friend up! or and over-dependence on electronic devices

since when did my business start to depend so heavily on my computer? i was separated from it for a couple of months due to a series of circumstances somewhat beyond my control. my whole life during this time seemed dedicated to me being reunited with my computer. and now, today, i am feeling the conditionality of my relationships with others on my proximity to my computer and my cell phone. when did this all happen? i remember a time when i had neither of these things, and i had a decent social life which wasn’t dependent on me checking my e-mail or never being more than 8 feet from my cell phone.

i belong to several online “communities.” friendster, tribe, myspace, photobucket, flickr, platial, etsy, yahoo, iqons, blogspot to name a few. this coupled with an actual website that sorely needs to be updated. is it really necessary for me to brodcast to the entire world my personal tribulations, relationship status, latest financial crisis, hobbies and cat pictures along with the shameless self-promotion that i can reach out to people for free? it says it’s free, it does. join now! free!!! but how free is it? it eats up my time. i tend to at least try to keep up personal correspondences with potential clients and publicity people. i look at each invitation as a potential client; just like when i meet someone in person and they hand me their business card, i dutifully look at their website, and add them to my ever-growing mailing list. (as an aside: that mailing list is the most valuable thing i own, and it is the life-blood of my business) but does a “friend up” on an online community website constitute true social interaction? i can say that while i am very candid online and in person, i am very well aware that anyone can read anything i put into writing and toss out online, and i take this into consideration with each and every note, email, comment, photo and blog posted on the interweb. (more people see and read these things than you think. it amazes me just how many)and while i am very candid online, do you know me from reading my writing and looking at pictures of my designs and my cat online? this is no substitute for personal interaction in person.

don’t get me wrong, the interweb has been good to me. it has garnered me international attention. it has made money for me, has given more people access to my company than anything else could. but i have my moments where i want to toss my computer off the balcony and run away. i cannot do this. i am addicted.

FRIEND UP!
people.tribe.net/kirstennotbuttergirl
www.myspace.com/kirstenmoore
www.friendster.com/piperewan
piperewan.blogspot.com
www.iqons.com/piper+ewan

and my cat has a page too:
people.tribe.net/misspiperewan

the above photo is the beginnings of a crazy quilt made out of sweater scraps. each piece is freehand machine-quilted together with the flowers sewn on top as i go. right now it is about 3′ x 4′ but it should keep growing unless/until i lose interest in it.