Everyone is doing it

It seems every time I get together with my extended family, the younger generation of cousins (high schoolers) is bragging about their number of myspace comments or how many buddies they have on their AIM lists.

When I was a high schooler, the internet communication ganglion consisted of dial-up broadcast bulletin boards and IRC. My family didn't own a computer. My first computer class consisted of directing a "turtle" to draw shapes on a Mac Classic. Donkey Kong was still pixelated.

My first Mac had a 500MB hard drive.

How far we've come!

A few months ago I got an email from a former colleague to join a networking site. By the time I got around to finally exploring it, his offer had expired. But once I registered and started sending out invitations and adding contacts, I was glued to my email to see who would respond.

Will he give me an add? Is she my professional friend? It's like the adult, working world version of buddy lists and shout outs.

Then I started wondering if hiring employers look at this network... and what they glean from it. And more importantly, what my contacts would say about me if they were forced to make a statement under duress.

"She was really good at sneaking to the front of the line for buffets!"

"She always found the best parking spots!"

"She was good at staying awake during meetings! Most of the time!"

"She could hold her liquor!"

But it's been a nice visit back in time, to a workplace that was once a very fun place to be. I've been thinking of the memories I have with people from that time, and how I should have kept up more in spite of the craziness I've had the past two years.

I hope some of them have kept up with me and my stupid blog, and know why I started it, years ago, in the first place: Because I anticipated leaving them, and it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.