Facebook

I've written before about internet communities that I've been invited to join. Generally I've declined such invitations as I feel the need to limit the number of such communities I'm part of and also limit the number of easy access points to me from friends-of-friends. One of these communities, however, seems to be gaining ground in U*U circles as a community of preference. The ICUU website (NOTE: NEWLY REFURBISHED, Take a Look! by visiting here)
even has a link to this one, Facebook. If you join Facebook you will find links to many self-identified Unitarians and Universalists around the world.

But, do take care when on this website, too. The BBC has just published an item about crooks who are targeting Facebook members (link:) by inviting them to view a video of themselves. Now, we all know to avoid invitations to view pretty girls, but ourselves??? Pretty tempting for most of us until we start to rationally ask, how can there be a video of me that I don't know about?

At least once a week I get an email from a friend cautioning me about a new powerful virus that has been announced and I should warn all my friends about it. 99.99% of these emails are a waste of time, either warning of old viruses that are known about or warning about something that is an urban myth rather than a virus. These don't get any further when they reach me -- there's enough useless email clogging the system up without me emailing all my contacts.

So, I guess I'm suggesting that Facebook would be a site that would enable you to meet lots of U*Us, but even here be careful. And don't email all your friends about the current attempt to trap Facebook members, just don't fall into one of the most seductive traps around, the offer to look at one's self.

John Clifford