Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Facebook ... maybe.


So, I finally joined Facebook yesterday. I guess time will tell if it ends up being one of my happy little things, for real. Because right now it is just a little tiny bit of a frustrating thing. But that is certainly the nature of most beasts right? Most things are frustrating when they're new and you don't know what the heck you are doing. (That's a lesson I try to teach Elliott all the time, only with him I always use the example of how proficient at video games he is because of the amount of time he spends "learning" how.)

I spent the evening last night with my sister-in-law, Kim, who is a Facebook expert. She was trying to teach me the ins and outs and the hints, and the should do's and not to do's. I think she might have gotten a tad bit annoyed with me ... I try to "get it" right away, and sometimes I do - but sometimes, I don't. I wasn't getting some of the stuff she was saying.

So tonight, as I was trying to get some photos downloaded and in the big space where I see other people's pictures (because I couldn't figure out how to get mine there - they would only show up in an album, but I didn't really want to make an album, I just wanted the pictures I uploaded - it is uploaded, right? I called it downloaded earlier because that makes more sense to me - I just wanted those pictures to be as a little display when someone looked at my profile), rather than trouble Kim again, I decided to call McCall, who also knows a lot about Facebook and computer stuff.

McCall was trying to explain how only pictures that other people "tag" you in show up in that space. (Which would explain why there are three rather silly pictures of me from my BYU Hawaii days in that space.) The pictures that I upload need to be put in a photo album and then people can open that up. Then she went on to explain that the album called "Profile Pictures" are all of the photos you have ever used as your profile picture ... which people change all the time.

I don't love that idea - but once I got it, I guess I had to be okay with it. At least I can stop trying to figure out how to do something that really can't be done - according to the Facebook rules!

But I was a little proud of myself for grabbing pictures from all over my computer and getting them to where they needed to be. I kind of figured that out by myself. Sometimes I DO try to figure things out by myself ... and that lesson came from my friend, Sherry, who I often refer to as my Office Guru.

The last time I had an office job, the computer at my desk was big and beige (as were all the other computers in the office). The screen was black and the type was white and there was no such thing as the internet.

So when the time came for me to get another office job - many, MANY years later, I was fortunate enough to have Miss Sherry as my office manager and exceptional tech teacher.

And I know that Sherry surely must have gotten just a tad bit annoyed with me as well, given the fact that I was extremely duh-heady back then (although she really never showed it), she was as patient as a saint. And even now, 5 years later, when I call her at her other job for help with my computer woes, she is always happy to help me. And if she can't, she finds someone who can and then gets back to me.

So this is a BIG shout out to Kim and McCall ... and a really BIG shout out for Sherry (who is thinking she's glad she doesn't have a Facebook right about now because it's bad enough Polly bugs her during the day for help, let alone at night too!) :)

5 comments:

  1. i know...i was excited when i saw you had a facebook because i remember you saying your kids were trying to convince you to get one. my mom didn't quite get the whole facebook thing at first and now she is addicted! haha. it takes time getting use to :o)

    and it's better to have all your pics in a album because then people can always go look at them and not just when they show up on your wall occaasionally!

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  2. Oh Facebook... it's so addictive. The best thing about it is finding people you've lost touch with and getting back in touch with them.

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  3. i thought last night after we hung up that i should've said, "there are lots of things you'll like about facebook, and lots you won't". i don't like how they do pictures either because when people click on me they see the lame-brain pics i'm tagged in from 'a certain family member' and not cutie ones i've chosen of myself and bebe.

    glad you've joined...don't worry too much about it though. your blog should still be #1.

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  4. Bug ... here's a facebook tip I figured out: tag yourself in your own photos that you DO like, and they will show up in the "good" space! :)

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  5. I was so not bugged you silly! Sorry I made you feel that way. Im loosing ground with facebook. Used to be on once or twice a day. Now its one or twice a month. I work too much! I think Ive already said that in another coment box! :)

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