| What is it about social networking sites, that gets | | | | spaces. Gone are the informal meeting spaces that |
| people interested and makes them participate? Some | | | | were provided by church squares, the village common, |
| Facebookers are really addicted to their profile and the | | | | the civic centre and shops that one could walk to from |
| communities they belong to. They visit their profile daily | | | | home and into from the pavement. What has been |
| and search for friends to add to their collection. | | | | built in recent years are concrete shopping malls that |
| There are many other activities members indulge in. | | | | are meant to replace those casual social spaces and |
| They add photos to share, write messages on walls | | | | at the same time nurture the consumerism of the age. |
| and send friendly pokes. Lets not forget one can invite | | | | Of course the older areas of European cities have |
| other Facebookers to groups that deal with a huge | | | | preserved some of these spaces. Restaurants are |
| variety of topics and interests. To create more | | | | encouraged to spill out onto pavements and shop |
| activities and fun elements, Facebook recently | | | | doors open onto the streets. People meet, socialise, |
| provided a Facebook scripting language to allow the | | | | take part in events together. But what about the more |
| build of small applets by anyone who wanted to or | | | | 'modern' cities? People join up to visit shopping malls? |
| could. | | | | Kids spend their lives at the mall. Where is the real life |
| Applet developers have jumped on this with gusto. | | | | community? The new civic spaces need arts and |
| This means that I have been invited to become a | | | | craft fairs to get the people there. |
| vampire, had one zombie invitation, a poke pro | | | | What really made me make the connection was a talk |
| invitation, a scrabulous request and even an invitation | | | | on TED by Jim Kuntler who was talking about the |
| to play poker. In between this I get to answer | | | | devastation that the horrific urban landscape of |
| questions and discuss movies. | | | | shopping malls and faceless building has had on human |
| The people in my list of friends live in South Africa, | | | | living conditions. He attributes some of this to the |
| America, Europe and Asia. Is this the reason for its | | | | worship of the motor vehicle, but also points out that |
| popularity? Possibly, but I don't think it is the whole | | | | architects and town planners are letting down the |
| picture. Yes there is a need for people to stay in touch. | | | | human race. |
| Long gone are the days where friends started | | | | His talk which may be viewed here, made me wonder |
| kindergarden together, remained best friends through | | | | about Facebook and how that fitted in with our living. |
| their life and were buried in the same graveyard after | | | | Are we that alienated by our environment, divorced |
| living to a ripe old age. The migration of people has | | | | from our families and childhood friends, that we need |
| taken that stability away. | | | | online communities to make up for it? Is this what |
| Technology has allowed these migrants to stay in | | | | drives young men to shoot at students at Virginia |
| touch. Facebook is one of these technology enabled | | | | Tech, or where ever they do? |
| meeting places where news can be shared, memories | | | | We seem to be facing a total alienation from support |
| revisited, new friendships made and new experiences | | | | groups, people we can relate to, buildings and open |
| arranged. After all the meaning of the term facebook | | | | spaces that make us feel part of a community. None |
| is the collection of information and photographs to help | | | | are available to us. No wonder we are joining online |
| one adapt to college life. This has been expanded to | | | | communities, keeping in touch via Twitter and posting |
| be relevant for life after college as well. | | | | our photos to Flickr so that the few remaining friends |
| But it's more than that. I think modern society is missing | | | | and family members are able to keep in touch with us. |
| the boat when it comes to providing relevant living | | | | |