Facebook: A Freelancer's Friend?

For whatever reason, I'm one of those people who must be dragged kicking and screaming into the zeitgeist: I've never read The DaVinci Code; I don't watch American Idol; I'm one of the last people on earth without a cell phone (to wit, my 84-year-old mother, villagers in Romania who still plow with yoke and oxen, some 5-year-olds at the daycare across the street -- all of them free to incur roaming charges).

And until last week, I'd resisted the pressure to join my peers on Facebook, despite invitations in my in-box, entreaties from friends, taunts of "cavewoman," and the growing sense that I was missing out on something big, like a Beatles reunion concert with a resurrected John Lennon.

For a time (i.e., til the hoopla turned its attention to Twitter), Facebook seemed to be, well, in your face. Branching beyond its initial mission as a social networking site, it began to be touted as a marketing tool, although word on the street was watch out that el jefe doesn't find photos of you doing shots.

The inevitable new-tech brouhaha followed, including who owns my witty comments and quiz results? (I do, says FB, so when I take down my listing, no one will know that my result from the "Which Crazy Bitch Are You?" quiz was Sinead O'Connor.) What about privacy issues? (Oh yes, there are privacy issues. There are always privacy issues.) And even, is it possible to inadvertently "friend" a member of the Mafia? (Difficult, but possible, if you have a Sicilian surname, for example. I have been friended by no less than 3 people simply because we share a not-very-common last name. Do I know these people? No. Could they be a member of the Mafia and/or have a less-than-savory character? Quite possibly. It's hard to tell from a photo and a few select factoids about political and media preferences who is a potential axe murderer.)

Now, though, I'm Facebooked and friended and having a blast. Not just from posting goofy status updates and old travel photos that have been languishing in My Pictures files; not just from reconnecting with old friends (from high school, my old job at Elliott Bay Book Co., holiday in Cancun) and making new ones (aforementioned surname sharers). But also:

Reaping the benefits of friends' eclectic experience. Example: Had it not been for Perry, I would never have known about Wolfram|Alpha, a new search engine that doesn't just pull popular results, but uses AI and actually thinks about what you're searching for. Ben shot me a job posting. My niece told me all about what they're covering in her Magazine Writing class at Emerson (hint: Twitter is the new It Girl).

Discovering new marketing avenues. You can set up a page for your business; cross-promote your website, LinkedIn or Biznik profile, etc.; announce upcoming events (readings, publications); ask for relevant job postings; join groups that list editing and proofreading gigs or focus on topics that relate to your work specialties; and a million other things I'm sure I haven't found yet.

Multiplying your network. Natch, but when I recall that about 85% of my freelance work has come from referrals -- which, of course, are born from networking -- I think it pays to honor the obvious.

Establishing community. This might not be your bag, but for me, working alone in my PJs... well, a freelancer gets lonely sometimes. Spider solitaire is nice, but sometimes human interaction is what you need.

Now, you say, all this is well and good, Cranky Editor, but can't you do the same stuff via e-mail?

Nay, I say, as e-mail just doesn't have the same vibe. E-mail is work assignments and deadlines and spam and Aunt Mary sending chain letters and your bank telling you your balance has dropped below $500. Facebook is a window into people's days and moods and idiosyncrasies. It's the same reason the IRS allows you to deduct for meals and entertainment: A LOT of business gets done in very unbusinesslike settings. Plus, for some things, Facebook is to e-mail as a Cuisinart is to a wooden spoon: faster, more efficient, easier on the wrist. (N.B. Twitter seems poised to blow Facebook away. But that's as yet uncharted territory for me, one that I hope to delve into soon, your guinea pig.)

The cons? So far, mainly time-suck. I've only got 25 friends at the moment, yet keeping up with their postings remains a challenge. I can't imagine what people with hundreds of friends do, but I suspect it's a lot of skimming. Of course, this all depends on how active your friends are, and you can certainly ignore your FB profile. But it's all too tempting to eat the whole box of cookies, especially if you have some free time between assignments.

The verdict? C'mon in, the zeitgeist's fine.