I’ve been resisting Facebook for a while now.

I have my own blog/website (here), I have a (free) LiveJournal account I barely use, I have a Yahoo account, Flickr, and MobileMe. I even use AIM ( we use it at work). To say nothing of several Gmail accounts, and accounts on assorted fan fiction sites I post stories to. To say nothing of an assortment of accounts on numerous websites so I can participate in discussions.

I tried MySpace, wasn’t impressed and cancelled my account on it. I think.

Why add the uber social website, FaceBook? What got me to finally break down, stumble out of the hermitage, and sign up?

The T went off to college on Thursday. And she uses FaceBook. And now if she would just get back to her dorm from whatever orientation / party she’s at ( on a Saturday? Good Luck! ) and “friend” me ( I’m told all the cool kids do that – “friend” parents ) I won’t be completely, pathetically, friendless on FaceBook.

Note to the curious/compulsive “friender” : If you aren’t a close friend, SO, or family member, don’t expect me to be “friending” you on FaceBook. Though I might think about it if you’re a favorite writer or musician. Or favorite actress. Maybe . It’s an extremely exclusive list.

(Yeah! I’ve been friended! That was quicker than I thought. She must be between activities.)

Not something I get as a form of fic writing. (Sure, I’ve read a couple rpfs over the years but they just don’t work for me.)

It’s like writing an unauthorized biography of someone who is still alive and making most of it up based on a few known facts. Like a tabloid.

But, even if the public perceptions of most famous actors/athletes are the products of their agents/PR/media, often to the point that these people are playing a character based on themselves in public and we never know who they truly are, that doesn’t mitigate the overall creepiness I personally get from the idea.

I could never write an RPF myself. I value my own privacy too much to feel comfortable invading someone else’s privacy for my own entertainment. Public figure or not.

Got back a letter from one of them ( we won’t name names so they won’t slash my credit rating – which they’ve been accused of in the past ) today saying they didn’t have enough info to know who I am and wanted more. Not sure how much more they need since I gave them the info required by law on the form you’re supposed to fill out. SSN, last address, etc. And I’ve lived in the same place for 6+ years.

So, looking them up on Google, this seems to be normal behavior for this one agency. You have to give them the exact info in the exact format they want or they don’t give you anything back. So, if your address doesn’t match what they have for you, down to the punctuation, – no report. Not impressed.

I get the impression that they ONLY give you a comprehensive credit report if you pay them. And from reports I assume that the yearly credit report request uses one of the electronic request methods that causes search failures for the above reason.

And, they then use this failure to try to sell a subscription to their monthly credit reporting service. Which seems to be verging on a scam if all the complaints are valid. Impossible to cancel. Like some magazine subscriptions. And they’ve been sued by the FTC in the past for such behavior but keep doing it. Certainly doesn’t inspire confidence in the accuracy of their reports. And the complaints against them? Makes one wonder how they are allowed to do business in the US.

We’ll see what the other two say once they get back to me. The other two seem to do better in a Google search.

So, where was I?

Spent 6 days traveling (The T graduated from HS last weekend and I drove up to see it happen.) 2,370 miles in 6 days, mostly on the first and last two days with some minor travel in between.

Fun stuff.

And now some catching up at work. Major project due next week.