To Like Or Not To Like: That Is The Question!

I was perusing my Facebook profile last night and I couldn't believe the number of connections I racked up in "likes"!  From restaurants and stores, to athletes and other public figures, my "likes" were more than I had ever dreamed possible.

And so, I started deleting some of them.  First off, to be connected to so many pages and people is not always a good thing. I know Facebook is a networking tool, but you never know who's really on the other end of the things we "like".  Secondly, many of the things I liked I have blocked from my News Feed because their posts are kinda annoying, which made me ask myself, "How much could I really like it?"

The other thing that bothers me about the whole like thing is that administrators incorrectly categorize the pages they create, which makes for a messy profile to a perfectionist like me.  How does "molten chocolate cake" fall under my activities section?  I know eating it is an activity, but come on...the actual cake itself?

Whether it's "becoming a fan" of a page (which was Facebook's old name for this feature) or "liking" something, now you don't even need to find it on Facebook to do so.  Pretty much anywhere on the web, you will find a "Like" button that will, as long as you're logged into your Facebook account, make you like either the link or the actual thing on your Facebook profile.  When you like a link, it appears in your friends' News Feeds, so that they may click on it and view it and/or like it as well.

Coop Dee Ville is guilty as well.  We have a Facebook page that we ask all of our readers to like.  We even have a link to it here on our blog.  And we also have a "Tweet" button for you to share our posts on Twitter as well. Many of you may be hesitant to click.  You have to be careful nowadays and know the tricks and secrets to liking things. Otherwise, you may assist in the spread of spam and viruses to your Facebook friends. So here's a little story followed by some precautionary steps you can take to protect your Facebook account and your computer...

The other day I clicked on a friend's link because I was curious as to what the picture displayed was, and next thing I know, it appears on my wall as me "liking" it. Now suddenly, I am connected to this link that I never even viewed and still have no idea what it was about. (Needless to say, I don't know what the picture was either!)

Because of things like this, it is a good idea to check your profile every now and then to make sure there aren't any unwanted connections.  You may also want to create a list of all the pages you "like", as I have, and block that list from seeing any of your personal information, including photos and location.  Of course, when it comes to your friends' pages, you like them out of courtesy, even if you don't really "like" them, and you hope the favor is returned.  But you can be less cautious when it comes to those.

The City Mouse

I live in a city environment. I don't own a car (though I used to). When I do drive, it's long distances, and with the advent of Zipcar, Hertz Connect and MintCar, cars by the hour have gas and insurance figured in. (I can reserve these cars, by the way, by using my phone and it saved my sanity visiting California in the winter, by not needing to rent a car on a daily rate but an hourly rate).

It's hard for me to understand the plight of my friends and family, the "country mice," who depend on their cars for their livelihoods. Robert Moses was really heralded for making the motor vehicle the "future," especially by building the freeways and infrastructure in the Greater New York area.

Now it seems like our reliance on our cars (because, you know, try to tell an American (s)he can't have their car!) has caused a double-edged sword. Cars can't operate without gas, and we are reliant on gas from foreign sources. As long as we are a car-dependent culture, this vicious cycle isn't going to change.

So perhaps we need to change our way of traveling in order to maximize not only fuel-efficiency, but cost-effectiveness as well. For me, traffic and especially parking in cities, really annoyed me. They still do. I like trains, but the local systems (NJ Transit especially) just likes to raise prices and not improve service. They are also pricey.

Enter the Megabus! Megabus, or Boltbus, to be more precise.

These are more niche area buses, that go to major cities in a megalopolis area, such as travel within the Boston - Washington, D.C. corridor.

When I was a country mouse, I'd do these drives by myself. The drawbacks of course are that I would need to schedule my time around the departures...but it's almost like flying, but on the ground.

I was always a little wary about these "curbside" buses, but they have been proven to be a safe and reliable manner of travel. There have been several high profile accidents with what they call the "Chinatown buses" which also do curbside departures but are less regulated and aren't majority owned by larger transportation companies.

The bonus part? I can text, tweet and email while on the road. Score! These buses have been fitted with WiFi and power outlets, so when I arrive, my phone won't be dead...and I'll have caught up on my emails.

Then when we arrive, I can Yelp a lunch place and start in on the FUN!

I feel for my friends who have no choice but to drive. For me, the answer is simple because I have options to get around but who wants to drive to Washington from New York City? Seriously, I've done it, and it's overrated. Let someone else do it!

But I realize that it's changed my views on owning a car and how much I really need to drive. It would be totally different if I lived by, say, where my mom lives. While there is a new mini mall opening up that's within walking distance (though I guarantee most people in her housing development will choose to drive there), I can see a McDonald's, a Walgreen's and Shop Rite in the distance...yet there's no easy way to walk there.

Here, I can see McDonald's, Duane Reade, several restaurants, and Trader Joe's, and can walk easily within a five-minute radius. For me, it's worth not having a vehicle and being reliant on one either. I know some people can't live like that but I have the luxury of doing so.

And I totally don't get pump stress. That's just lovely.

Perhaps car sharing and no-frills bus travel might sound like it's a combination of futuristic but taking a step back in independent ownership. With the advent of higher gas prices, perhaps it's not a bad idea to change our overall habits for medium-distance travel in this country.

Oh, So Savvy. Oh, Miso Savvy

As if social networking apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare weren't enough, now it's even easier for everyone to know where you are...and...what you're watching?

Over the past two weeks, I've noticed a huge increase in posts on my Twitter timeline and Facebook news feed from Miso (gomiso.com), the "social TV platform that makes watching TV more fun".

Similar to Foursquare, where users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges, Miso (not the soup) lets users "check-in" to TV shows and sporting events they are watching.  It even lets you choose the season and episode, which is especially useful when watching a recorded show, such as on your DVR or VCR. (Does anyone even own a VCR anymore?)

What's next, an app for food?  We can call it "APPetizer"! Imagine checking in to pizza or key lime pie! Pretty soon our Facebook and Twitter profiles will go something like, "Denise is at Applebee's via Foursquare", "eating boneless buffalo wings via APPetizer" and "watching The New York Mets via gomiso."

 And then we complain about our privacy...