Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2008 > December > 23 > Entry
Facebook filters into real life, Follow-Up
See four previous posts for the original column on how second-generation social media appears to encourage civility, affability and respect in face-to-face encounters…
One reader, Lorene Wallace, asks a candid question about my rapid acquisition of Facebook friends and Twitter followers: “So were you really just trying to see how many friends you could amass?”
Hey, I’m the social columnist. It’s part of my virtual job description.
Another reader, Jeff Kirk, says he accepts friend requests from high-school classmates, but he doesn’t really expect sustained connections. I can see the point. Yet Jeff is still pretty young. Some of those classmates may yet grow into old friends. Three, perhaps four of my mates from Strake Jesuit ‘72 stay in touch. I’d say that’s good.
Reader Bob Madden shares my distaste for anonymous and pseudonymous postings. We’re old-school — as in mainstream print media — about publishing one’s name and standing behind that public presence. With that comes many responsibilities, not the least getting the facts straight (please forgive my typos) and presenting only what belongs in the public sphere.
That’s not always easy when your beat is the social scene. When are people on or off the record, especially during a party or at a club? When the tip is hot, which sources do you trust? How much of a celebrity’s business belongs in print?
I hope I err on the judicious side there. But you can judge for yourself from the past 2,000 or so Out & About posts.
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.