BIG MISTAKE

I made a pretty big fundamental mistake in my house. Back when we were in Maui, it came to my attention that Bill wanted to know what people were saying to me on facebook. Every time I told him what comment I was making, he would start bugging me to check and read to him the responses to it. He would continuously make suggestions (ridiculous ones) on what I should say and what pictures to post. It became really annoying, so I made the big mistake........I suggested that he get his own account, his own "friends", make his own comments and post his own pictures. Bill, afterall, is a born gossip...I learned that one years ago!

So, I sat down with his laptop, created his account, gave him a pretty thorough tutorial and made quite a few friend invites on his behalf.

That was just the start. I do believe I have had to repeat that tutorial five thousand times and I know that I will have to five thousand more. He honestly does not retain even one step of the process of putting on pictures or making comments. He has made hundreds of comments and every time, and I mean everytime, he says "my comment is NOT showing up. I keep putting it on and it won't stay. It disappears!!! What the hell!!" And yet again I ask "Did you push return when you were finished?" "Uh, no. OH!!! I see!!!" Then a couple minutes later, "It's on five times now. How do I take them off?" "Put your cursor on the top of the post, move it slowly to the right until you see the little x. Click on it and pick delete from the menu." "Ohhhhhhh!!! Okay! Does this delete the picture from my iphoto?"

Just as he was getting pretty good at it all, facebook changed, and not for the good. So all the questions and confusion started all over again. Only this time I can't help him. I really only go on facebook when I am travelling or for a quick update on whats happening. So, over the last week or two I have said "I don't know Bill. Its new to me and you will have to figure it out for yourself. I haven't done that yet. READ it. Go to the help section. Find it yourself!!!"

One of the complaints about facebook that I have heard many times since its inception is how addicting it is and how people spend their life on facebook and not out living the real life. I never really understood that. How? It doesn't take that long to catch up with people's news and take a quick look at pictures. Well, I understand it now. Yesterday when I got up a few minutes after Bill, he was already on facebook. Hours and hours later, he was still on facebook and he hadn't moved out of his chair. Finally around two or three in the afternoon Aryn phoned. We were heading over to costco (already delayed by about three hours because Bill was "just finishing this up" on face book). Aryn needed a document we had. That finally got him out of the chair. We got back around six, he unloaded the groceries from the truck and then plopped down in his chair, went back on facebook and was on it til he came to bed around midnight. He even stayed glued to it through his favourite tv shows. He is LOVING it!!!

At one point yesterday he pipes up "How do I get this picture on Rowan's (grandchild) part (wall). I keep punching the picture but it doesn't go where I want it to go. How do I get it there? Do I drag and drop it?" So I ask "From where to where?" Irritably he responds "I don't know." So yet again I say, "Bill, I don't know what you are talking about. You will just have to figure it out for yourself" About a half hour goes by. Suddenly he says "There!!! I did it!!! " A couple of minutes go by and then, " So if YOU need help doing anything on facebook just ask me." and he was saying this in the smuggest tone of voice. I could have smacked him!!!