When I started this blog, I wondered how much of me I'd really want to show. Before the advent of 'blogging culture', when people wanted to find out about each other, they'd ask the person. Now it seems like all personal information about a person can be gleaned from their Facebook or Myspace or Twitter, without any actual personal effort.

Now I might be a bit of a hypocrite, seeing as I do have a blog (two!) and a Facebook. . .but I'm an honest hypocrite. I do miss a bit of that process where you find out everything about that person you have an interest in, without reading up about it in their Info section. I will say that I deleted my Myspace a few years ago but kept my Facebook for social reasons. My family and old high school friends are on it and it's basically my only mode of contact (seeing as I hate talking on the phone).

But back to the point. We're at the cyber age where, if we meet someone we're into, we 'friend' them on Facebook/Myspace, go into their Info, find everything out about them and find a way to put it into the conversation.

Oh, you like The Flaming Lips? Yeah, so do I! Oh and the Violent Femmes? OMG, like, so do I! We're like totally meant to be!

Except. . .you don't really like The Flaming Lips or the Violent Femmes and you totally just wiki'd it five minutes ago.

This is the cyber age. Information can be found in seconds (depending on your modem speed). People have become lazy. Conversation is a thing of the past. Now it's Google this and Google that and who cares about long conversations where you find out intimate details about the other person? Nope, just read their profiles. In 2 minutes, I've found out that you're into Voltaire and paintball and doing the no-pants dance. Voile! No need for conversation!

There are times when I'm torn by how much I want people to know about me. I've updated my Info many times; I've told all, I've told nothing. Currently, my Info is blank. Right now, I'm in the mood where I prefer that people ask me about myself, rather than me telling them. You don't need to know all my favorite authors (for one, there's too many to list) or what my favorite movies are. Not only are those topics extremely boring to talk about (and something you can find out if you spend more than 2 minutes with a person), it just hinders us from actually talking. There's nothing more disconcerting than sitting down for drinks with someone and finding out that they already know all about the dog you lost when you were 12 (Pepper!), the age you first lost your virginity and the first concert you went to.

Edit: My blogs are . . . another story. I started them because I wanted somewhere to unload my literary loves, memories and thoughts. It's really more for me than it is for you.

I've been tempted to start a Twitter, but I feel a part of it is extremely narcissistic. Yes, let's update it anytime I fart or eat tacos or have sex with my boyfriend. Things everyone needs to know. Not. I have been known to put stupid status updates on Facebook, which is bad enough, but I don't need to update everyone on my life every 30 minutes.