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In 2008, we got our @sses handed to us. One of the ways we were out-organized was in social networks.

How many people will read what you post here on FR? Of them, how many aren’t already on our side? Don’t get me wrong, I love Free Republic, and am thankful every day that JimRob built this tool for us. But most people will never be FReepers. This is a place for us to talk amongst ourselves, and get news and talking points. Facebook gives us a place to spread that message.

Facebook gives you an opportunity to post a couple of articles a day, that will be seen, and maybe read, by people who don’t think about politics as much as we do.

I have had people come up to me, who never comment on things I post, and thank me for opening their eyes. My FRiends, by your interest, you are called to be missionaries. Go forth and evangelize. Don’t just hang around here.

Three years ago, I got a FB account just to see what the fuss was about. During the 2008 campaign, I learned what a bunch of @zzholes people can be. First I started deleting people, then I just deactivated the account. I had one guy I knew in college actually threaten to report my FB use "on company time" to my boss because he didn't like a political article I posted. (He didn't factor in that he was in a different time zone from me. I was actually posting from home. But who ever said Libtards were smart?)

I ended up having to activate the account again because (get the irony of this), I work in marketing and my boss wanted us to start following FB and Twitter so we could keep up-to-date with the whole social media thing. You have to have an account to access anything that is on FB... even the public business pages. But we did a lot of meetings and set up a lot of ground rules. No personal posts from company computers, no "friending" people from work, and other things. I took the no "friending" co-workers one step further and decided no "friending" my neighbors either. Just don't want to hear about their "mentorships" with Planned Parenthood or other insidious goings-on, and don't want everyone gossiping about me at the dog park. That had happened previously. So now when a neighbor sends a friend request, I say politely, "I only use Facebook for work," and if a co-worker makes a request, "I only use Facebook for personal friends away from work."

So what does that leave me with, you ask? Basically people I knew from my college and high school days who live all the way across the country. I put certain people on lists where I don't see their posts (the "social media marketing expert and author" who is like having an Amway friend, or the Madison, Wisconsin hippie who thinks Scott Walker is The Devil). I do post political commentary on occasion, though don't usually get responses but from one or two others. I am constantly checking the privacy settings. They will change them on you. Any photos I am tagged in are blocked from everyone, etc. I have also stripped out all information except my name. I don't post pictures of myself (the new "face identification" nixed that whole thing). And I only post where I am after I just left the place.

Bottom line is it's a lot to keep track of. I keep my friend list under 100 people, and I'm not stupid enough to think all of those people are actually "friends." It's nice to keep in touch with those who are so far away, but as someone in the 40-yo age bracket, I'm not trying to impress anyone with the size of my "list." I do wish I had more conservative friends on FB, though!