The age of Facebook

By Josh Salm/Staff Writer
OLD TOWN — For a long time, the Internet has been a confusing maze of Web sites, urls and dot-coms that has fed the public’s desire for 24/7 news organizations, sports pages like ProFootballTalk.com and ESPN and social networking sites so we don’t actually have to leave our house to be social and informed — just as long as the internet connection holds up.
One of those social networking sites that has led to the demise of social contact for countless Americans is Facebook. It was created back when I was in college, and at that time the only people that could join were students from certain colleges. It was there to basically for kids to message each other to get together for a bite to eat, a study session (or video game session) or a place to party.
Since then, the site has been opened up to the public and it has now exploded in size and scope. Apparently I’m friends with over 250 people through Facebook, many of whom I know well and are family and friends from home, college or people I know outside of work.
However, with the doors opening for the public to access this popular Web site, public groups and businesses are creating their own site profiles as well. For instance, take the Greenville Police Department, who started a page as part of a community outreach program. It has since taken off, with the department having 161 friends as of Thursday. The department has used the site for everything from keeping up with people in the community to informing people about how much snow fell this past winter.
And by no means is the Greenville PD alone in this. The Auburn Police Department, the Maine Emergency Management Agency, the IFW and so many other organizations have a site on their too. It’s a free and easy way to get the word out on what they are doing, and with the update feature in Facebook, any news these groups post goes directly to each user. It’s easier than e-mail and faster than snail mail.
Heck, it’s becoming so widespread that you can even become a fan of Moosehead Furniture in Monson through Facebook. I only know that because a friend on the site suggested I do so.
It’s likely only a matter of time before groups such as local businessmen, nature-based places such as Gulf Hagas and Borestone Mountain and even towns like Dover-Foxcroft and Dexter tap into this resource to get the word about weekly events, upcoming meetings and even one-time specials.
The further technology seeps into our lives, the more confusing the line between professional and personal lives become. I just have to wonder, though, would it be strange to become friends with Gulf Hagas, and what exactly is the appropriate way to throw a sheep at Dover-Foxcroft through the site’s SuperPoke application? Apparently it’s what the cool kids do.