Software
Services
Security
Hardware
Networking
Mobility
Voice & Data
Storage
Sales & Marketing
Training & Development
Strategy
Finance
Login
|
Register
|
Sitemap
|
RSS
Features
|
Galleries
|
Events
|
Awards
|
Magazine
|
Newsletter
|
Subscribe
|
Fast50
Home
>
Features
>
Technology
>
Software
>
’Tis the season to be friendly to all
Software
’Tis the season to be friendly to all
By
Matthew JC Powell
Dec 13, 2007 11:12 AM
Tags:
tis
|
season
|
friendly
Matthew JC. Powell has finally found a use for the Internet
Twenty-two years ago, in May of 1985, I broke my leg on a bushwalk. Nasty break it was, spiral fracture of the left femur, and out in the middle of nowhere — no medical attention until the following day.
I don’t tell you this to establish my manliness credentials (as if they need establishing — snort), but to explain why it was that during that year I spent some months in hospital. And while I was in hospital I met, as you do, a number of people whose paths I would otherwise not have crossed. Interesting folks, many of them, but without the usual criteria of geographic proximity or shared educational experience that generally dictate teenage relationships I simply wouldn’t ever have met them.
Every once in a while over the subsequent decades it had occurred to me to wonder what had become of some of them. But of course, there was no way to find out easily. The White Pages was about the best resource available for finding people, and it could be daunting — especially if they move cities or change names, as often happens.
Then along comes Facebook. Facebook, like other social networking sites, places great store in your ability to connect to “Friends” – however stretched the definition of “Friend” has become – in order to accommodate thousands of people you’ve never met and will never meet. To encourage the creation of “Friends” Facebook allows you to search for people you know, or have met, or knew someone who met once, or whom you met many decades ago, in traction.
Which is where this story begins, really. Early on in my Facebook career I did what most people do, and searched madly for every name I could drag out of my head — friends, professional contacts, people I went to school with, people I worked with once, people I met at uni and got along okay with back then. They’ve probably forgotten about that whole incident at Manning Bar, surely. Sheesh, talk about holding a grudge.
Anyway, the name of one of the people I met in hospital back in 1985 popped into my head, and was promptly entered into the Search field of Facebook. Sure enough, a result was produced matching the name of the teenager I’d met back then. Photo didn’t match, but then my photo doesn’t match my teenage self either. I’m less hairy now.
I sent a request to be added as a “Friend” and got a response back that was very much in the vein of “who are you and why are you stalking me?” Facebook can be like that. Once we got beyond initial suspicions, we got to chatting and updating each other on our lives.
We’ve taken vastly different paths, lived in different countries, led widely divergent lives, and come a long way from where we met. And yet there we both are, on Facebook, almost like neighbours.
Actually, it turns out we live about five minutes’ drive apart and both have kids about the same age. As I write this, I’ve just come back from a barbecue at their house.
Neat things, these Internets.
Matthew JC. Powell still walks with a limp, and has met all of his Facebook friends. Seasons greetings from mjcp@optusnet.com.au
Related Articles
Ten sales tips for the Christmas season
Gartner names the best environmentally friendly companies
ASUS release eco friendly Eee Box
Opinion: Eulogy for the desktop
Breaking Stories
Oceanus acquires IBM partner Erilis
Email security player BoxSentry signs three partners
IVT Systems acquires Cisco silver partner Pepperstorm
Simms: how to survive as an Apple reseller
Former Sun MD joins VMWare
This article appeared in the
December, 2007
issue of CRN.
Email this
Print this
Tweet this
Send us your tips
Comments
Be the first to comment on this article.
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
Comment:
Want to participate in the discussion?
Register for FREE
Or
log in
now to comment
Ads by Google
Top Stories
Simms: how to survive as an Apple reseller
Differentiate or else, says Simms.
Lenovo: HP is after your customers
Vendor sharpens its assault on SMB.
Mwave "embarrassed" by ACCC warranty notice
Reseller must attend compliance training program.
Most Read
|
Most Discussed
Online retailer's 'reseller only' claims rejected
Microsoft call to drop EBS “like a bombshell”
Mwave "embarrassed" by ACCC warranty notice
Case study: Cisco's first UCS customer Catholic Education
SAP opens up to smaller resellers
Resellers in uproar over SaaS pricing
Mwave "embarrassed" by ACCC warranty notice
Telstra and NBN Co agree to NBN field test
Microsoft call to drop EBS “like a bombshell”
Sun's open-source exec departs in wake of Oracle acquisition
Shortcuts
all you need to know on...
Latest Comments
"Additionally, any small business with growth (and competition) on their mind would do well to ..."
on
Opinion: “Myopic” Microsoft lost in the cloud
by
bld
Mar 16, 2010 9:54 PM
"Finally on line retailers having to behave like retailers. I have purchased quite a lot from ..."
on
Mwave "embarrassed" by ACCC warranty notice
by
tonyh
Mar 16, 2010 5:01 PM
"Lenovo products are excellent, even after moving away from the traditional IBM regime. All our ..."
on
Lenovo: HP is after your customers
by
em3
Mar 16, 2010 3:44 PM
"Looks like Apple is headed down the "premium" path, consisting of Apple Stores and their closest ..."
on
Simms: how to survive as an Apple reseller
by
em3
Mar 16, 2010 3:36 PM
"Interesting story, and yes, its good to know the ACCC is alive and kicking.......but have heard ..."
on
Online retailer's 'reseller only' claims rejected
by
Boris B
Mar 15, 2010 4:04 PM
CRN Magazine
Issue:
277
|
March, 2010
CRN Magazine looks in-depth at the emerging issues and developments for the Channel, and provides insight, analysis and strategic information to help resellers better run their businesses.
What's in this issue?
Subscribe Now!