Physical separateness can never be overcome by electronics, but only by "conviviality", by "living together" in the most literal physical sense. The physically divided are also the conquered and the controlled. "True desires" - erotic, gustatory, olfactory, musical, aesthetic, psychic, & spiritual - are best attained in a context of freedom of self and other in physical proximity & mutual aid. Everything else is at best a sort of representation.
- Hakim Bey
"Your emoticons are beginning to hurt my in-box."
My free porn viewing friends at Blockbuster want to ask Lady Greenfield if their eyesight is failing from sitting too close or Deity retribution.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 24, 2009 04:13 PMCatering to kids' short attention spans was one of the original complaints about Sesame Street. Whether Sesame Street changed or everyone just got used to the format, I don't know.
Posted by gail at February 24, 2009 04:16 PMThe remarks from Her Ladyship Whatshername sound like a modern-day version of the sort of warnings that have getting delivered for decades, perhaps centuries. Radio, TV, yadda yadda yadda, all were going to be the death of civilization. Blogs too, I suppose.
All that aside, I find Facebook rather peculiar precisely because of the way it links people: "Do you want to be friends with...?" or however exactly they phrase things. Well, no, I'm not actually keen to "be friends with" people I've never met, spoken to, and so on. I also find the way that communications between people are NOT confidential is weird. I know people who think the lack of confidentiality is actually attractive: "I get to read what all these people think about such and such." Just a matter of taste, I suppose.
I also know someone who likes Facebook because he has a phone phobia. Sounds odd, but there are in fact people who fear the telephone.
I nonetheless set up a Facebook page as an alternate way to contact a handful of people, all relatives, who are not necessarily easily reached by e-mail. I check the page a couple of times a month.
Posted by joel dan walls at February 24, 2009 04:21 PMWhile I don't have a Facebook page, my 1 month old daughter now does. She has 15 friends now. I had a spirited mental debate about whether a newborn should be "on the web". With my first born I was very restrictive about exposing her to the web and the web to her--until she turned six, then she got her own blog. I put her blog together and posted. It was a matter of convenience so that friends and family that were very spread out could take part in some small way with her adventures.
Now, I post new baby pictures for the small network of friends and family to enjoy. I see no harm in it. So far, the only one in the family spending an unhealthy amount of time on line is, unfortunately, me.
Posted by obelus at February 24, 2009 06:03 PM
Piyush Jindal is speaking!
He is saying: "All that stuff Obama said...but lower taxes for the wealthy! Katrina was good! And war! And more of what Obama says! And we are ethical in Louisiana...and more war! But more of what Obama said...but us repuli-KKKons can be trusted!"
Pi, old son. You aren't worth the wasted heat from the copulation that conceived you. By the way...could you post your birth certificate online? With a name like Piyush you could be a terrorist...or full of demons...let me exorcise you...Out, Demons!
jesus, what a doof
Posted by phidipides at February 24, 2009 07:41 PMOh good lord. Really?
No, I mean, REALLY?
/rolls_eyes
Termite is trying to be sound insightful using a limited view point to trash something they find abhorrent. Their point is well taken. However they approach it as if there are only 2 or 3 reasons why you may have have spoken with someone from your past. Why must we wax philosophic and view everything in a greater "life's journey" context instead of simply choosing to use or not to use?
There are a multitudes of things that are contributing short attention spans. Pointing out that social networking technology is THE boogie-man is completely silly.
The same argument could be made 9 years ago by newspapers at the birth of news/current events blogging. Before that of the Evening news "hook", before that of headline writers.
There certainly are issues to be aware of, but this seems to me as the same claptrap I've heard from every step of progression in internet technologies.
I have a facebook page that I check in with a couple times a week. Its been pleasant to touch base with old high-school friends and share some family photos.
the thought of my kids using these social networking sites scares the hell out of me. But that's healthy, right? I'll be sure to educate and monitor without being overly intrusive in their private lives.
Nah, Termite is right. I'm off to terminate my page, tell my friends to "We've had our time together, screw off!"
Posted by Simp at February 24, 2009 07:46 PMObama did a fantastic job.
Jindal sounded like a kindergarten teacher reading "My Pet Goat". His delivery is horrible.
And remember, he wants ID taught in every science class.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 24, 2009 07:47 PM