The spread of facebook has been kind of amazing to watch. I remember when the stigma was directed at people with Facebook accounts rather than those without them. A poll was done a few months ago in my school newspaper. Of the 500 students polled, 495 had facebooks.

A few Facebook Facts:

200 Million users
3.5 Billion minutes logged on Facebook every day
850 Million photos uploaded every month.
300,000 New members per day.

How did this happen? And when will it become an actual necessity? It might be soon where you'll be required to have a Facebook Annie. Jobs are already starting to ask their younger employees whether they have experience with online networking. And as smart phones start replacing our old ones you can be sure that the two different systems will overlap in new ways.

The job market is changing. Those old concepts of "work" and "play" are beginning to overlap. At work we are all teasing around online and taking quick breaks here and there and at home and at play we are checking our email and keeping a little attention on what we left behind at the office.

Now companies are represented on facebook as well as middle schoolers. There was a day not long ago when facebook was only available for college students. Now my dad and all his friends have one.

At this rate there might be a day when with our birth certificate and social security card we are also given a virtual identity.

Hi Annie and Mark,

What you write reminds me of Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, how we all want to be like everyone, to be part of the herd, feel strong and beautiful together. I can understand, Annie, the temptation to say you got an account and “friend me” nobody likes to be different and alone:

“Hélas, jamais je ne deviendrai rhinocéros, jamais, jamais ! Je ne peux plus changer. Je voudrais bien, je voudrais tellement, mais je ne peux pas. Je ne peux plus me voir. J’ai trop honte ! (Il tourne le dos à la glace.) Comme je suis laid ! Malheur à celui qui veut conserver son originalité ! "
“Helas, never will I become rhinoceros, never, never! I can no more change. I would like to, I would really like to, but I cannot. I can't stand myself any more. I have too much shame! (he turns his back on the mirror.) How ugly I am! Damned be he who wants to conserve his originality.”

A real conversation about friendship on the net:

X:  I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do. Remember this person F. I told you about, s/he asked me to be friends on facebook.

Y: I remember, isn’t it the same F... that treated you worse than shit a few months ago?

X: Yes. That one.

Y: If I were you, I would never want to see this person again, let alone be “friends” with. So what’s the question? You simply refuse.

X: I can’t. I accepted everyone up till now. (I have to say, it does make me feel a bit like a whore...)

Y: I deleted my facebook account quite fast, the moment I started getting “friendship” requests from people I don’t like (and who don’t like me either, which is the amusing part).

So this is the first time you get a request from a person you really dislike?

X: No, it’s the second time. The first one I tried to ignore for some weeks,(this person used to be a real enemy and I couldn’t believe that s/he was contacting me again) until I couldn’t stand it anymore and was going to refuse, when I made a false movement with the mouse and accepted. I was going to correct the mistake but got a message immediately from that person thanking me and telling me the worst things that happened in his/her life and by then I simply couldn’t refuse anymore. I feel bad, I know I’m going to accept F. and it will make me feel like a coward, but I can’t do anything about it.

Y: Why not quit ? No more phony requests and the uncomfortable feeling that comes with it.

X: No, it’s very convenient. I can keep in touch with people much easier.

Y: I prefer to use THINQon for this.  
You could keep in touch via mail, it’s the same.

X: It’s definitely not the same. A mail is a heavier statement and a more personal relation, even if used on a rare basis.

Y: I see, so your friends there are not even worth an email...