FACE OFF

A few years and 308 friends ago, I registered on to Facebook and, for the most part, I have enjoyed the experience. It's fun re-newing old acquaintances from high school and college and connecting with former students, some of whom are aproaching middle age already! How scary is that?

Alas, however, in the past month I have decided to "unfriend" a few of my Facebook pals. One was a kid I barely knew when I substitute taught. When he decided to update his profile with a picture of him flipping his middle fingers to the world AND added a nickname that would make a porno star jealous, I decided enough was enough. I didn't really want to start off each day reading his alleged penis size flashed across my computer screen. "Un-friend" with no regrets.

Next, a former student started turning her Facebook entries into rants against certain people who were annoying her. Long rants. Filled with enough expletives to fill a dictionary. Now, as my blog followers well know, I am not so prudish as to drop the occasional f-bomb myself. And, of course, we all, now and then, get irritated and want to ventilate to the Facebook audience rather than physically assault someone. But it got to the point that this was happening on such a regular basis and with such disgusting language that I decided, "Who needs this?" Not I. "Unfriend" before she starts directing her hostility towards me or I become an accessory to a crime.

Which brings me to today. I am giving serious consideration to "unfriending" a high school classmate, younger and not really among my friends 45 years ago, who has so many Wall Posts that they are eating up my Facebook comments space. I don't mind one or two every once in a while, but I'm talking a dozen or more at a time on a daily basis--sometimes twice daily. This never seemed to happen until Facebook "upgraded" its format a few months back. Now, its happening ALL the time. Nothing of a disgusting nature at all---its just the sheer volume of them.

So, to unfriend or not unfriend? That is my burning question for today. I don't want to hurt this person's feelings. He probably has nothing better to do--kinda like me and this blog. But give me a break! I'm going to see how the day goes. Any more mass wall postings and he's outta here! Oh, the power!!

TGIF and may all your faces be happy ones!