Let's call things what they are -- "product announcements" use the social media platform for advertising. And it's mostly free advertising. What a clever thing to do: get unpaid volunteers to shill for your product.

Of course I use Facebook. It's a useful way of keeping up with what friends across the country are doing. (Now that I have a child of my own, I don't mind seeing pictures of my friends' kids. Funny how that happens.) Friends who are touring sound engineers or musicians post itineraries so I know when they're coming through town. I do the same. So for those fun purposes, Facebook suits me well.

As for people who are "friends," I know, in real life, about 90% of them. The others are folks from a couple of old list-servs and the old live-sound forum.

If there's a band I like, I "like" them so I'm kept up to date on new releases and tours and such. My Congresswoman (who was the one who was shot last January), as well as the representative in the neighboring district and the state- and local-level pols use Facebook for simple constituent-services updates. They're mostly of the "here's our latest newsletter, click here to read" variety, which is fine.

What I do NOT do is keep my work history or anything like that on there. Even more important, I do not "like" any corporation, or product or service. Why anyone would "like" Coca-Cola (either in the real-life way or in the Facebook manner) is beyond me. I do not "like" any celebrities or anything like that. (OK, except for Roger Ebert. His posts are typically brilliant.)

And of course the most important point: don't post anything you don't want your employer or the local law-enforcement agents to see. Be judicious. This is common sense, but that's sorely lacking here in the colonies.

I will now go back to looking at the pictures of dinners my touring friends like to post. Oh, and puppies and kitties. Thanks.

-a