So finally, the verdict is in. Facebook can no longer be considered a ‘waste of time’.  It has proved its value. And I don’t mean its massive market capitalization.

In India recently, a super con-woman, a master of disguises, who had successfully perpetrated a series of crimes, was tracked down by the cops because she had omitted to ‘disguise’ her Facebook profile. The pictures she had posted were of places that followed the same pattern as her crimes. Clearly, even for sleuths, footprints are out. Facebook is in.

That’s not all. If ever there was a question about the connection between Facebook and one’s grey cells, that doubt has been powerfully dispelled. No game has been as much associated with the brain as chess. And even there, facebook has displayed its cerebral prowess. Well, in a sense. A potential ‘grandmaster’ apparently made regular trips to the loo during his game, giving rise to suspicion. Upon questioning, he vehemently denied any malpractice. But he had logged on to Facebook while in the loo, which had recorded use of a chess ‘app’ during his match. Moral of the story- even grandmasters can’t stay away from social media.

There’s more. In New York, a petty thief gave away his location when he logged on to Facebook after committing his dark deed. Even as he was sitting there gloating over the number of ‘Likes’ for his latest post, policemen were entering the room through the window. See? Your elders were wrong. As usual.

Bhaskar is a private banker and Khaleej Times’ Friday humour columnist. He has authored several books and tries hard to keep up with the times @bhaskarpg and www.pgbhaskar.com

Featured Image Artwork by Bhoomika Ghaghada