Unlink to LinkedIn

I have previously encountered this 'Thing' on Facebook when looking for people, as some links to the profiles of similarly named people appear at the bottom of the screen. I have to say that while I was quite happy to browse this facility, I didn't like the fact that I would actually have to join myself. The main thing that I hate about the internet is the amount of information that people can find out about each other, which those being searched can have little control over, despite setting every privacy setting as high as it will allow(which I have done subsequent to setting up my LinkedIn account). I can see that this would be a good way of checking people and their professional experience, despite the fact that is seems rather cold and uninviting to look at. It was, however, simple to use and I was able to find lots of people from Oxford (mostly students!) so it is useful for further networking as well. My lovely Easter weekend hostess is on there and is a fan, as we established when discussing the merits of the LinkedIn. This is much more for professional development and discussion than Facebook, and as such, probably works well as there is not a lot to distract the user. All in all, this is probably a good 'Thing' for some, but not one that I will be using.

Facebook

As this is another Thing that I use fairly regularly, this was very easy for me to use and report back on. Initially I joined Facebook to keep in contact with friends/family whom I don't get to see very often. I quickly got hooked, and then after the initial flurry of excitement generated by sending hatching eggs etc to my friends, it kind of levelled out. I am still using it but have much less time to go on there now, which some might say is a good thing!
I am also using it for educational purposes, as I am a fan of Nuffield College Library, where one of my best friends works. I think that this is a brilliant resource for libraries, as there are regular posts about new books/courses/lectures and great links to resources like JStor and WorldCat as well as Solo, Oxlip+ and e-journals. Also, unlike individual library webpages, the format of Facbook library pages is standardised so fishing around for information is not such a problem. All in all, I think that there is a lot to be said for Facebook and libraries, as long as the readers remember to become fans.