Obsession

We are going to be driving around Chico this morning with Alicia in an attempt to educate us as to which areas of town are more desirable when it comes time to move. Our farm days are over and we are looking for a smaller place with xeriscape plantings instead of lawn. Concrete is nice. (did you know that they make permeable concrete and water passes right through it? Yes, they do!) I'm really obsessed with lawns; I hate them with a passion! If we find a house we like and it has a lawn…it's coming out.

Speaking of obsessions; I read the other day that there is a good chance that Facebook will replace the internet…as we know it. I can see that happening. A year or so ago, I created a Facebook group named 'Orland'. It was done on a whim after I searched Facebook for such a group and found none at all. It only took a minute to create the group and I already had a good photo for the logo, an old photo of the Orland Arch that I had Photoshopped. This morning, I was browsing through my list of 'Groups' in an attempt to do some light housekeeping. If you are using Facebook, you will find that you collect groups easily and most groups stagnate and die. A Facebook fact of life. Anyway, there I was, looking at this photographic logo and wondering why it looked so familiar? I opened up the group page and found that there were 381 members. I read all of the comments and was ready to leave when I looked over on the left hand side and there was my name; Administrator and Creator. What? I had created the page a year and half ago and it had grown all by itself…like a creeping fungus. Yikes! I can't kill it, there are 381 people involved here. Can I just turn my back on it? I will. I'm going to pretend I never saw it.

That experience makes me wonder about all of the groups on Facebook. How many are accidents like mine? How many groups are there, in total? I know that I created two of them; the second one was for the Plant Barn and I never got around to finishing it up with a logo. In the meantime my daughter created her own Facebook page for her business, The Plant Barn, and it has a nice logo and about 180 members/fans. My version of the Plant Barn has 4 and I have no idea who they are?

Facebook does have its detractors. It creates a 'hate' response in some people and there is no arguing with them. But, more and more businesses have found Facebook to be a great tool for advertising and public relations. And it's free. And if you use the Privacy controls, it becomes a great place for a family to share their photos and their thoughts. Make appointments. Keep up on family news and events. With the privacy controls in place, no one else will see you or bother you. The more I think about it….in another year, Facebook just might take over the internet.