Accidental CyberStalker

Yesterday I became an accidental stalker.

It was a techno faux pas that catapulted me from "responsible researcher" well across the line into "unexpected cyberstalker" and I swear, it was a REALLY thin line that I couldn't catch quickly enough while I sailed across it. And now, you're reading the words of a creeper. Beware. *sigh*

Here's what happened.

So, there's this dream job I'd like to have one day. Without going into specific detail, it basically consists of spending my time doing what I love and do best-- connecting with people online. It requires a lot of "soft skills" (wow, do I sound corporate or WHAT?) and a fair bit of tech savvy. Nothing advanced, but lots of social networking.

Social networking is no problemo 'cause at some point, I think I've used most of the social networking tools. It started with MySpace and Friendster, and then MySpace was overrun with longing looks on adolescent high-contrast faces in profile pictures begging people to add me plzzzzzz!1!!1111 and referring to themselves as hawttie69. I was ok with Friendster, but it wasn't until Facebook really took off in the young adult population that I felt at home. I admit that I am now a Facebook fiend and proudly accept all the stereotypes that follow.

I used Twitter for a while, but as soon as I joined I got inundated with followers that I didn't know and some I didn't like but had too small of a network to remove them without violating a social grace. So, I tolerated it for a bit until I got annoyed and bored with their never-ending diatribes (if you can diatribe with so few characters) and quietly abandoned my account. I always wanted a fresh start on Twitter, but never got back to it. Afterall, I had my beloved Facebook.

Anyway...

I get an interview for a part-time version of my dream job. It all seems like a great fit in terms of both personality and expectation, so, because I'm a responsible little networker, I begin to research the company online. I read reviews on blogs, I scour their website, I check out jobs they're hiring for to identify positioning strategy, and I check them out on LinkedIn.

These are a bunch of techies, so obviously, a lot of the people from the company have websites and Twitter pages of their own listed on their LinkedIn profiles. So, I click through. I'm psyched 'cause the more I read, the more I realize that these are my kind of people! They're witty, don't take themselves too seriously, love their jobs, etc. One after another, I'm reading and giggling at some funny status messages.

Then I get to the profile of the person that interviewed me. She also has a Twitter page listed. So, just another in a series, I click and read. Again, I'm smiling and nodding along...status quo.

I start thinking, "man, maybe now is a good time to restart my Twittering fresh." Inspired, I make a new account. Fresh, clean, and empty like a new set of sheets on the bed! I use my real name for the account and the 2010 version of my usual handle. I'm just about to post my first new tweet when I see it.

Following: 1

You know those moments in your life when everything else becomes just a blur around you and you sit face to face with your new reality? This was mine. I grimace and look away as I click to see who I am subscribed to follow...

The person I interviewed with.

Crap. Crap crap crap. How did this happen?! I panic. I quickly un-follow her. Uh oh. Is that worse?!

And then I sit there again, staring blankly at my evil new Twitter page that seems to have the personality less like a newly made bed and more like Chucky, determined to slice and dice my career ambitions.

So, after one teensy weensy interview, I've added this girl's page with a NEW Twitter account with NO postings on it and probably looks like it was created for this skeevy purpose alone. Then out of sheer panic, I removed her which might've been even MORE insulting. She probably thinks that I'm going to ask to move in with her next month. Awesome.