Using MySpace to Keep in Touch

Supposedly MySpace is not for grown-ups. Or at least not for people over 30. But if you actually visit, you'll find a wide variety of people who are there for many different reasons, including networking, date-finding, self-promotion, and just keeping in touch.

I followed my younger sister into MySpace territory. She started a group for people associated with the Girl Scout camp we attended and worked at. I joined the group after she suggested I might be able to answer some questions people had about camp traditions (I'm by far the oldest member of the group, at 36).

I've been keeping in touch with the group since then. It's nice to reminisce about camp days, and to find out what's going on there now. Along the way, I discovered that I could keep in touch with other people there as well.

My cousin lives in North Carolina, and recently spent several months teaching and living in India. I found out about the India trip through his MySpace page, and followed his trip through his blog.

A college friend who now lives in Texas updates her page frequently, with various happenings in her life. She also pops by to leave comments on friends' pages on special days, or just to say hello. We occasionally send emails through MySpace, and enjoy listening to each other's music selections.

If you're interested in keeping in touch with friends and family through MySpace, here are some tips.

1. DO keep your page simple. If it takes too long for people to load your page, or if they can't see half of the things on it, they won't want to visit. There are many free utilities you can use to help design your MySpace page. I used Thomas' MySpace Editor for my last revision, and made a very basic page with a plain white background. It's simple, elegant, and easy to read. If you really want a picture or pattern for your background, make sure that the text and pictures on your page are still readable. Try viewing your page on several different computers, if possible. Sometimes everything looks dandy on your own computer, but on another it will be completely different.

2. DO form a group or groups for the people you want to keep in touch with. You can have a private group if you want to, so that people you don't know can't access it. A group gives you space for a forum, where you can hold discussions together, and for group photos that you want to share with everyone.

3. DON'T accept (or send) friend requests willy-nilly. You'll just be cluttering up your space and opening yourself to potential spam. Connect with people you know and trust. You can set up your account to only accept requests from people who know you - they have to know either your last name or your email address in order to send a friend request.

4. DON'T fill your friends' comment spaces with cutesy animations. Yes, they're fun, but they can also lengthen page loading times, and make pages difficult to read.

5. DO log in regularly - at least once a week. Check your mail and comments, and see if there are any forum posts in your groups. If something is posted at least once a week, people will be more likely to check in regularly.

MySpace may not be intended for grown-ups, but it can be profitably used by them. Like any tool, its usefulness depends on what you do with it.