The Okotoks Western Wheel is boldly going where this man doesn’t want to go — into this thing called the social network.
The Wheel now has a Facebook, Twitter and a web page with something called a multimedia section which has what are called soundslides and podcasts.
I knew I was in big trouble when The Wheel suddenly was offering more social network stuff than I have television channels.
I was the guy back in the 1970s who vehemently predicted the calculator would never replace the slide rule. I was able to prove the slide rule was just as effective as the calculator.
When I finally got a calculator, I lost it just as quickly as I ever did a slide rule.
I have to change my ways.
The Wheel editorial staff has gone on a bit of a youth movement lately with the hiring of reporters who are under the age of 25.
They are polite, well-kept, hard workers and in-tune with the latest social networking phenomena. So I guess, three out of four ain’t bad.
If you can’t beat them, join them. I started my first Facebook account about two weeks ago.
It was amazingly good for my ego. I have only been on the thing for about 10 days, and I must be up to five friends by now.
One of my first “friends” came my way shortly after I opened my account.
I was thrilled.
I clicked on it and discovered it came from a long-lost friend.
It was a guy who I have worked with for years and he is currently in another office about eight-feet from my desk. After years of me pilfering snacks and pens from his desk, I guess just walking across hall to the newsroom and asking him to be my friend would have been too much.
Of course, being an insecure not-married male, I’m kind of glad he chose the Facebook route.
Verbal communication could only lead to things like males hugging and nobody wants that.
However, I seem to be losing real friends quicker than I am getting friends.
I recently received a request from someone I see virtually every day for coffee before work.
After a few days of ignoring my computer, the individual responded with “How come you don’t want to be my friend?”
I said I see you every day, what’s the big deal?
“Coffee friends don’t count… It’s how many friends you have on your Facebook who wins.”
Sigh.
He is now is my Facebook friend and I’m out two bucks because I bought him a coffee to smooth things over.
This thing is growing out of control. I have never had a baby picture in my wallet in my life. But now, I click on my Facebook page and there are something like 17 baby pictures staring back at me. These babies all have two things in common — I have no idea who their parents are and someone “Likes this!”
I don’t have a Twitter account, and I have to admit I don’t get it. If you are someone who wants to follow me on Twitter, I got to tell you, you need to get on with your life.
My life is wonderfully boring. The only messages you will get from me is: “M I under 140 chrctrs yet?” or “I think ths is the one when Gllign gets off island.”
I’m considerably more boring than Charlie Sheen, thank goodness.
I have to admit though going on the Wheel’s multimedia stuff has been kind of cool.
I was able to tweet scores from the recent provincial basketball tournaments on the weekend onto our site.
As well, Thandi Fletcher, one of those less than a quarter-century-of-age new reporters, has done multimedia presentations on a jewelry maker in Okotoks, an interview with Conservative leadership candidate Alison Redford, and a chef giving tips on gluten-free recipes.
She’s making me look like a “dinosaur in shrines” to quote the ageless and highly social networked Neil Young.
So I have to get on with this social network thing.
As for new friends on my personal Facebook page, I think the numbers are going to go through the roof.
I expect a whole whack of 50-something aged women from my old high school days to sign on.
That’s because every time I asked a girl out back in high school they all said the same thing:
“I only like you as a friend…”
