This makes me happy (click). I’ve been waiting for something of a facebook backlash for a while now. Here’s hoping for an early Christmas present this year.
This makes me sad …”We’ve been blessed with natural resources…“ It’s a comment I overheard by a member of my parliament while on Rutherford’s 630 CHED radio program. It seems he was upset with Obama’s recent decision to delay the XL pipeline. From what I can gather, the boundaries that define Canada have been bestowed by some deity with abundant materials that we Canadians can exploit as we see fit. Sweet, I love deities that play favorites …especially when they’re on my side.
This makes me relieved (click). I don’t like pirates. Water-logged or digital. What I hate worse than pirates though are ‘artistic thieves’ – ones who steal creativity by limiting its growth. Clay Shirky summed it up well in this recent Ted Talk: “The 20th Century was a great time to be a media company […] If you were making a TV show, it didn’t have to be better than the other TV shows of the day …it only had to be better than the two other shows that were on at the same time.“
This makes me laugh (click). It seems someone’s been playing the old iPad switch-a-roo, and a few consumers have gotten a bag of clay instead of the real McCoy. It’s not all that funny if you got one I suppose, but what I’m excited about is for those with time on their hands to throw together some videos/skits with Apple ‘fanboys‘ actually trying to use the product. Clay iPhones will be the next big seller if I know my trends.
Finally, this makes me wonder… “To admit that our ancestors are bacteria is humbling. It has disturbing implications. Besides impugning human sovereignty over the rest of nature, it challenges our assumptions of individuality, uniqueness, and independence. It even violates our view of ourselves as discrete physical beings separate from the rest of nature and – still more unsettling – questions the alleged uniqueness of human intelligent consciousness.” pg 32. Dazzle Gradually by Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan.
My Interweb seems to be letting me down lately. I suppose it’s not the internets per se as much as it is the people frequenting them …where are you guys?
That’s the general feeling I got tonight as I had a chance to go through my RSS reader. I use a standalone reader to subscribe to page/blogs that I find interesting because it’s a lot faster to skim posts and content without having to claw my way through poorly designed sites. Over the years (lol, yes it’s been years) I’ve added many different feeds from places I find interesting, and when online it updates me with fresh content. Tonight I had the chance to scroll through my reader, checkout the blogs/sites they connect to and realized that a LOT of the people I follow (used to follow I suppose) haven’t been online for years! Usually I’ll get the odd post once every few months that signals they’re still around, but there’s many blogs that I’ve completely forgot existed …and I find that they actually don’t exist! Some I kinda hoped would still exist …or re-exist that is. Some have been abandoned, some removed …it seems there are very few people who blog regularly anymore. At least, not from the content and sites that I stumble across. However, don’t let my ‘getting out there’ be any indication of what’s actually out there – I’m as lazy as (blank) when it comes to a lot of things.
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the diehard who doesn’t know when to quit. Of course social media (the other social media that is) has a lot to do with it. Why, that’s one of the reasons I jumped ship …too much time online meant something had to give; the blog or keeping up with the Joneses. Routine on the internet is an always changing thing too I figure, as people move and shift with sites and technology. And who could forget real-life of course! (Yes, I have one too.) Yet, truth be told, I’m somewhat proud of my resilience in the mighty (if it can be called that anymore) blog-o-sphere (if it can be called that anymore). I have though, gone through a few changes myself ….design phases as well as a few domains. But that’s just cosmetic, and as hard as it’s been at times I’ve racked my brain to come up with something to say somewhat regularly. It may not be much mind you, but it has been regular. Yep, regular. My blog is like fiber.
But fiber’s good for you kids. It keeps you clean. Lol …I don’t what that means exactly. More importantly though I like going against the grain when it comes to things, and if updating a blog for over 5 years with meaningless crap sets me apart from the norm by placing me in a corner with a dunce cap on my head then so be it. I’ll wear that cap proudly. I’ll fight the good time-wasting fight. I’ll go down with that ‘no one is listening’ ship. I’ll be the Rocky Balboa who doesn’t know when to quit. Heck, I’ll update this blog if I have to reach out from my clammy grave with my cold, steely-dead fingers to my bluetooth enabled keyboard (if the batteries are still working) because I’m dedicated damn you! Dedicated I say!
*either that or I’ve wasted invested too much time on this already and to admit that means exactly that. lol, yes …that’s (kinda) in this book that I did eventually read*
If I’m understanding this correctly, some people can’t imagine their lives without things like knowing the weather, games, how to get somewhere, listening to music and checking in on news stories. Wow, aside from ‘news stories’ …well, it’s a sad reflection on the times kids.
Speaking of kids and reflections on the times, while at a gig the other night there were two girls dancing with each other (about 19-ish) and they both were texting at the same time. Texting while dancing. It was too funny. The keyboardist looked up at me and we both laughed. I then, in mid-song while still playing my bass with my left hand, reached into my right pocket, pulled out my slide phone and pretended to text as well.
Hummm, maybe that’s another thing I should practice.
Oh, and this just in. I saw a combination ‘Thrift Store and Tattoo Shop’ the other day. I’ll try to get a picture of it if I can next time I’m in that area. Personally, I’m holding out for those kiosk/automated inking centers that will soon be next to all those automatic blood pressure machines you find in drug stores. Yes, I dare to dream ;)
What’s the plus for you ask? Well …if it was minus then that would be worse! Duh. Here’s my take on this supposed FB rival; I’ve created my account and expect others to follow and eventually for it to take over the world where at which point I will delete my profile because it’s a waste of time but then create a few new ones over the subsequent years to eventually find that ‘iNet’ has been created by Apple and then begin the entire process over again. And again. And again…. You get the picture.
If there is a plus to Google’s social network it is the integration with Gmail and all its other ‘can’t live without’ internet shenanigans. And if I could offer one piece of advise to the mighty overlords it’s this: Don’t place privacy, security, clean design or functionality AFTER the advertising dollar.
Eli Pariser has a great TED Talk you should check out. I’ve griped about this before (here and here) but was somewhat surprised to know that other ‘internet systems’ do the same sort of thing. They do it under the guise of ‘relevancy’ and Eli discusses this in terms of algorithmic tailoring. Essentially he argues that we’ve come to exist in online ‘bubbles’ where the internet is customizing the information we look at. It’s akin to Big Brother (in a way) telling you what you want to know as opposed to you being able to see for yourself. It’s a personalization of data …something served up for us based on our previous needs and habits.
He didn’t talk about why the need for personalization though, and I think that’s the interesting part. I feel you get personalized attention because Google and Facebook etc. have advertisers (the people paying the bills!) that need to register some sort of influence on you. That is, there’s no point in Lego brand toys being advertised to a financial advisor, and as such each individual needs information that is relevant to them and their purpose online. In a way it makes sense, but in another way it stifles what you get access to. It’s as if convenience has throttled content …and we’ve naturally allowed the information we receive to become convenient. And it shouldn’t be.
While on facebook a few months ago I considered deleting my account. Yes, again. What happened was I got frustrated with all the ‘crap’ that was on there. I also discovered too that facebook is only what you put into it. That is, if you don’t actively involve yourself in the conversations and what-not, then you simply become a bystander. I also also discovered that being a bystander is akin to not being there, and so for the majority of my ‘friends’ I may as well have not existed. My problem is that I see facebook as FUNbook …mostly, and unfortunately most of my ‘friends’ don’t share my silliness. It often seems to be a self-promotion tool for many (gigs, opinions, faiths etc) and there are only a few who like to laugh at themselves. Not enough as far as I’m concerned.
Anyway, one day I was overwhelmed by the amount of advertising I was exposed to. On my profile page, on pictures I viewed, on searches I did, on articles I read, on videos I watched ….everything! The internet has become ADnet. (and I’m sure someone will do a study one day to see how we’ve evolved our browsing habits to recognize ads before we actually see them, thereby bypassing their relevant information. Of course advertisers will pick up on this and we’ll be targeted other ways I’m sure. lol …through implants is my guess). So, in my ‘treating facebook as silly’ mentality, I decided that if I can’t beat them I may as well join them, and I did my own video-ad by simply reading what was written on my facebook sidebar. Lol, it was stupid …as in really stupid. But at the same time I was trying to make a point; that we’ve become giant ads ourselves (whether for products we use or our own personal opinions and views) and have essentially adopted the same advertising techniques as marketers …but with a personal touch that isn’t so in-your-face. We’ve branded ourselves, which isn’t so big a deal, but at the same time have become that walking, talking, facebooking billboard we resent. When you step back from things though, I don’t think we’re so different from those monsters we create.
The ad I did at the bottom of this post was followed by a series of others that changed slightly as I got creatively involved (some non-ad’s as well.) Eventually it turned into a ’50 ads in 50 days’ project, and for better or worse I followed it out to the end. I did discover some interesting things though; for example my ‘most fun’ experiences were ones that involved the littlest planing; as soon as I began to labour over expectations I got bummed out and usually dropped the concept. Some I did rework a bit, and it seemed (sometimes…) to show in my facebook responses. Others though, may have been a bit too ‘inside’ for non-insiders to catch …and only a few of my close friends might get a laugh out of. The thing though was that I got a laugh out of them …usually, and that was the important part of the project! (and the part that I occasionally forgot)
As I watch some of them now I kinda cringe -lol. But I have to remember they were what they were at the time and they all, in some way, contributed to each other. Some were stepping stones while others made the cut. I went about them with that ‘suspended judgement‘ thing I talked about many times in the past (thanks again Gord) and when you do that you allow yourself to not just fail, but to not be too devastated because of it. The result is that you’re still moving forward …and that’s all one really hopes to do at times.
If you click here you’ll get my Noway Outski youtube channel where you can browse the 50 videos I posted on facebook. Right now I’m talking a break from things, but it’s my intention to add more ‘stuff’ when the time is right. I’ll add some more misses I’m sure, but I’ll hopefully add some hits as well. FIngers crossed. Lol, it’ll be what it’ll be I suppose.
I also want to mention that while doing some research lately I found it refreshing that Wikipedia is ad free. Yes, I often browse wiki as a introduction/source to other articles and pages and for some reason it caught my eye that I didn’t have to avert my eyes from stupid advertisements. I made a donation to them a few years back (during one of their fundraising drives) but decided to make a paypal donation out of the blue a few weeks ago. I look at it as an online library fee.
Do you remember all those silly, little kid arguments and sayings that little kids would say when they were little? You know, stuff like …’if they can do it so can I’, or ‘I won so it’s mine’ and of course the ever-popular …’you’re stupid’. That’s right, the little phrases that were the rationale of the closed-minded, egocentric and self-absorbed child who hadn’t yet understood what manners were or how to function around other little kids let alone the larger community beyond them.
Now add about 50 years, some celebrity star power, a whole whack of money and you’ve got yourself the little kid reincarnate who is admired by the masses for his ‘success’ and straight-shooting opinions. *must not read news. must not read news…*
Oh, and I missed the wedding btw. I’m sure it was grand and full of the finest pomp and circumstance. I also missed Michael’s Office finale as well. Ditto for that hockey thing. And basketball. Hummm. I wonder if I’m receding a bit too far from that warm, comfy center of culture and becoming a cold, bitter outsider? I am getting old …but then there are old people who are completely at home in the middle of things. Just not all though. I was at the gym a few days ago and walked in on a conversation between some naked old-timers in the locker room….
You’re on Facebook aren’t you?
What?
Facebook!
*puzzled look*
C’mon, don’t tell me you don’t know what Facebook is!?
*laughter*
I don’t know what that is.
*more laughter* Facebook? *and yet more laughter*
As the naked, laughing old-timer left his bewildered counterpart to his shame and walked by me with a wide smirk across his face, I casually made the remark …”He’s probably lucky.” He kept his smile and wandered off to dry his shrivelled man-bits a few lockers down.
According to this New York Times article it seems the younger generation has fallen off the blogwagon. Or on it …however that works. Facebook and Twitter are the thieving culprits of course, and even though some older folks are staying the course, there’s a valid argument that perhaps the good ol’ web-log might be set to follow in the footsteps of other digital dinosaurs such as the animated gif, guestbooks and instant messaging to name a few.
Or is it the case that rather than dying off, the blog is morphing into something else? The animated gif has become flash, guestbooks are kinda like ‘walls’ and instant messaging is still instant but just more widespread than the typical one on one of yesteryear. The kids though, they’re all about the now. It’s true I think. If I was a kid there’s no way I’d spend the amount of time that I do putting together some of the posts that I have. It’s too much work. Facebook is easier because you can say something simple and toss in a link or video and voila ….your friends will be liking you from dusk till dawn and in a matter of seconds. Ditto for Twitter with its small character limit. These things are quicker, and for the fleeting mind of the youngster riddled with all this modern technological magic, it’s just easier.
Even the older generation can get on board as they all have families, work and other important things in life that take precedent over maintaining an online presence. There’s the real world to deal with – and it’s much easier to do our ‘onlining’ in small doses …like in between meal preparations, in between office politics and in between you giving your kid pushes on a swing. Technology has made that a no-brainer, and if staying connected to that relative halfway around the world simply means snapping a quick picture of your dog in a park and then ‘one-clicking’ it to your facebook profile …well, how much more easier could that be!? Even the founders here at WordPress (the blogging platform I’m on incase you haven’t noticed …and interestingly one of the few that have grown in users) now allow you to post via text-messaging as well as audio entries direct from your cell.
‘Simple’ is our preference it seems, but the article mentions young blog writers being uninspired by a lack of readers as well …and I can sympathize with that. A few years ago I had hits at around 200/day, and that kinda felt good …before I blocked myself from search engines that is. The problem though, and it took me a while to figure this out (if I actually have!) was that I became motivated for the wrong reasons. Of course it feels good to have people react to what you do, but at the same time it’s nice to just operate on your own time and for your own purpose …as selfish as that may be. Kids though… kids are all about their social circles. That is, they’re still being shaped by those around them while old geezers such as myself are moving in an almost opposite direction; being more concerned about leaving a ‘mark’ rather than finding oneself or creating alliances. That is why we drive with our signal light on all the time btw …we just don’t care ;) Having visitors can never be bad …but we all blog for different reason as certain aspects of the process appeal to different people depending on that point in life they’re at.
And then there’s ‘small talk’, as the article rightly noted, as being easier to do to with ‘social media’. This is the main reason for the blog’s demise in my opinion; it’s just not conducive to the trivial. You shouldn’t have to waste your time by clicking on a link, opening a fresh browser window, sorting through sidebars and headers all just to read that so and so is ‘getting tired of the rain.’ That would be ridiculous …and that’s why Twitface is so perfect for this job. Blogs, as Elisa Camahort Page mentions, are for “more meaty discussion” …and I have to agree. Of course all work and no play makes blogs into dull boys too, but then again even in the meat of a blog (or at least in the good ones that is) you’ll find the essence of the author peeking through; that little bit of personalization that tells you that you aren’t just reading the news, you aren’t just reading another copy & paste column and you aren’t just clicking on links to inspirational quotes or funny youtube videos. Er, not most of the time that is.
Electronic Mail. I’ve always liked it because it was to me as practical as regular mail. For letters that is. Paper stuff. Parcels and packages …nope. Somewhat though, if you consider software and other various types of media in attachment form. So yeah, aside from ‘big’ items like the package of cinnamon buns and jams I used to get from my late Baba, email is kinda tops in the digital messaging department. If you’ve convinced yourself that other messaging protocols are similar then you should consider that for most of them you need an email account to get started. IM. Facebook. Twitter. Scores of others ask you for an email address before you can use their services …forums, messaging boards, chat rooms etc..
And so today I’m happy to announce, in case you haven’t heard that is, that your email now enjoys the same privileges, securities and privacy usually reserved for those more important things like regular mail and phone calls. How so you say? Well, it appears the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has made a decision in a case involving the search and seizure of stored emails. Here’s the gist of their decision as posted on the Electronic Frontier Foundation page…
The ruling is from The United States of America v. Steven Warshak. It’s a funny, albeit sad read if you’re interested (click for a .pdf download). It all revolves around a ‘growing’ (pardon the pun) business involving a penis enlargement drug called Enzyte. People …or rather men, were bilked out of money through an ‘auto-ship program’ where the company would continue to ship and bill for treatments until the men accepting them were convinced that it just wasn’t working. Needless to say the company made millions from the natural/innate ’4 inches = 6 inches’ perception problem that’s common to the middle-aged, insecure and slightly balding male population. The Government seized over 27,000 of the company’s emails from various ISP’s that hosted the Warshak accounts. The Circuit Court though, and rightfully so, came to the realization that email is more than a passing fad; “Since the advent of email, the telephone call and the letter have waned in importance, and an explosion of Internet-based communication has taken place. People are now able to send sensitive and intimate information, instantaneously […] to friends, family, and colleagues half a world away. Lovers exchange sweet nothings, and businessmen swap ambitious plans, all with the click of a mouse button. Commerce has also taken hold in email. Online purchases are often documented in email accounts, and email is frequently used to remind patients and clients of imminent appointments.” (taken from the above .pdf file)
So there you have it, the lowly email has grown into the de-facto mode of communication in this modern age. Of course, like regular mail, things can be stolen. Just as a thieving type character can hide in your shrubbery waiting for your letter-carrier to make a deposit, so too can a bored/nosy neighbor monitor the data you provide by hopping on that ‘free’ wireless signal that’s conveniently there when you need it. So take precautions. And at the same time, know that what you securely send by email into that digital ether will still remain secure.
And yes, even the correspondence for your ’4 to 6 inch conversion goggles’ are safe from prying eyes ;)
I wonder, if after all the technology induced connectedness, there’s going to be a time not so far ahead when the young people growing up in this affront on personal space, rise up in revolt? When they come to a point where they realize they don’t have that ‘alone time’ they need. Not that social media is a fad (or the only culprit for that matter …and it serves a purpose in our lives and is without doubt here to stay), but that users growing up in its influence will inevitably want to take that step back …to reclaim that need to be alone. Some ‘me’ time. Time away from the cloud, so to speak. Take this video I saw posted on a friends FB page a while ago…
Being the bitter, grumpy, lonely, despondent old man I am, I responded half comically and half seriously “Leave it to the youth to proclaim the virtues of being alone.” …but I wonder if it’s not so much a youth thing. I wonder if perhaps it’s a person thing. A natural desire. And perhaps it’s only that the youth realize it …or in this instance, see it more clearly. That same friend also found a value in being disconnected, and had the foresight to document the benefits in a video…
Might there be some sort of uprising on this technological intrusion in our lives, and will the young persuade us to move in an opposite direction? And if they do, will we listen? Or, sadly, will we gradually lose that desire for ‘alone time’ and give in not to the sensible voices in our head, but to those in that cloud bearing down on us? Personally I don’t feel so optimistic. Life is getting busier after all …and it’s harder to see that proverbial forest through the trees. What I am optimistic about though, is the influence of youth on our lives. From fashion to health to that starry-eyed romantic perspective, us old people often glance back in hopes of finding that long-lost, idealistic grounding. There’s something about young eyes that makes things fresh in a way. Something that that reminds us of what is truly important in our lives.
In hindsight, “Leave it to the young to proclaim the virtues of being young.” may have been a better response.
