I Didn’t Get My Facebook URL Since I was Socially Networking

I had to settle for a second-rate vanity URL. But I don’t care.

At the stroke of midnight last night thousands of techies were sitting at their computers trying to get a crack at the ideal vanity Facebook URL, such as FaceBook.com/name. I was well aware of this URL landrush but opted to sit on the sidelines. Why? Ironically, since I was socially networking.

The difference is I was being social in person. I’m in Washington D.C. and was at a bar with my college roommate and his girlfriend. At the stroke of midnight I could have fumbled with my phone to try to logon to Facebook, or I could have insisted on running back to the apartment to jump online.

But wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? The idea of social networking is to connect with friends and colleagues. Sometimes this online connecting gets in the way of real connections. Facebook has had a tremendous effect on how we stay in touch with friends fresh and old. Yet it seems that it also relegates our connections to insensitive, unmeaningful interactions. It reminds me of the time one of my wife’s friends sent a bulk text message to many of her friends on a holiday telling them how much they mean to her.

I logged on to Facebook when I got back to the apartment last night. My first choice of vanity URL wasn’t available. But that’s less notable than spending time with old friends.