Harold Ableson “A computer model is ideal, it doesn’t have to abide by the physical laws of nature”, If I create a resistor component in some model, it would always cause the exact same voltage drop for a particular current that runs through it. Simulation surpasses limitations of material world.
So is the case, I think, with the “social network” to which we seem to be attached so adherently these days. Have you noticed something, all of us (ok maybe not all but most of us) on facebook seem really happy, we message all the time about some vacations we spent, or the party we attended, the game we watched and the places we’ve been to. You login into ur fb account and suddenly u see smiling faces doing crazy cools acts! Your friends circle suddenly grows from 10s to 50s or 100s or even 1000s in some cases. Why is it so easy to maintain these virtual friendships. Why is it easier to start a conversation with an old friend in this simulated society rather than the real one.
Sites like these offer some peculiar characteristics to friendships/relationships that make them a hell lot easier and kind of enjoyable
Availability: Though your friend might not be logged on, but the fb page wall is always available, this allows you to speak to him whenever “you like”.
Control: Though your wall is available to ur friends its completely “upto you” to decide how much and for how long. You can simply delete a comment if you don’t like it or bump it up by liking it or replying to it
Public access: allowing the world (at least all within the diameter of your acquaintances)  to see your snaps, comments, games, likes and dislikes, creates a somewhat open world. Greater visibility ensures open conversation, though also ensues greater responsibility. But it definitely satisfies our thirst to know more about others.
Introspection: knowing fully well that whats on your facebook page is available to quite a lot of people you tend to use it with care. This calls not just for a momentary thought but a small amount of introspection as well. Writing about yourself on the profile or about the movies you like or shows you enjoy watching, everything you put out there represents you in front of your dearest and nearest! This caution makes the page special.
Sense of association: Communities and causes that one joins speaks a lot about oneself. Any type of community one wants to get attached to, is just a click away. And suddenly you are in group of 100s of thousands of poeple who share atleast one common denominator.
Fun: everybody seems to be sharing a sense of humor on facebook, be it through funny apps, or videos or even something as stupid as poking! we all seem to be having a good time in this web2.0 society
Having idealized this world enough, its time for a (probably harsh) eye opener. Its delusional! it is very easy to appear to be different when all you need is a fancy web page! Snaps aren’t reason enough to go for a trip, nor is a huge friends list something to be proud of. Sometimes I even wonder when we go to facebook, do we go online to login to facebook or is it viceversa,  is it possible that this sudden fervent attachement to social network, is another desperate attempt of the “button-clicking culture” youth  to “stay online”.  To be honest we fear an hour long downtime in internet more than we fear missing a meal! But lets face it, its not real, and probably thats precisely why it is so addictive. Even after having counted all the benifits of the web2.0 social culture, I would say that its fake, your presence in this world should be felt not browsed. Facebook, I think, is a misnomer, it is rather a maskbook!