Paris Attacks: Did Facebook Favor Paris Over Beirut? #Paris #ParisAttacks

Drawing courtesy of Micha Khalil

During the Paris Attacks, Facebook initiated the Safety Check tool, which allowed residents in Paris (or their friends) to mark themselves "Safe." Facebook also allowed Facebook users the ability to turn their profile picture into the French flag to show solidarity with the people of Paris.

Cecilia Brainard's New Cover for FaceBook

This is the new cover of my FaceBook Timeline. The cover occupies a large space and to have put my face in there would have been startling; even group pictures are huge. The first cover I put up was a sunset scene taken in Mexico, but I decided that wasn't saying very much about me, thus this image.

I was quite comfortable with FaceBook's old look when they suddenly changed the whole thing, and here I am, trying to figure it out.

More on Facebook

I'm flexing my mind here; I feel Facebooked-out. I've put in photos, links and notes in my Facebook site, and I've learned to respond to other Facebookers' comments, but I haven't learned to come up with cute comments to post so everyone will a) Comment back; or b) click "like." Facebook another medium, entirely. Many writers like it, and I think its for networking opportunities or for simply huddling together - birds-of-a-feather.

Facebook is allowing me to connect with my in-laws, classmates, with my ex-lawyer, with writers and teachers. Even people from Cebu.

My Facebook account is "Public" so I have to mind what I post. I could make it private, but what's the fun in that? Even though I've semi-complained about it, the din is entertaining. There are the serious ones with their causes; there are the ones that diligently answer the question "What's on your mind?" which is posted right above your Profile or Home Page.

In the beginning, I took that seriously and posted things like, "I'm trying to figure out this Facebook thing." Surprisingly a number of people stepped forward to help me. Then there's the matter of posting photos, after uploading, you're prompted to publish, and I thought that meant to publish in the photo section, and I kept clicking this, after uploading pictures of our trip to Turkey, other travel trips, pictures of Filipino and FilAm writers - click, click, click...until I realized that every time I clicked, this was broadcasted and announced to all my Facebook Friends. My God, they were polite! No one complained about all those pictures. In fact, I had some positive comments and some "likes." I guess that's what friends are for. These friends, or some of them, are not old friends, but contacts, sometimes friends of friends. I've made it a point to include in my Friend List people who are in the Friend list of someone I know. But the fact remains that strangers can access this Facebook site. It's like this Blog, anyone can access it. But there hasn't been a glut of visitors, so I shouldn't worry too much about my Facebook account being public, I suppose.

Enough monologuing for now. I'm making quiche and have to check it. We're having that with still-warm French bread. Yum!
Click here to visit my Facebook site.
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Jack Pot Question - Where's Cecilia in this picture? (click on the picture to enlarge it)- And don't you think the nun looks like Pat Boone?

Figuring out Facebook

These past couple days I've been trying to figure out Facebook. I registered and have a site there (is that what it's called, a "site"?) I was surprised to see the number of family members, friends and acquaintances who are Facebook members. I went through the whole thing of filling out their profile form, and uploading a profile picture and other pictures. And suddenly I had all these people chattering away in my "wall" - I felt as if I were in a cocktail party and surrounded by a hundred people doing mini-monologues. Obviously I don't have to "listen" to all of them, but there they are on my page, with thumbnail pictures of their lovely faces and these messages they've thrown out into the world. "I'm not feeling great today." "Life is good today." "My first poetry animation." etc. etc.

One could sit in front of the computer and answer these short messages or peek into people's profiles, photos and lives.

I know some people with Facebook accounts who say they don't really use it; I see many who seem to have it on constantly, as they cast out messages to their friends.

I am not particularly fond of these truncated messages tossed out there, and the short little messages thrown back at you. (I'm not even going to look into Twitter!) I much prefer blogging where I can write something longer than a paragraph.

To my readers who wonder if I do anything constructive aside from travelling and messing around with Facebook, let me assure you that I have three book projects in production right now: Fundamentals of Creative Writing; Finding God, and Growing Up Filipino II.

All for now,
Cecilia

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Jack pot question: Who is the man beside the younger Cecilia?