read what they're doing, what they're thinking, and browse through their photo albums without them knowing."
I wasn't an immediate fan of Facebook. When I first joined, I was a closet user. I would not take the time to go search for a friend. But I would accept you as a friend if you befriended me. That makes me sound like a snobby-user, doesn't it. Anyway, I was embarrassed about being a Facebook user.
I thought that Facebook was a waste of time. I could spend an hour just browsing people's wall, and all for what? I could've used that hour to write. I've always been the productive type and to say that I am a user of Facebook defies my persona. I decided I needed to make Facebook more useful to me. I had an idea.
Facebook is great for classified ads! I'm getting ready to send out my package to a publisher for my article on Philippine Jeepneys. The one thing that is missing is a really good jeepney photo. So I made the request. On my wall, I wrote on my status update: "I am looking for a picture of a Philippine Jeepney. I need original photos taken by you and not something out of Google images. The gaudier the jeepney, the better. If you have them, please send me an e-mail. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for your help."
Within minutes, I got a couple of responses. I got exactly what I needed and was very pleased. I realized that I can really use Facebook to my advantage. I can request photos, ideas, and a number of things that could be useful to my writing and research. I could also use it to search for "experts" of whatever it is I'm writing about. It's great! Now I can validate my decision to join Facebook. If people question my choice in joining Facebook, I can say that I use it for research. But don't get me wrong. I still think that it can be a waste of time, unless you use it to your advantage. So let your social network help you!
"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." ~Rodin
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