Dear Facebook friend,

I’ve have been signed up to Facebook for some time now but it is only in the last couple of months I have been a regular visitor. I admit my reason for my recent activity was to promote my website, jrbpublications.com, because I felt I had something worth writing about that I wanted people to read. Since becoming a regular visitor, I have been touched by many of the posts friends have made that have helped to correct my perception that what is posted is usually fairly trivial. Thank you for sharing when you do and even if I don’t respond, I mostly get what you say. Interestingly, a good deal of what you do post helps to inform many of my blog postings.

When I do respond e.g. by ticking the “Like” tab or making a comment, there is no rigorous rationale behind it, as there is much I don’t respond to that touches me. Similarly, I share some of the posts I see, often on an ad-hoc basis, if they especially touch me and may help others. Do be aware though, if you say “Share” I tend not to do so on principle and that goes back to the days of breaking chain letter chains. And when you boast of your exploits in Candy Crush or whatever the flavor of the month online game is, congratulations, but do understand that I have no inclination whatsoever to play, so asking me to do so is a waste of time.

Regarding my own postings, I have been more prolific than I had earlier anticipated and that is only because there are many things I care about and many things I come across on the Internet or wherever that I wanted to share or respond to. I’m told I am too verbose sometimes and I write too posh, so do bear with me. I have been struck that in an online community where people have strongly held, and sometimes diametrically opposite points of view, how much respect and restraint there is. This is much appreciated as is your forbearance when I post stuff you disagree with or, worse still, is insensitive, not quite balanced or unduly offends.

Finally, a cautionary note: I have a great set of Facebook friends, some of which I have never met, but be mindful that we live in the real world, and while I have found being part of this community an oasis and a pleasant escape, there is lot of stuff in this real, sometimes harsh and unpredictable, here and now, nitty-gritty, world, that needs attending to, and living up to the many noble aspirations and amazing words or wisdom expressed in these pages is very much work in progress.

Love and prayers
John