Monday, November 22, 2010

Blogger Feared Buried Under Friends

CYBERSPACE -- First responders on the scene reported they were hopeful that a trio of extreme bloggers would be found alive after being buried by an avalanche of Facebook Friends over the weekend.  Mark Cowell and two companions known only as Bagman and Butler apparently ventured into Facebook and were trapped by the Friend Requests that are common in this part of the world.

People who knew Cowell said that they were surprised that he and his companions were caught off guard so easily.   "These weren't amateurs," said a reliable source close to Cowell who chose to remain anonymous.  "They were experienced bloggers and had even explored Facebook in the past.  They should have been prepared for this." 

Facebook, a popular social networking site, is well known for uncontolled, over-friendliness conditions. 

Norton Spamalotti, head of  "Save Our Faces," an international volunteer group dedicated to helping de-program Facebook Addicts, said that people are often buried by Friend Requests because they no longer remember most of the people requesting friendship but confirm them anyway because they feel guilty about denying someone they assume they should remember. 

"We think that's what happened here," reported Spamalotti.  "The last people who talked with Cowell and his companions before their disappearance said that Cowell had primarily decided to set up another Facebook account to keep in touch with his children since younger people sometimes have no other way of communicating."

"He forgot that there is a huge, unstable crust of baby boomers that often collapse in friendliness.  These Friend Request Avalanches also build quickly because Facebook automatically suggests new friends."

Facebook was unavailable for comment.

Latest reports from rescuers noted that Cowell's Facebook page was very sparse and that he had not filled in all the personal information fields.  "This is a good sign that we may still find him and his companions intact.  Odds of recovering people drop dramatically once their page becomes really active."

The primary task will be to find and extract the victims, returning them to Blogspot before any permanent damage has been done.  Stay tuned for further developments.

13 comments:

  1. Oh dear. I hope they find Mark and B&B real soon. I hope they had blankets and extra food with them.

    I'm on FB because of uncommunicative children also! But I only have 19 friends, so little chance of an avalanche.

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  2. Funny Mark! So damned original. YOu need to be writing for a REAL online publication. I just haven't found one yet. (-:

    Bill

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  3. Good Gracious! This is one hair-raising story, and I will certainly stay tuned for the next installment. And once again I am glad that I have, so far, successfully resisted all the attempts of people to lure me onto Facebook. MySpace is bad enough, thank you very much...

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  4. I'm hoping they will be treated and released, as opposed to treated and detained...

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  5. Kerry and I are so similar...she must be a long lost sister. I have refused friend requests on FB unless they tell me how they know me. I am not embarrassed to admit not remembering them. My son, on the other hand, has over 400 friends. My step-nephew has 155 and he never posts a damn thing!

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  6. :) I get kind of jealous when I see my fb friends adding so many new ones, but then I have to remind myself I stay low key for a reason...

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  7. OMG, you're on facebook. You have to friend me! ;-) Turn away from social networking---it will keep you from blogging (and we want you to blog!!).

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  8. FB is fun at first, but then you may get bored with it. :-) Be my friend!! pleeeeeeezzzzzzzzz

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  9. I responded to your friend request, but I almost never look at FB. Blogs are so much more interesting.

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  10. Thank goodness I did not get trapped there. I was on, got off, got back on again and plan to get off again. I can't stand the things I read about my grands and their friends. Oh whoa is me. I just escaped. I pray for the safe return of the bloggers. I lost several good blog buddies to FB.
    QMM

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  11. Oh dear that made me laugh. I'm a baby boomer facebooker ... mostly my children BUT I also have discovered 6 friends I haven't spoken to for 40 years ..yes 40. We are so enjoying it. And I have befriended a few people like you ...from all over the world. xx

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  12. Too funny! Maybe we need to organize a search and rescue team.

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