Clearly I am a piss-poor blogger, as I clearly never post anything. But I will throw a couple of thoughts out into the void of the interweb anyway.
Today’s post cones courtesy of two CBC story comments. The first, from esteemed user “Shnook”: “I cannot believe that people spend so much time on Facebook. Almost everyone I know is on Facebook. I am not. I rarely get phone calls or emails asking how I am doing anymore. I sit in my great apartment with my beautiful wife an 1.5 year old daughter and wouldn’t have it any other way. I build friendships by making plans and being with people FACE TO FACE. Not face to electronic book. I know more people and have more friends than anyone I know. ‘How do you meet people?’ ‘How do you maintain friendships?’ my friends ask. For starters, get off Facebook and go outside.”
The second, regarding Twitter, comes courtesy of a Mr. (Ms.?) “savage_sultin”: “complete waste of time. Try something new its [sic] called outside and do something. No wonder people are over weight [sic].”
I’m sure this is a common complaint. I won’t bother to address the hypocrisy of criticising the use of Facebook or Twitter through posting a comment on an online news story on a website where you are required to create an online account and log-in prior to posting a comment. But why the self-righteousness? Okay. I’ll ditch Facebook and get outside to maintain relationships by biking from Toronto to Edmonton to see my old friends. Or I’ll just use email or telephone to reach my old friends, who no longer have access to the university accounts since graduating, or have moved to another area and no longer have the same number. I’ll ditch Twitter, too, so that it is less convenient to learn updates about my city from blogto, or torontoist, or spacing, or Toronto city council, and therefore I’ll be a less informed and involved member of my community.
Yes, there are Facebook users who are shameless narcissists, and yes, there are Twitter users who post too many mundane details (OMG, this turkey sammich is fukking gr8! LOLZ!!!!). But do we get rid of mail because of junk mail? Or the telephone because of telemarketers? Or newspapers because of the National Post? Okay, the Sun maybe.
I guess I’m just hoping that people can be less quick to judge alternative methods of communication, particularly ones that are well suited for particular segments like the transient university student. If you have a legitimate argument, such as the erosion of privacy caused by web 2.0, that is fine. Leave the “people who use social networks are annoying” to yourself if you can. It’s not helpful.
Afterall, comment boards still exist despite self-important schmucks, because occasionally people make important a thought-provoking posts. We all have to make sacrifices.
Since I’m chained to an info desk…
Clearly I am a piss-poor blogger, as I clearly never post anything. But I will throw a couple of thoughts out into the void of the interweb anyway.
Today’s post cones courtesy of two CBC story comments. The first, from esteemed user “Shnook”: “I cannot believe that people spend so much time on Facebook. Almost everyone I know is on Facebook. I am not. I rarely get phone calls or emails asking how I am doing anymore. I sit in my great apartment with my beautiful wife an 1.5 year old daughter and wouldn’t have it any other way. I build friendships by making plans and being with people FACE TO FACE. Not face to electronic book. I know more people and have more friends than anyone I know. ‘How do you meet people?’ ‘How do you maintain friendships?’ my friends ask. For starters, get off Facebook and go outside.”
The second, regarding Twitter, comes courtesy of a Mr. (Ms.?) “savage_sultin”: “complete waste of time. Try something new its [sic] called outside and do something. No wonder people are over weight [sic].”
I’m sure this is a common complaint. I won’t bother to address the hypocrisy of criticising the use of Facebook or Twitter through posting a comment on an online news story on a website where you are required to create an online account and log-in prior to posting a comment. But why the self-righteousness? Okay. I’ll ditch Facebook and get outside to maintain relationships by biking from Toronto to Edmonton to see my old friends. Or I’ll just use email or telephone to reach my old friends, who no longer have access to the university accounts since graduating, or have moved to another area and no longer have the same number. I’ll ditch Twitter, too, so that it is less convenient to learn updates about my city from blogto, or torontoist, or spacing, or Toronto city council, and therefore I’ll be a less informed and involved member of my community.
Yes, there are Facebook users who are shameless narcissists, and yes, there are Twitter users who post too many mundane details (OMG, this turkey sammich is fukking gr8! LOLZ!!!!). But do we get rid of mail because of junk mail? Or the telephone because of telemarketers? Or newspapers because of the National Post? Okay, the Sun maybe.
I guess I’m just hoping that people can be less quick to judge alternative methods of communication, particularly ones that are well suited for particular segments like the transient university student. If you have a legitimate argument, such as the erosion of privacy caused by web 2.0, that is fine. Leave the “people who use social networks are annoying” to yourself if you can. It’s not helpful.
Afterall, comment boards still exist despite self-important schmucks, because occasionally people make important a thought-provoking posts. We all have to make sacrifices.