I was reading a story in the NY Times yesterday about the utility of Facebook in mobilizing blood donors in a time of crisis or blood shortages. Incredible stuff and I am excited to see other opportunities where social technologies like Facebook can make a difference.

I joined Facebook last summer and it has already had a profound impact on my life. Specifically, Facebook has allowed me to connect again with many friends from college. I thoroughly enjoyed my college years and the friends I made along the way. I had often wondered what everyone was doing in the world and was disappointed when only a small number of folks were able to attend our ten year reunion. According to that same NY Times article, my demographic is the fastest-growing group on Facebook. Accordingly, I’m hopeful that more from my class will join and I routinely check to see if some other Lehigh alums have joined the revolution.

On a related note, I have also connected with a cousin who I had never met. She lives in Vancouver and we had only heard of each other through our relatives. We routinely message each other now and I’m always excited to see when she has written on my wall.

There are many people who are quick to poke Mr. Zuckerberg on his leadership ability and question whether and how he can monetize his creation. Those questions are relevant and it will be interesting to watch how it all plays out. In the interim, I’m quite content sitting back and enjoying the benefits of being a part of this tremendous community.