i have to say, i rather enjoy this particular time suck.

Good luck.

Thanks Kendra!

Still haven’t signed up.

Facebook has some potential. I use my real name for that account. I configured the Twitter app on Facebook, so my Twitter updates automatically update Facebook. If I don’t want something on Twitter (wider audience), I enter it on Facebook. Consider setting up a fan page on Facebook, and that may divert your fans there so you wouldn’t have to Friend them if you didn’t want to. Then you can be more judicious in who you give access to your personal page.

It’s worthwhile to explore Facebook’s permissions capabilities. By default, it’s a talkative little beast. You can turn off a lot of the announcements it makes to the world about what you’re doing. You can lock down a lot of your content if you’re so inclined. That’s one of the things I like — flexibility in what is available.

I’m noticing several groups becoming active for more than just being there. The Suspense/Thriller Writers group is one example. To me, this means there’s the potential for one-stop shopping for networking, publicity, and learning something.

Then, of course, there’s Mafia Wars. Who could not become addicted to that? But seriously, with a little discipline, the game plays itself, and you only have to stop in every now and then to make some purchases or do some jobs. Or Fight and Rob other mafias. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

As far as someone you don’t like following you on Twitter, you can block anyone with a mouseclick. I usually don’t worry about followers much. I have some who follow me, and I can’t figure out why.

For your personal icon, got to settings and click on the picture tab. You can upload any picture you like as long as it’s less than 700k.

For a unique background, that’s on the Design tab in settings. Most people will never see your background unless they click to your page. When they do, remember that what they see will mostly be covered by your block of text. The image you upload is best if whatever you want people to see is along the left margin of the image or if the image is something that doesn’t matter if the center of the image is blocked.

Whether it’s worth it or not, I can’t say. I see a Facebook/Twitter blend the most potentially useful thing going today. Wired magazine declared blogs dead last year, and I was surprised, but now that I’ve begun to tap into Facebook and Twitter, I understand what they meant. The blog is still the most flexible of all, and I haven’t abdicated that format yet. Facebooks recent TOS flap highlighted the value of having a place where you own your own content.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Twitter is tougher, I think, because it requires multiple visits per day to be fruitful. Sure, each visit is only about thirty seconds, but it’s hard to remember to do it, at least for me.

Family has pages for keeping in touch, but you can control who sees what. So I can see grandson toddling his first steps on my son’s page, but he restricts who else has access.

Heck, if Arlo Guthrie has a page, why can’t I?

The trick (for me) is to turn off all notifications and ignore or block a lot of the add-ons like sending virtual “stuff” to everyone. I’m low key there. Hubby and son are more likely to do the Mafia thing (whatever that is). I just plod along (and feed my blog there, too)

Twitter seems to be the new thing, but I’m holding off. I’d be so boring. Doing laundry. Waiting for the mulch delivery. Staring at “Chapter One, Page One.”