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[manzanita]

Judging from your pun Moonraker, I realize I have made a spelling faux pas, in that it should be stationery!

[Moonraker]

Judging from your pun Moonraker, I realize I have made a spelling faux pas, in that it should be stationery!

Sorry, Manzanita, but I couldn't resist it!

[mish]

Smarty pants!! That's what we get these days with auto spell checks...

[Philip Mannering]

I am happy to say that I belong to none of these sites - gosh, I don't even know the majority's names; and the few I know, that knowledge is courtesy of just browsing. I am happy enough with this Forum as regards to networking!

For anyone who worries about typos and suchlike, may I advise you to (if you have Firefox as your browser) start the Auto Spell Check (Tools < Options < Tick "Check my spelling as I type.") Very useful indeed, although sometimes, I do become annoyed (!), when it uses American spelling and puts a red line on British spelling. I also become annoyed when Enid Blyton gets red lines underneath.

[Moonraker]

For anyone who worries about typos and suchlike, may I advise you to (if you have Firefox as your browser) start the Auto Spell Check (Tools < Options < Tick "Check my spelling as I type.") Very useful indeed, although sometimes, I do become annoyed (!), when it uses American spelling and puts a red line on British spelling. I also become annoyed when Enid Blyton gets red lines underneath.

It is so much simpler just to be able to spell!

[Philip Mannering]

Have to agree! I'm not so worried about my typos, anyway. But you see, Nigel, what I have typed: "For anyone who worries about typos and suchlike." I'm not one of those - I just put the spell-checker on for really serious mistakes such as "I wentt too Londone" (not literally) - too many errors. Although I find that for me, these "serious mistakes" are very rare indeed!

[Ming]

I don't know whether to be sad or glad that Firefox has a spell checker - I know my speech is bad enough with British-American colloquialisms - but now my spelling too is confused!

[Julie2owlsdene]

English spelling has to be the most difficult, I think. There are so many meanings to one word, and if you put down a particular word, say 'There', the spelling will probably show as correct, but whether or not it's the meaning you require is a different matter.

For example. There are two meanings to the word THERE. The other is THEIR, same word, but means belonging to something or someone. So in that situation, the spell check would not be of any help.

That's when the English spelling can be very confusing indeed.

[auscatherine]

This reminds me of something else I learnt from Enid Blyton - spelling and grammar! Spelling and grammar were just starting to become 'unfashionable' when I was at school in the swinging seventies. I am sure that that only reason I can manage quite well in both is because I was such a big reader - mostly Blyton.

[manzanita]

I agree Julie, the English language can be confusing!

I remember spelling and grammar still being of importance when I was at secondary school which would be 1990-1995 had I stayed for as long as I should. Even in English exams, you still had marks knocked off for spelling and grammar, although I have heard now you don't have that, which seems ridiculous to me!

I also remember in early secondary school we had lists of words to learn and would have a spelling test which seemed ridiculously baby-ish to me! I also remember getting into hot water when I misspelt "fluorescent". The stupidity of it in my opinion being that I'd spelt every other word right for the past heaven knows how many weeks and you come down on me, age 12 for that! Yet the others were having trouble with simpler words!

I digress... not for the first time it seems to me that those who have read Blyton have not ended up word restricted or racist - quite the opposite! And that people who haven't read Blyton are the ones who have ended up word restricted, intolerant and with a dubious moral structure!

[RDMorrell]

My use of social networking sites is pretty well restricted to Facebook, which I have been using since about mid-December 2008.

I also have an account on Multiply, but that's just dead, so I don't bother with that any more. The account is still there though.

By and large, I like Facebook, but if you're not careful, it can take over your life, especially if you get involved with too many applications. A particularly time-consuming activity, I have found, is "gifting". This is where someone sends you a "gift" (which can be just about anything under the sun), which you then put on your profile, and you might well send them a "gift" back. All it takes is just one or two "gift-happy" friends and you can get bombarded with gift requests all over the place. In fact, I recently had to put my foot down about it, and that helped to some extent, but all the same, I've still got over a dozen pending gift requests!

Games are another thing that can easily chew up a lot of time, although I am working out ways to manage them so that they don't become too intrusive. My current favourite two games are Mafia Wars and Street Racing. Both games require you to add new "friends", who you can then invite to join your "mob", or "race crew", or whatever. I suspect that people with very high numbers of "friends" are involved in games like these. There are entire groups on Facebook that are devoted purely to recruiting people for these games!

However, one big thing in favour of Facebook is that it does help you stay in touch with your current circle of friends and relations, and is also a fantastic tool for reconnecting with people from the past. A good example is that just this past weekend, I met up with an old schoolmate for a cup of hot chocolate and a big catch-up session. This meeting would not have been possible but for Facebook.

Another thing I like about Facebook is that it offers an extra layer of security. With sites like MySpace and Bebo, any Tom, Dick and Harry can look at your profile. But in Facebook, people have to be a) members of Facebook and b) approved to be on your Friends list before they can find out all your secrets (well, as many as you want to share, anyway!).

I'm definitely going to keep using Facebook, but at the same time, I do caution anyone using it or thinking of using it to beware of those applications, because they can really suck you dry if you're not careful. Used sensibly though, I think Facebook has a lot to recommend it. Oh, and there are Enid Blyton groups on there too, although they're not terribly active. The Society site is definitely the place to come to talk about all things Blyton!

PS: Feel free to add me if you want.

[Seymour Glass]

Used sensibly though, I think Facebook has a lot to recommend it.

I agree. I'm a member and I think it's the best of the social networking sites. It's the only one I use; I did join Myspace and Bebo in the past but I never use my accounts there now.

[Moonraker]

Used sensibly though, I think Facebook has a lot to recommend it.

I agree. I'm a member and I think it's the best of the social networking sites. It's the only one I use; I did join Myspace and Bebo in the past but I never use my accounts there now.

I tend to do most of my networking down the pub! As for being contacted by former school 'chums', heaven forbid! Fancy a game of ludo, Tony?

Enid uses MySpace!

[Yak]

Merged with an older topic.

Alright, I have to confess that I have got really very into this lately I am Moosemizz on there if anyone would desperately like to follow me. Not that I, erm, ever do or say anything remotely interesting, but still..

[Fiona1986]

Yes, it's oddly addicting isn't it? I've hit the follow button (PinkHinkyPunk)