Making friends, the digital way…

Earlier I was writing a bit introducing a new friend and contributor for my other site. As is often the case, I did not really know what I was going to write until I wrote it. After the fact it seemed that the bulk of it would actually fit well as a post on this site, so here is a slightly truncated version (is it plagiarism if you copy yourself?):

This is the age of digital socializing.

If you don’t believe me what are you doing reading this? :p

Everybody who is anybody (might be a good idea to turn the sarcasm meters off now), belongs to one social networking site or another. And on those sites are a collection of addictive, time-wasting apps that gather cult followings. My particular addiction is “Tagging” sites.  People post pics. You then can “tag” said people with a selection of generic tags, or if you are daring, get original. Then the site stops working and someone makes a new one, and all the original faces move on to the new site. But not to worry, there will also be a collection of new cult followers. Granted a large percentage of folk on these sites are looking for something they will never find. But there are also genuine friends to be made.

So I am on the newest incarnation of this drug, no doubt with a glazed and slack-jawed look on my face as I manically tag. Most pics that trigger my tagging reflex get a generic tag. But some inspire the original tag. I come across a picture of a stunning woman with the following greeting line: “Gay/Taken/Hobo/Hacker/Ninja/Pirate/Geek/Girl Called Pete”.

OK. This one is worth a look. I click on About ME (apparently considered sacrilege by many). Alright I looked at More Pics first. I AM a guy! And her About Me says this: “I’m warning you, I’m weightless – don’t hang anything on me if you ever want to see it again.”

Yep. I’m hooked. Of course the following thought process flashes through my brain before I dare come up with an Incredibly Original Tag:

PETE: Beautiful.     ME: Well, me.
PETE: Has a girl friend.     ME: Saw the word girlfriend in the dictionary once.
PETE: Smart.     ME: The jury is out.
PETE: Heavy Metal     ME: Love the Hokey Pokey!
PETE: Sarcastic.    ME: Sarcastic.
Ah! A match made in binary!

Time for The Incredibly Original Tag. Of course I have no idea what I actually said (probably forgot it 10 seconds after posting it as is the norm). But whatever I said worked because she actually responded. We exchanged a few notes and lo and behold: A New Friend!