Before I start rolling out the subject matter's words - My personal apologies to yours truly for my months-long absence from Digital Nomad! Yes, I'm disappointed at myself for playing truancy in here... February's been a month of blessing for most of us here at the Beijing office - we had our week-long Spring Festival break, and shortly after, we jetted-off on Malaysia Airlines and headed to the beautiful Langkawi, located south of Thailand.

So - most (note the Italicization of that word) people who join Facebook sorta have intentions of being their own PR managers. I actually laughed out loud when I got to that line.

I have yet to contact Ryan Davies but I can totally relate to his afterthoughts (brilliant post) in terms of the social networking madness surrounding Facebook. Ryan, great post! 

Around mid-2007, I was practically on Facebook every other hour. I was excited to meet long-lost acquaintances (note my choice of words), high-school mates, ex-colleagues, ex-ballet class dance mates, my piano teacher (I quit the 'grade' ladder at the tender grade of 4), a journalist whom I met once during my days servicing MTV Networks Asia, and the list goes on.

I was also digitally-challenged because I was so excited about my wall, I didn't have the heart to change those notification settings - everything that was happening inside my Facebook - was being delivered to my personal email.

I probably had 10 applications in my book. One of it was the map. I was dying to tell my 'friends' that I've been to Six Flags Magic Mountain but the map didn't have it. So I passed. Then I added the countries.

Today - I have few items running. My wall. An app showing my support for Manchester United which also shows the next big match - and my photo album (which I was warned to NOT take it down by my girl friend because she's been tagged on few photos and she said if I was to take it down, she will take me down).

I removed my religious views, (never filled-in the political view), my status, my interests (to show that I'm a heterosexual? Come on), and a lot of other unnecessary items because I felt I was being too personal with people I've met for 4.56 minutes once at a place that I can't even remember.

Now - I take days or weeks to reply messages (even after being notified via email that I have unread ones). I forget to reply wall messages and not feel bad about it. I do this, I don't do that.  

I wonder how many general users (not just Facebook) out there that are sick of this whole social-craze? But still find themselves part of it because they some how found peace with it?

I have found peace with Facebook. I will continue to do so unless they falsify my being by sending requests to hug my New York colleagues without me knowing it.

So, do you join Facebook to become your own PR agency? Maybe, because, don't we all do? 

*From my personal understanding, Ryan Davies is attached to South Manchester Reporter. Any misunderstanding is deeply regretted so please drop me a comment/email should there be any errors, I will make immediate changes to it upon clarifying it with whoever it may be.