Return of the Blog (Mark Vs Facebook)

"Oh my g-d so arrogant!"
"Are you serious, your own website?"
"Why would anyone look at that?"

Just some of the comments that I regularly got over the last two years, when I told people that I had a website, (www.marksilvert.com).

Before the website, I used this blogging page (www.doctormark.blogspot.com) to write about my travels in America and due to its popularity I continued it onwards into my site, the editing made easy and aesthetically pleasing by the wonders of my Apple Mac.

But it's me that's having the last laugh on those that would chortle at my egotism.

With the explosion in social networking site "Facebook" everyone I know with the exception of 3 New Yorkers, Jackie, Kate and Zoe, and one Brit, Adam Cane, (get them on!!) now has their own webpage, where they are not only uploading photos of friends, family, new babies, engagements, weddings but informing everyone on a hourly or minute by minute basis of what they are up to. Some use their mobiles to update what they are up to.

Not even I go that far!!

What facebook does is prove that we are all wannabe celebs, we crave our own space, our personalities have an unquenchable appetite for attention. I make no secret of it, I love attention, who the hell doesn't?

But facebook has a negative side too. It was on the news today that most adults have about 30 - 40 friends, well I think that was about right, but not anymore.

Some people list up to 4 to 500 hundred friends on their facebook pages. Whilst this is ridiculous, it is certainly possible to have a couple of hundred that you email and poke from time to time.

These sites are changing the ways in which we live. We sailed through school years and tours and holidays, and left some friends in the wake of our stern, whilst keeping others on deck. But now it turns out those friends made it, and swam to safety, only to reappear on these social networking sites with old photos of us that we had never seen before and certainly never even imagined we would approve or disapprove of a tag!

In fact I tagged an ex girlfriend the other day who is now engaged, and she removed it within seconds of it being in cyberspace.

It felt good in some ways to know that there were some people that I would just never hear or see of again. But now with one click I can see what they are up to, guess at how much more successful they are than me and how amazingly missed they are by their friends, by taking a look at their wall - and all because they went to Brighton for the day or something equally ridiculous.

Those that do not partake in these sites are missing out on literally hundreds of invites out to clubs, bars, and birthdays yearly. I don't know what I did before facebook to work out when the next jew doo was taking place or which club everyone was going to on a bank holiday weekend, I guess I just phoned around. Now I just click on the events tab! EASY!

It goes further, these sites change the way you feel. Feeling sad, log on, get some emails, some pokes, some hugs, some slaps even, feel better about life. Family and friends are there cheering you on.

Poke a one night stand, get a poke back, sort out your next Sunday night! (So I am told.)

Feeling happy, log on, and what do you find, photos of the one that got away getting married to a one legged, receding hair lined beast! What was so wrong with me!!!?

You see there are things you just shouldn't see in life, like your long term ex girlfriends marriage, the photos of other people's holidays when you are stuck feeling sorry for yourself for one reason or another, they smile at you, they who are saying "look at what a fucking brilliant time I am having!!!"

I think you get my point. Facebook is the invention of the devil and somewhere deep down you agree with me, you know it's wrong and so so addictive, like gambling, drugs or alcohol.

Now I simply must go, I have to upload some photos of me and Jez on a boat in 30 degree weather off a Balearic island, not that I am trying to make you jealous or anything.......