Love and Facebook

http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_12/boyd/index.html <-- I took Dr. Reid's advice and googled Danah Boyd, and found this research piece on the importance of "Friendship" on websites such as Myspace. It's interesting, funny, and true.

My best friend and I bounced around a few ideas about social networking. She pointed out the importance of one's relationship status in a public profile. The jump from "In A Relationship" to "Single," and vice versa, is a significant public annoucement. Additionally, college students often joke in Facebook about being "Married to" or "In An Open Relationship with" someone of the same gender. Regardless of whether we're taken or if "It's Complicated," there's something about the public declaration of a relationship status that fascinates us.

I don't have too much to say about Snow Crash at the moment. I've hit the wall in the middle of the book, where Hiro and the Librarian have seemingly endless discussions about Sumerian legends and writing. It's started to feel like The DaVinci Code or some sort of international intrigue novel, with the obligatory "true historical backstory." But fear not -- I shall push through!