[ALUG] IPLUG meetings

[samwise]

> Woot! I have friends.
>
> Though none of you lot (that I have found, anyway) have bothered to
> admit to being a friend of mine, you miserable lot.

Sorry, Greg - I'm afraid my home PC and work laptop (which I can hook
up at home) have all chosen this past week to die.  :(  So,
unfortunately, my Facebook shenanigans have been curtailed as I try to
hastily build some replacements ... I have seen your request, just
can't action it yet!  Same goes for anyone else who thinks I've
ignored them on Facebook - I'll get back on as soon as I can!
(annoyingly, it's blocked at work so I can't even use a temporary
machine there to authorise the request).

> On a more serious note, I've signed up, found a few friends, joined a
> few groups, but now can't help thinking: Now what? Is it just a way to
> keep in touch? I managed to do that before reasonably well, using
> (e)mail and the telephone. Perhaps I'm just a luddite.

The benefit of Facebook is the ability to hook up with people you've
lost touch with, IMHO. It's a similar model to Friends Reunited but
noone pays anything. :)  This means, it only works if it takes off in
the UK - I've avoided messing with myspace thus far because they're
mostly the province of US-dwellers (or nerds - but I'm more likely to
still be in touch with them!).  However, Facebook is beginning to take
off in the UK, in my experience, which is why there's a benefit to
signing up - I've already been in touch with at least one Uni. friend
I'd lost contact with ...

That said, because the value is solely in the relationships, the site
will only be useful for as long as it's being used by the populist
mob.  If they choose to move on to something else (myspace, once the
darling of social networking, is haemorrhaging active users atm from
what I've heard), Facebook will lose it's value.

> Also, what's in it for Facebook? They've taken no money off me, I've
> seen no adverts, so what revenue stream do they have?

There's definitely ads ... thank the maker for AdBlock Plus.  :)

> (going now, remembering a vow taken long ago not to write emails late
> at night after a few (or more) drinks).

What a silly vow ... that's how all the fun conversations start!  :)

Peter.