Day 12

A search through my hometown back in Southern California reveals an almost entirely Asian set of people. Who are these people? This isn't my hometown. Granted, I know that Pasadena has changed a lot since I left fifteen years ago. Last time I visited, the old Presbyterian Church a few blocks from where I grew up had become a Korean church. I know that when I went to the mall out at Santa Anita, almost everyone there was Asian. But Pasadena, even with the large Asian American population, is still a big giant mix of folks--Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, and us white folk. But whites and blacks are nowhere to be seen on this block of Friendster, and there's only one token Hispanic that I found. Anyway, I didn't write to any of these people--I don't know them. A lot of them seem significantly younger than I am--were these folks even around when Friendster started up? Is Friendster a hip site for young folks and the major problem then not so much that my friends no longer use it but that my friends are too old? If such is the case, then I know where folks will be a year from now. We always copy the young, it seems. And so I'm getting a jump start on my age set. Good for me!

I did get a second response from one of my Friendster friends today, so that's interesting. Basically, she sent me a link that explains why Facebook is for people our age. Sigh. And it is. Facebook is about connecting with people you already know--but forgot about--or so it seems. I also found out that both MySpace and Facebook now offer sections where you can see how friends are connected, similar to what Friendster was doing years ago. But Friendster may still be the only site to show you how you are connected to folks you may not know.

Anyway, today's Friendster contacts ran thus: one Friendster friend contacted and two total strangers (though one is a friend of a friend and one was a deejay I feel connected to because I listened to his voice for years). But other than that followup message from said friend, the new reply market remains empty. The totals are thus ("thus" being my new hip word for the day): fourteen Friendster friends written, two replies; eight acquaintances written or added as friends, one reply; five invitations extended, no replies; thirteen strangers written, no replies; two profile views.