Some of you will notice the number of people in my network has decreased. I know some people are going to be upset that they no longer appear on that list. All I can say is I need to simplify my Space and one way to do that is to slim down the people in my network. The names of people listed at my profile aren't the only names I've deleted. There are many names I've deleted from my messenger and my email contact lists. I can't say whether or not I'll delete any more names. What I can say is I won't be adding any more names any time soon.

     So why am I doing this? I don't know about other people, but I'm now spending between 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day checking and reading emails, blogs, and messages posted at the message board I help moderate. By the time I do that, do whatever house chores need done, and eat supper there's not much time left for anything else. I need to cut back somewhere and, as much as I hate to cut out anything, the most sensible thing right now seems to be streamlining my Space. We'll have to wait to see what happens in the future.

     I just wanted to let my friends know that if you don't see me on here everyday it's because I'm busy checking out various banks about first mortgages, looking at the real estate sites, and weighing the pros and cons of buying a house vs a mobile home. One thing I've discovered is that even though I have a job that pays the bills, being single with one income will definitely limit my options for a future residence. I'll try to pop on for a little while everyday so I can keep updated on all the happenings around Spaces.

     As I was reading through the various blogs today, I remembered how people couldn't understand why I was upset when someone I only knew from an internet chat room died. People will say a lot of things about these relationships. Some will tell you it's crazy to grieve over someone you never met or knew in real life. Others will accuse you of not having a "real life" if you get so attached to people in cyberspace. They just can't understand we can have friends in many places, whether that be people we can interact with in person or people we've never met except through chat rooms, message boards, or blog spaces. Probably the most often heard comment is "You really don't know if that person was ever telling you the truth or just making up stories". All I can say is there are people out there with powerful life stories which are believable enough I've built what I feel is a real and lasting friendship with those people.

     One such story is the one that caused me great grief when the person died. One man came into a chat room and was very harsh toward Christians and Christianity. Night after night, he'd rile up the usual crowd because of his criticism and unbelief. Over time, he refused to talk to most of the regulars and chose to only talk to two or three of us. We'd have many discussions about our beliefs and he'd be very polite when asking questions or stating why he couldn't believe as we did. Over the course of several months, his heart and mind changed and he became a brother in Christ. He would come in and tell us how much better his life became and how much closer he was to his family since becoming a Christian. Not three months later, a friend of his logged into chat using the man's name and password so he could tell us the man had died. I was devastated. Here was a man who had just recently become my brother and now he was gone. Of all the stories he shared with us, he never mentioned the cancer he'd been battling for years or that being the reason he'd turned away from God. His friend told us those details. He also told us the man was not only thinking about his family at the end, but those of us who had taken the time to listen to him and help him find the right path in life.

     Perhaps the main reason we build these friendships in cyberspace are because we can share things we wouldn't share wth the other people around us. I know some people who, because of illnesses and diseases, can't get out in real life and the internet is their only source of communication. Whatever the reason, cyberfriends are important link in our lives. I really miss my friends who are no longer here. Every time someone dies, I feel the pain of the hole left in my life because they're no longer here to share a silly story or drop a good bit of advice.

     I hope that we all meet again in that far better place.

     You all know I did my fair share of complaining when Windows Spaces first made major changes to the way things work around here. I still haven't figured everything out, but enough that I can find the updates and such. Once in a while I still run into a glitch; however, those times are getting fewer and further between events. The other night I was checking on my friends over at Facebook and came to the conclusion that Windows Spaces is still the place to be for my main socializing within the place know as the blogosphere. Why?

 

     1. I can find everything from my blog updates to incoming messages and invitations within one or two mouse clicks. At Facebook, all of the controls and updates are spread among too many pages.

     2. I never have to wait more than about 10 seconds for pages to load, with the exception of blog spaces containing videos and music. At Facebook, I've never had a page load in less than about 30 seconds. With having cable internet, 30 seconds is crazy.

     3. My friends will talk about anything here, yet when they talk about weather or getting a new car (among other things), they're more apt to discuss every detail and what they learned from the experience. At Facebook, people give the report on the activity and nothing else ... even when you ask them for more details.

     4. When my friends here have a problem or concern, they share enough details that people can help (if they're looking for help) and then give updates when things get better or worse. At Facebook, it seems people just complain to be complaining and get angry if you try to help.

     5. If I receive an invitation to join someone's network, I can check out their Space before accepting or declining the invitation. At Facebook, the only way to see someone's page is to accept the invitation.

 

     Sure, I'll keep my Facebook account so I can keep in touch with family members and old school mates (sort of), but I already told them I won't be spending as much time there. What it all comes down to is I may still complain when Windows Spaces makes changes, but at least here I can figure things out. The main difference I appreciate is that here, friends are friends and I always know where and how to find you all.