The Social Networker

Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - The Co Friend

by Chris Miller at 11:40:03 AM on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Another variant of Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) was uncovered in a recent meeting I had. It is called "The Co-Friend". This is something that many people have long before they enter into social networking. The co-friend is a person that started out as and still remains a co-worker of yours. You met them in the office and found out you could actually tolerate them on a daily basis. From there a slight bonding took over. It started with simple conversations and moved quickly into going out to lunch.

This is not to be confused with a co-lust or co-love syndrome which has to do with another intermingling entirely.

This person never really becomes a friend in the true sense. You might grab a drink after work and enjoy a dinner while at a conference. But more than likely they never come to your house and only know your entire family history because you told them. Sure, they meet your significant other at company events, but that is as close as you want them to get.

Now enters the social networking. You started talking to each other on chat when you both found out you could hold private conversations on the public IM networks and shared your screen names. Soon you became Facebook buddies and then it all went downhill.

They started to find out far too much about you. You have overshared details about your personal life in minutia and it has come back to haunt you. The former co-friend is now either someone mad at you, a new boss of yours or worse, an enemy. All of that time spent together is not at your disposal to use as you and them see fit. It could destroy your reputation because you didn't know they kept archives of every chat you had. Those pictures you hid from certain groups at work are now accessible via Facebook.

So where is the line you must keep when moving someone from co-worker to co-friend? I say a safe distance and keeping that business profile and personal profile separate as best possible. When you cannot, then only publish what should be public and keep the rest to yourself you oversharer!!

**************
Further VGS entries:

Created	Subject
01/27/2009	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - The Over Information Gatherer
12/10/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - Social Network Refugee
12/01/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - new Repetitive Posting Syndrome (RPS)
11/17/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - the publisher aka Minutia-streaming
09/18/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - Social Stalking
06/23/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - Forcing Temporary Remission
06/12/2008	Using Jott for reading (listening) to hot RSS feeds
05/12/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - Profile of a Social Networker
05/08/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - the dosage issue
04/14/2008	Tweeting in the bathroom - the new social crime
04/07/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - the variance
03/12/2008	Chris Pirillo further proves my VGS theory is true
03/11/2008	Virtual Gratification Syndrome (VGS) - you have it

Location: St. Louis, MO

Category: Rant
Tags :Virtual Gratification Syndrome VGS View blog reactions

Discussion for this entry is now closed. Please email me instead

Title	Duration	Size
TheSocialGeeks Episode 20 - Flirt with it, don't date it	00:47:20	43.34 Mb
Get the Gist of it	00:06:37	25.14 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 19 - FaceFriend FeedBook	00:45:37	41.77 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 18 - Stop being lazy and filter	00:40:22	36.98 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 17 - Facebook is the universe	00:43:06	39.47 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 16 - I Want the Post, not Pre	00:56:01	48.73 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 15 - Swagger Jackers	00:38:38	35.38 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 14 - Two Personalities	01:00:10	55.13 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 13 - No spit zone	00:56:43	51.94 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 12 - The Return of the Unexpected	01:24:04	76.98 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 11 - The Overachiever	01:07:13	62.50 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 10 - Four Tables, Open Bar and Coke	00:42:48	39.20 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 9 - Out On a Ledge	01:00:33	55.45 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 8 - My Video Comments are under NDA	01:07:46	62.05 Mb
TheSocialGeeks Episode 7 - The Ninja and Stranded at the Beach	01:13:52	67.64 Mb

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