I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how, for me at least, that recently I’ve really used the internet as a way of connecting with people. Now, I know that’s always been a great use of it, but what I mean is I’ve been connecting with and talking more to people I wouldn’t normally talk to in everyday life. It’s always been good for keeping in touch with people, but if it’s people you would normally keep in touch with, it just makes it easier. I specifically mean people that I’ve either re-connected with or just plain may have forgotten about.

I understand people do this all the time. I just have been more aware of it in myself lately and thinking about it. Part of it is that I’ve had a couple of conversations with people from an older generation about everyone’s fascination with knowing what everyone is doing all the time, or making sure people know what you are doing (i.e. Twitter, or Facebook status update). I admit I sometimes feel like I have to update my Facebook status. Not because everyone else is, but because it’s there. If I say “I’m working” and then I come home I’m not exactly working anymore, so I feel the need to update it. I know. It’s silly. But, that isn’t the point of this blog post.

Here are just some examples of how I’ve felt more connected to people or things recently:

Today, I needed some help coming up with gross food games for the teens tomorrow night (Fear Factor Food Night). I send a quick Facebook message to people I know work with kids or that might have some ideas. Within a couple of hours, I have plenty of ideas. Most of the responders were other Salvation Army youth workers (or former SA youth workers). I know them, but I wouldn’t call them up to ask them, or even really email them for that matter. I just posted a note and tagged them in it.

A girl I went to high school and college with, Melanie,  and I converse on Facebook or IM about stuff. Usually computer stuff. The other day, she needed help with WordPress, so we IM’d until she got what she needed to know. Before we connected on Facebook (or maybe MySpace first) I hadn’t talked to her in years, but we have common interests now, so it’s nice to know what’s going on in her life.

I have become a frequent reader of The Muckraker’s Blog. Rob does most of the posting. I’ve just recently got to where I’ll comment on things…usually baseball related. Rob is a baseball fan, so I usually comment on those post. The other day, he commented how he was jealous of my baseball trips I have planned this year. But anyway, his blogs are usually funny and light-hearted. Sometimes, even inspirational. It’s just cool for me because it helps me connect the music to who a person actually is, rather than a stranger.

I emailed a guy who runs a Church Tech blog to ask about a Computer workshop ministry they do at their church. I emailed him before on something, and read his blog, am connected on LinkedIn with, but obviously never met him. However, it was cool just being able to send a quick message and know that whether we know each other or not, it doesn’t really matter in the blog world.

So, I think I lost my point somewhere in there, but all to say, there is definitely a different level of connecting with people that I am at. Whether I do it a lot or just every now and then with a random person, I much more likely to do it than if I had to randomly email someone not through a social network, or heaven forbid, actually call someone. Now, if I could just transfer that over to real life….

I’m told this video explains the whole Twitter/Facebook status phenomenon pretty well…by someone who didn’t really get it to begin with.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o[/youtube]