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Friday, October 1, 2010

“The Social Network” Film Debut Spurs Fairfield Facebook Survey

“The Social Network” Film Debut Spurs Fairfield Facebook Survey
(Appeared as front page feature in Fairfield-Sun newspaper 9/30/10) 
By Mike Lauterborn
© 2010. All Rights Reserved.
9/22/10

Fairfield, CT – “Initially, I avoided Facebook,” said Fairfield resident Eileen Weber, 40, asked recently about her interaction with the social networking site, adding, “I thought it was just a meat sheet for people looking to hook up.” But, then, a couple of people asked why she wasn’t on it and she decided to check it out. “The first day I signed up, I had 30 people friend me. It makes you feel like you don’t have to be the cheerleader or the captain of the basketball team to be that popular.”

Weber is one of over 500 million active users of the online service that has joined since Mark Zuckerberg and a few of his Harvard University classmates launched Facebook back in February 2004. On October 1, “The Social Network”, a movie about the founders of the website, debuts in theaters nationwide. Just what is the fascination with this online interface, how are local Fairfielders using it and how do they feel about it?

Varied Usage
Zuckerberg’s initial site concept was along the lines of “Hot or Not”, essentially featuring photos of students from nine houses on campus. Two would be shown at a time and visitors challenged to decide which was “hotter”. From these sophomoric beginnings, Facebook has become the leading social networking site, leaving once popular MySpace in the dust.

Leslie Marshall, 44, aptly sums up the reason Fairfielders primarily rely on Facebook today. “I use it to connect with people I haven’t talked to in years.”

Others, like Pamela Ortiz, 49, use it keep current with friends and family that are far away. “It makes connecting with my kids in Hawaii, wherein there’s a six-hour time difference between us, more convenient. When we can’t Skype, I send a message or write on their wall.”

For Jenn Colford, 40, Facebook allows her to quickly check how her friends are doing. “I can do a 20-second glance and be updated on what’s going on with my friends’ lives without doing anything.”

The younger set, like Evan Lauterborn, 14, a Fairfield Ludlowe High School sophomore and the lead singer/guitarist in a band, utilize Facebook for many additional reasons. “It’s great for making plans, getting homework details and promoting my band.” Lauterborn’s band, in fact, has created a dedicated “Fan” page, to which friends and followers can subscribe and receive updates about the group’s activities.

Almost all local users agree that having the ability to post and send photographs through the service is an advantage. “I love viewing others’ photos, especially during the holidays,” said Kathleen Tempini, 55. Many users’ pages house whole albums of photos, which are often catalogued with regard to the event or occasion to which they relate – a vacation, a night out, a birthday celebration, a family gathering, etc. In effect, they become a history of a life.

A Language Unto Its Own
There is, without a doubt, a certain language and favorite expressions that Facebook users have adopted, which seem universally commonplace. Perhaps the most popular expression is “LOL”, or “Laughing Out Loud”. A more emphatic version is “LMAO”, or “Laughing My A** Off”.  These are used in response to amusing comments and, often, startling images.

Other terms express dismay, surprise and disappointment. For instance, “WTF” (What The F***) is used to question something that is puzzling or to express outrage about a particular action or slight.  A variation is “OMG” (Oh My God).

Quick symbols, often taken from the world of text messaging, are also employed. These include “:-)” (smiley face), “:-(“ (sad face), “:-p” (silly face with tongue sticking out), “:-o” (surprised face) and “;-)” (flirtatious winking face).

A Virtual Community of Friends
Some users are very conservative about the number of Facebook friends they keep. A 40-year-old prep school teacher who preferred to remain anonymous maintains just 40 friends. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Lauterborn has over 700 friends and claims to know all of them. On average, local users have about 150 contacts.

Ortiz, who has 210 FB friends at present, likes to look over her list occasionally. “I try to figure out who I could delete but always end up keeping all of them!”

To add a friend to one’s Friend List, one has a few access options. One can simply plug a friend’s name into a search window and, if they successfully find the right person, can simply Friend Request them. Often, though, due to online privacy issues and to keep users from being harassed, Facebook may not allow the connection if it is suspected that the “requester” does not personally know the “requestee”. In this case, one can send the user a message asking if they would like to connect and to Friend Request them back.

Fave Features
Facebook offers a host of features that allow users to maximize their experience and interaction with each other. In addition to posting photos, subscribers can post other media like video clips, event notices and links to online content.

Photos, which can be uploaded from both land-based and mobile devices, often include those of friends and family, or sometimes a celebrity or amusing image. “Sharing pictures with my kids in Hawaii makes me feel a little more connected with them,” said Ortiz. Photos can be “tagged”, meaning that specific people can be identified by name via a caption simply by zeroing in and providing an identification.

Videos tend to be established content, like a music performance or televised screen clip, often pulled from YouTube. Occasionally, you’ll see something more homegrown like a dog dancing on its hind legs to the Mexican Hat Dance or toddler doing samba moves.

Event notices typically include day/date/time, host, location and a brief description. “I like to keep updated on upcoming events, mostly concerts,” said Ortiz, an avid music lover.

Links can be to any content available online, from articles and scientific literature to content clips and photos.

Another favorite feature is the birthday reminder, which lists the birthdays of people on your Friend list and gives one the opportunity to send a greeting.

Is Facebook Educational?
Facebook serves a helpful, educational purpose for some, but is just an amusement for most… and often a hindrance. On the positive side, Tempini said, “We have forums and discussions on work related topics.” Conversely, Lauterborn remarked, “I don’t find it educational at all, simply entertaining. In fact, sometimes it’s distracting.”

Had Your Facebook Fix?
Some can take or leave Facebook and say they have other options to stay connected. But others say they miss it when they haven’t been on in a while. “I did miss Facebook when I was away on vacation and had no reception at our resort for a week,” confessed Ortiz. Echoed Tempini, “I do miss it if I have not been on it for a day.”

Local users check on their pages anywhere from once a day to a couple times a month, with the average being a few times a week. Tempini is hooked, “I check at least 3 to 4 times a day for 10-15 minutes each time.”

SIDEBAR

Practical Facebook Applications
To most Fairfield-based users of Facebook, the service is an entertainment. But some have found it very helpful in terms of monitoring a child’s activities, checking on someone’s background and even helping avoid social isolation.

“My motive for establishing a Facebook account was to check and see what my daughter Devlyn was doing on there,” said Pamela Ortiz. “I told her if she didn’t accept my friend request, I would take her laptop away.” Mom Kathleen Tempini used it in a similar manner, saying, “I am definitely not a snoop, but did discover by a “tag” that my daughter had pierced her lip the first week of college.”

Before hiring a college student as a babysitter, Fran Milici, mother of two elementary school-aged daughters, did a little background checking. “I figured I’d go to the place that could possibly reveal issues of concern a parent would have when hiring a person to watch her children. I was pleased with what I saw/read and she was hired.”

For Ortiz, Facebook is a great comfort when she is feeling isolated or tied down at home. “I enjoy staying in contact with friends that I found on People Search, whom I otherwise may never have found,” said Ortiz. “And I feel like I’m socializing at times when I may not be able to get out of the house.”

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, profiled by actor Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”, a film set to debut in theaters October 1 about the social networking phenomenon, could not have imagined the variety of utility and popularity the service would achieve. And whether you have a positive or indifferent opinion about Facebook, one thing’s clear. It’s a fixture that’s going to be around for a while. 


About Face: A Facebook Usage Spot Check

About Face:
A Facebook Usage Spot Check
By Mike Lauterborn
© 2010. All Rights Reserved.
9/8/10

Since Mark Zuckerberg and a few of his Harvard University classmates launched the social networking site Facebook back in February 2004, it has grown into a behemoth with over 500 million active users as of July 2010. Just what is the fascination with this online interface, how are people using it and who are they?

Varied Usage
Zuckerberg’s initial site concept was along the lines of “Hot or Not”, essentially featuring photos of students from nine houses on campus. Two would be shown at a time and visitors challenged to decide which was “hotter”. From these sophomoric beginnings, Facebook has become the leading social networking site, leaving once popular MySpace in the dust.

Sandra McLean-Maragh, 43, of Hollywood, FL, aptly sums up the reason people primarily rely on Facebook. “I use it to keep in touch, especially with my friends and family, who are scattered locally and internationally,” the married mother of a 14-year-old daughter said.

Maragh also uses it to share photos, as do most users. In fact, their pages typically house whole albums of photos, which are often catalogued with regard to the event or occasion to which they relate – a vacation, a night out, a birthday celebration, a family gathering, etc. They become a history of a life.

Others use Facebook to reconnect with old classmates and maintain relationships. Bethanie Cabral, 34, from New Jersey, said that she “wouldn’t have found my two childhood besties” without it.

Still others have a more business-minded approach to the social networking medium. Bob D’Aprile, 48, of Stamford, CT, host of a radio rock music program, uses FB for event promotion, to monitor his Fan site and get the word out about two other businesses.

Facebook gives you the ability to create a “Fan” page, wherein you can promote yourself and your activities and enlist fans. You can ask other users to “Like” what you are promoting and, if they click on the adjacent “Like” button, they become a fan or follower.

A Language Unto Its Own
There is, without a doubt, a certain language and favorite expressions that Facebook users have adopted, which seem universally commonplace. Perhaps the most popular expression is “LOL”, or Laughing Out Loud. “I love my ‘lol’,” said Evelina Khaimova, 22, of Queens, NY. “It’s so simple and when you have nothing to say, ‘lol’ is perfect.”

“LOL” enjoys a myriad of related iterations like “LMAO” (Laughing My A** Off), “LMFAO” (a step up from LMAO, with an expletive thrown in), “ROTFL” (Rolling On the Floor Laughing) and even “PMSL” (Pissed Myself Laughing). These are used in response to amusing comments and, often, startling images.

Other terms express dismay and disappointment. For instance, “WTF” (What The…) is used to question something that is puzzling or to express outrage about a particular action or slight.  Another, “STFU” (Shut the… Up) is used out of annoyance or in jest as a reply to a barb or remark. Maragh’s daughter, Amanda Sookdeo, created her own expression, which is more of a symbol actually: “. _ .”  Maragh explains that it is “a smile that has been run over!”

Other common, quick symbols include “:-)” (smiley face), “:-(“ (sad face), “:-p” (silly face with tongue sticking out), “:-o” (surprised face) and “;-)” (flirtatious winking face).

A Whole Community of Friends
Some users are very conservative about the number of Facebook friends they keep. Maragh claims to be “very particular” and has only amassed 10 friends to date. On the opposite end of the spectrum, comedian Gina Brillon, 30, from Bronx, NY, has pulled together 2, 249 friends. Many of the latter have joined her site as fans of the content she regularly posts. Others, like Allison Macdowell, 45, of Matthews, NC, claims to have “zillions” of friends but only “3 really great ones!”
Pam Ortiz of Fairfield, CT, who has 210 FB friends at present, likes to look over her list occasionally. “I try to figure out who I could delete but always end up keeping all of them!” Most users fall somewhere in the middle of the scale, with between 200 and 600 FB friends on average.

To add a friend to one’s Friend List, one has a few access options. One can simply plug in a friend’s name to a search window and, if they successfully find the right person, can simply Friend Request them. Often, though, due to online privacy issues and to keep users from being harassed, Facebook may not allow the connection if it is suspected that the “requester” does not personally know the “requestee”. In this case, one can send the user a message asking if they would like to connect and to Friend Request them back.

Fave Features
Facebook offers a host of features that allow users to maximize their experience and interaction with each other. This includes the ability to post a wide assortment of media: photos, video clips, event notices and links to online content.

Photos, which can be uploaded from both land-based and mobile devices, often include those of friends and family, or sometimes a celebrity or amusing image. “Sharing pictures with my kids in Hawaii makes me feel a little more connected with them,” said Ortiz. Photos can be “tagged”, meaning that if you recognize yourself in someone else’s photo, you can tag it with your name so that the photo then automatically appears on your own page. Or the photo uploader can identify people in a particular photo, which then automatically posts it on the page of everyone tagged.

Videos tend to be established content, like a music performance or televised screen clip, often pulled from YouTube. Occasionally, you’ll see something more homegrown like a dog dancing on its hind legs to the Mexican Hat Dance or toddler doing samba moves!

Event notices typically include day/date/time, host, location and a brief description. “I like to keep updated on upcoming events, mostly concerts,” said Ortiz, an avid music lover.

Links can be to any content available online, from articles and scientific literature to content clips and photos.

Denise Gallardo of Highland, CA, enjoys putting up and getting reactions to her provocative status postings. These are often broadcast out on a Facebook News Feed and allow for feedback and comments. The more provocative the posting, the more voluminous and involved the commentary. “Facebook is fun in this way!” she adds.

Maragh finds some status updates irksome. “I think it is useless for someone to simply post ‘bored’ or ‘tired’ and not an explanation so I can respond!”

Is Facebook Educational?
Beyond offering another option to stay connected, Facebook serves an educational purpose for many. Macdowell  said, “FB challenges me to reach further.” Ed Jun Kim, 45, of Irvine, CA, said, “It’s sometimes educational when I see a useful link.” Khaimova finds it insightful “because people always share their thoughts, feelings and other interesting things (from YouTube, a famous quote, fun personal pictures). You constantly learn something new.” Khaimova also finds it helpful with regard to completing school projects. “In college, let’s say you are not comfortable with giving out your phone number to a classmate… You can always simply find them on Facebook.”

Had Your Facebook Fix?
Some can take or leave Facebook and say they have other options to stay connected. But the majority of users say they miss it when they haven’t been on in a while. “I’m hooked – line and sinker!” said Cabral. “I am addicted!” joked Khaimova. “I start to miss the jokes and interaction,” added Gallardo. “I feel like I’m missing out on things, like events and opportunities,” decided Brillon. “I did miss Facebook when I was away on vacation and had no reception at our resort for a week,” confessed Ortiz.

Users usually check in daily, and sometimes 2 to 3 times a day. Some may spend as much as 1 to 2 hours on FB in a session. Others, like Macdowell, are “always” on.

A Replacement for Real World Socializing?
Facebook can be an entrée to new friends, but there’s a debate as to whether it can be a stand-in for real world connections. “I enjoy staying in contact with friends that I found on People Search, whom I otherwise may never have found,” said Ortiz. “And I feel like I’m socializing at times when I may not be able to get out of the house.” On the other hand, D’Aprile fears, “That initial connection when you start a conversation with someone in a public place has slowly been replaced by Facebook exchanges. Personally, I prefer to look into the eyes of a pretty woman, then continue having Facebook exchanges.” He added, “That said, people feel safer via Facebook. Once you know more about someone, then a real meet-up may follow.”





Man About Town: On the Beat

Man About Town: On the Beat
(Column appeared in Fairfield-Citizen newspaper 10/1/10)
By Mike Lauterborn
2010. All Rights Reserved.
9/21/10

It was a crisp weekday morning. The sun was still yawning, stretching and climbing up out of bed. Fall had crept in overnight and dew glistened on blades of freshly mown grass.

A good time to pad into downtown and watch the day come alive I figured. By this time, students had already settled into their classrooms and were hitting the books, so streets were passable. Moms that had escorted their little ones were now headed to fitness classes or taking a neighborhood stroll. Office workers were making last-minute stops for cups of coffee before reporting to their workplaces.

One such coffee stop was Chef’s Table on the Post Road, a good place to set up for a while. I slipped into one of several booths, with a view of the street and entryway, and plopped my gear on the table, which was black with aluminum trim like a roadie case.

“Oh, this is such a cute place!” a young woman, dressed in black and white, exclaimed, bouncing into the shop. A step ahead of her, a male co-worker in a neatly pressed blue button-down shirt and tie, said, “Yeah, and look at all the old music references,” pointing to the dozens of framed band photos, concert posters and record albums covering the majority of wall space in this high-ceilinged, narrow café.

There was Bruce. Johnny Cash. Led Zeppelin. Jerry Garcia. Bob Dylan. John Lennon. The Doors. All the greats were represented in this hall of music fame and shrine to rock.

Enhancing the scene and making it all the more authentic, fast-paced classic rock tunes jangled from overhead speakers, and a series of uniquely-colored lava lamps on little perches at each booth pumped gooey globs up and down in their cone-shaped containers.

“Come on and take a free ride, come on and take me by your side, come on and take a free ride!” the Edgar Winter Group pleaded over the PA system.

Another woman strolled in, with big sunglasses, a low-dipping drawstring top, a Fruit Stripe gum patterned bag and bell bottom jeans. For a minute, it was like a time warp had occurred, but of course this was just a case of retro styles coming back around and enjoying another spell in the retail limelight.

One would think that with such a strongly embedded music theme here menu items would be named after some of the leading industry stars. The Creedence Club, Hendrix Hero… something along those lines. But food offerings were put out there unadorned, meant to appeal solely on the basis of their ingredients. It was a tasty lineup to be sure, with breakfast sandwiches the opening act and hot soups and wraps headlining.

A salesman-type bounded in, laid down a backpack, set up a laptop and fetched a java. At the same time, he eyed a news report on a big screen TV near the front of the place. Rolling in behind him, a mom, new baby in stroller and young lad. They b-lined for the restroom before she secured a very tall cup of coffee for herself and snacks for the children.

Traffic was whizzing back and forth on the main drag by this time as mid-morning errand running began – the start of a narrow window before the noon close of pre-schools and mid-afternoon flight back home of the older children.

It was time to get going, to join the flow, the Fairfield beat. I would leave my cozy booth to the lunchtime set – hometown heroes seeking sumptuous subs.