Thing 4

Well, I hoped to have startling insights into new discoveries, new learning after spending a (slightly dazed) half hour looking at Bebo, MySpace and Facebook - but I can't say that I have.

I'm not sure whether it's an issue of format or content, but none of it did anything for me. It wasn't interesting or particularly not interesting, so much as boring. It seemed like a visual version of the junk mail that I spend time and energy elsewhere in my life trying to avoid.

In the same way that I rarely watch TV if I really want to see a TV programme or movie (I'll get it on DVD or video or do without) I can't imagine myself ever using this kind of medium if I ever want to communicate with anyone, or access anyone else's communications. If I had nothing else to do or if someone particularly asked me to check out something very important to them, maybe I’d visit... But probably not - all I see is visual and aural pollution, so why waste anyone's time.

Of course, this from the person who, by the nature of their work, accesses work tools etc for almost all of my working hours via the internet... In the same way that I have deliberately not got a computer at home in order to set a limit to the proportion of my life that I am 'electronically connected' , I don't want to participate even for the purposes of this exercise in the public electronic/internet 'social networking' world.

Great for those who enjoy it or find it useful or interesting, but not for me...