My Kindle October 15, 2010

So after all that dithering, I did end up getting a Kindle. I like reading the downloadable samples of books. Mostly, it’s enough of the book to convince me that I don’t actually need to read the book. I like getting some books for free. I love being able to carry around a virtual library without it weighing me down, as I’ve clearly got enough to carry with diaper bags, wallets, change of clothes, etc. I like the readability. I like finding books for my dissertation and future research for free. It’s cute. I’m super excited to take it on vacation.

I don’t like turning into ADD woman with the variety of books on the thing. I could read this one! or that one! or both at once! or not! My Kindle tends to freeze, and I think I’ve worked out the problem, but it was slightly annoying. I don’t like that most of the Chicana/o texts aren’t available on Kindle.

Overall, I’m pleased so far, but then I’ve had it less than a week. It did make the hour and a half I waited while the car’s tires were rotated fly by.

 

Facebook Friends or Not? May 18, 2010

Others, columnists and advice givers I respect, have weighed in on privacy, friendships with exs, and pictures of children, breastfeeding, etc. on Facebook. I haven’t seen much on people that we’re friends with but haven’t seen in 10 years and have no intention of seeing again. Should we be friends with these people?

Recently one of my friends has left Facebook because of the annoying status updates of people he knew in high school and he became self-conscious about his own status updates, thinking they would make him seem outside this prescribed norm. Didn’t most of us leave high school in the first place thinking we would move on to other things, ideas, and experiences? But this means that he and I aren’t friends anymore on Facebook, and it was a convenient place for this non-texter to make arrangements for lunch.

I’ve been feeling ambivalent lately about being friends with, and having my news feed fill up with, people I don’t really intend to see again. If we were going to have a meaningful, even if truncated, relationship that involved face to face interaction once in a while, I’d be all for the continued contact. As it is, I feel voyeuristic. For people who I’ve become better friends with through the internet, even if we don’t see each other, the contact is worth it. But I feel like now, I keep up with these people anyway and we have something in common, like my fellow English grad student/new mom/blog friend Catherine, who puts things much better than I do most days. It wouldn’t be a big deal if I didn’t waste so much time on Facebook, which is probably where the solution needs to come from. Thoughts?