FFL – Friends for life

What do you call someone who helps you connect with your friends and family anytime you want, without expecting anything in return from you? An acquaintance? A friend? More than a friend? Let’s call them FFL (Friends for life), until you choose not to be friends anymore. ‘FFL’, that’s the way they will love it, in bits and bytes. They are always there at your beck and call; ready to take whatever you feed them with and give you whatever you ask for, if within their means. All you need is an internet connection, which is as essential to our life these days as oxygen. Don’t be surprised when I tell you that most of us have them as common friends (or mutual friends). If you still haven’t guessed, let me disclose their names; ‘Yahoo’,’Google’,’Facebook’,’Youtube’,’Linkedin’,……and so on. Twitter is still a stranger to me.

 Yahoo, Google and Facebook are my best friends. Youtube and Linkedin used to be good friends, but not anymore. The dislike for Youtube erupted when I realized my husband was spending more time with her, and that put me off. The problem with Linkedin is that he keeps asking questions now and then which I don’t like.

I was pained when I got a letter from Yahoo recently asking me whom I spent more time with and why, what she should do to make me spend more time with her etc. Yahoo is my oldest friend, and she is the one who helped me connect with Facebook. It’s true I spend less time with her; that’s because I am familiar only with Yahoo Mail in her entire family. The fact is that Yahoo is like my sister, I may not talk to her often but she is the first friend I try to connect to each day, though Google comes in between (because of the default setting). And whoever comes in or goes out, Yahoo Mail is close to my heart and will always retain the privilege it now enjoys.

Google has always been a friend, philosopher and guide ever since I started using the internet. He is the most intelligent of my friends; whenever I am in doubt or seek answers to my questions, he is the one I go to. I just adore him for his simplicity, creativity and the value he has added to my life. The Google family keeps growing at such a pace that I find it difficult to connect with all of them.  Nevertheless, Gmail, Blogger and Google Maps are good friends and I try to keep in touch with Google+ as well. I am reminded of my good old friend from the family, Orkut who initially introduced me to his siblings and to social networking. I feel sorry, but I lost track of him because of restrictions in my country of residence against connecting with him. Facebook has taken his place today, and I regret I have no idea if he even exists.

Last but not the least is my dear friend Facebook who keeps me connected with numerous friends and my extended family as well. Yahoo will not be pleased to know this is the friend with whom I spend much of my time, and Orkut might be cursing him. I know my husband carries the same feeling towards Facebook, that I have towards Youtube. But whatever said and done, Facebook is the ultimate friend who gives me constant company any time of the day. He keeps me updated about my loved ones, lets me share my happy moments with others, always ready to carry whatever I write or draw, and to let the world know that I exist. He makes me laugh, he makes me think, and he keeps me occupied and allows me to kill time. And all he expects in return is my friendship and new friends. That’s reason enough to call him FFL.

To conclude on a serious note, these FFLs are just the means to the end, and the end lies with real persons. It’s the need to keep connected with our loved ones that keeps us hooked on these FFLs. Let’s not replace the real friends with FFLs that are nothing more than virtual friends.