I use Facebook. But sometimes I can't help but I wonder, is it good for me?

Seriously, do you think that there is a net benefit to using Facebook? What I mean is if we were to measure all the good stuff that it brings, does it sufficiently compensate for all the hours wasted when actual work should've been done?

I am writing this entry, not to provide any answers-- because I seriously don't know; maybe you can help me in figuring out the real added value of this very addictive contraption.

From my very on-the-surface analysis, I guess it does create a very active online social environment for users.

You can send e-vites and expect responses in an instant. You can easily create groups or communities depending on whatever your interests and views happen to be.

You can make a statement and voice your concerns hyper-effectively. For example, the UW U-Pass initiative has again resurfaced on campus, and through the power of Facebook groups, it was able to reach the support of 1,668 members in just a matter of a week-and-a-half.

Another great thing about Facebook is that because of its prevalent use, you can unite with friends from back in the day. I recently reconnected with some school friends from back when I was in Grade 1!

I think the major drawback is that it is such a time waster. Go to any computer lab, and I can bet someone is on Facebook.

I admit that I browse quite a bit to see what the heck people are up to. When a roommate changed her relationship status, for instance, I immediately called them to get the latest scoop. When someone posts new pictures, I am the first to view them. When you can't put a name to a face, you search them. When there's someone cute you find running in the halls, you search them, too.

It's quite sad when you start to recognize faces on campus or on the bus, just because you have seen his or her profile-- people of which you don't even know.

This is it from me, I will turn the mic over to you guys. Is Facebook good for society? Haha. For those who haven't been on Facebook, I encourage you to sign up and at least see what it's all about.

Facebook - [facebook.com]
Facebook - [wikipedia.org]
My Facebook Page (Login Required) - [facebook.com]
Facing the Facebook - [chronicle.com]

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The other day, as I was walking to school, I encountered a disabled Grand River Transit (GRT) bus in preparation of being towed at the south entrance of Ring Road at University Avenue.

It's not often that I see disabled buses, so I took the chance and walked up to it for a closer look. Essentially, the GRT bus is lifted on its back wheels with the help of a tractor unit, and towed away with all its might.

When I got to the office, I was quite excited to tell my officemate, Paul, about what I saw. Paul is a seasoned trucker and a freight movement researcher, who surely adds flavour to the transportation office. Once I told him the story, he interrupted me with enthusiasm,

"...was it Becker Brothers? Did they tow it?"

"Umm, I don't know. Good question."

"Was it a big red tow truck?"

[Thinking] "Uh, I think so?...Not too sure."

Clearly, the conversation was quite underwhelming. When I had a moment to sit down and to turn on my laptop, I quickly got quite embarrassed that I did not even recall what colour the truck was. As I sat there, I tried to recall what I was thinking and what information I gathered when I approached and observed the disabled GRT bus.

"It's a Nova LFS bus, with a 2400 bus number."

"Was it a Route 7 or a Route 9/13 bus? It most certainly is not an iXpress bus."

"Did a replacement bus arrive to mend the gap in service?"

The more I thought about it, the more I found it intriguing that while my head and eyes were clearly active, I was not able to identify what colour the tow truck was.

Surely, I don't need to explain why I gathered more information about the bus and not the truck, but I think it brings up an interesting point about the nature of news reporting.

Sure, I'm by no means a reporter, but in this case, it's clear that I neglected to observe more or less 50% of the story, and this is due to my personal preferences and biases I carry when I am "on the scene." What was deemed relevant and true to me wasn't the case for Paul, yet his "truth" wasn't uncovered from my reporting.

My thought process may have gone overboard, but I think it does speak to the importance of diversity in our news sources-- something that is increasingly gloomy as we continue to experience more and more media agglomerations.

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