This post was written by Heath W. Black, poet, beagle owner, digital strategist and connoisseur of Lionel Richie records. 

The past week has been a pretty crazy one for me. I attended Facebook’s annual F8 conference with some of the Blueye Team. I had a golf match and football game rained out. I bought my beagle her first raincoat. I also bought a record player, bookshelf and paint for my living room remodel project (It’s less of a remodel than patching up things that need patched up, but I like how manly I feel when I say remodel). As I’ve been taping, painting, remodeling and assembling things I thought to myself, “Self- there’s something to learn here…”

But what could F8 and painting my house possibly have in common? A few things, really.

1. I’ve participated in both in the past seven days.
2. My wife has patiently listened to me talk about both in recent weeks.
3. Mark Zuckerberg was present at both (note: whether this is factual or not is still being verified by Snopes.com)
4. Most importantly, they both emphasize the notion of iterations or, as designers will say, iterative design (disclaimer: i’m not a designer or developer, so if this post is errant it’s because I think on a higher-plane than most individuals).

Even if you have not joined, the network, Facebook can still affect your relationships. My cousin, who somehow still isn’t on Facebook, faked sick to  ditch one of his friends in order to have lunch with another. He thought no one  would ever know, but a GoRoma check-in post with a picture of my cousin taking  a bite of pizza was all over the ditched friend’s mini-feed.  An article on Mashable outlines the different ways Facebook interaction  can affect people and their relationship. Having Facebook and knowing that you  have friends, superficial or genuine, automatically enhances self-esteem. It’s the  types of interaction, such as overanalyzing, checking updates frequently, and  documenting a chronicle of your life on Facebook that creates anxiety and  stress.

We’re blogging live from F8 for the day! feel free to leave comments, ask questions and engage!