The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Facebook

In reverse order, this is my view of Facebook

The Ugly
When people set up groups like 'Moat was a Legend', you see how ugly our society has become. Glorifying a murderer with serious problems, who shot himself in the most dreadful circumstances is hardly a free speech issue. It's just stupid, and those who want to use social networks to grieve or show support for someone like this are genuinely sad individuals. FB is ugly because it is accepting this type of rubbish.

The Bad
How many 'friends' do you really have. I may well be sad and lonely, but I am proud that I can count my friends using my fingers and toes. Is it bad that there is pressure now to have hundreds of friends on FB. I think younger people actually seem to consider the number of friends they have as a measure of their social status. FB is bad simply because it is now a tool rating your popularity, when anyone with any sense knows that 'real' friends are far and few between.

The Good
I recently had to attend a family funeral, and following on from this at the customary wake, I found out my Auntie in Australia was on FB. In less than a week, I have made contact with my God Mother, an Auntie, a Cousin and a Cousins sibling, all of whom know about other members of my extended family. I have seen photos from my relatives lives, I would never see, and gained an insight into an extended family which is a rare luxury. I am grateful that FB exists simply because it has openned up a small door to my own family (as my dad was one of 13, it is a very large extended family). FB is good because it is amazing technology and it allows people to simply share moments from their lives. In a world which is more accessible than ever, it is amazing how remote we still are from one another. FB is still an amazing opportunity to create a community.

So, whilst the press seem to daily find another reason to show Facebook is dangerous, sick, illegal and an uncontrollable 'big brother' with ownership of our every comment and image, I am actually a fan, because if you concentrate on the Good, laugh about the Bad and just work to alienate the Ugly, it has a great positive power.