POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY THE DAILY TELEGRAPH'S TOBY HARNDEN
Yes, and Facebook offers a way to speak only to the converted, which does seem, judging from your words, Toby, to be one of your objectives.
This is a highly restricted form of communication, offering the potential of increased navel-gazing. That's precisely why it is so popular with adolescents and pop figures.
Of course, only those who have already made a name for themselves in other media can exploit that fact to garner a large collection of 'friends.'
It goes exactly in the opposite direction of exposing one's thoughts to general criticism and in the opposite direction of openness.
In effect, Facebook offers the opportunity to rapidly create little temporary private clubs.
The electronic private-club concept is not without some value, but it is neither creative nor revolutionary. It is actually quite conservative.
There is also an already rather abusive tendency in the use of information collected by Facebook. This has been widely observed and commented upon. In future, the abuse could easily become worse.
And, really, Toby, 'got into Facebook'? The language rests my case on adolescence.
