i don't want to join your facebook group

One of my managers started a facebook group for a work community I’m in and sent an email telling people to join. I do not want to join. But of course, by not joining - they [work people] will notice. I know it’s not a mandatory thing. I could probably speak to my manager about it and explain why I don’t want to join this group on facebook. She’s an awesome person and totally understanding. And yet, I have a feeling it would only end up with me looking like a complete jerk or a weirdo with something to hide. Which is not really it.

Except, it kinda is. I’m hiding my personal life, kinda. Something people have been doing for ages. I’m guessing that 20 years ago, before the internet, work colleagues never knew their coworker’s favorite movies, number one song, and which bars they were at last weekend. I’d sort of like to maintain the old way for now.

I’ve already removed links to my blogs and hid most of my photos on facebook because of the growing number of work contacts I have on my ‘friends’ list. This limited profile shite that facebook has doesn't really work, in the social sense. I mean, yes- technically, I can hide the stuff. However, people who have your limited profile KNOW that they have the limited version, methinks. And it probably offends them.

One day I’d like to think that my work life and my personal life will be friends. That everything I say here can be heard there. But right now, I’d like to keep them separate. Work people do not need to see my angsty blog posts about dumb boys or the 10 million pictures of graffiti that I’ve accumulated on my flickr. They don't need to know if I got drunk last weekend or had a fight with my parents or stubbed my toe on a closet door.

Really.

Of course, I guess it doesn't make much sense to ask for a facebook exclusion, as I throw all these details of my life on the internet anyways. It’s not like they're hidden in my secret diary or in a box under my bed. But still, I don't know. For my friends, yes - of course they should be able to see my pictures and read my rants. That's part of the reason I document everything- to share it with them; I keep everyone in the loop while documenting our hijinks. I just wish it wasn't so easy for my professional contacts to also be able to see all my internet secrets so easily.