almost any how
I was about to tweet the following this morning:
: why do so many people post little phrases that mean something only to themselves which just wastes bandwidth and confuses everyone else?
Then I realized several things in succession:
- Nobody wants to read that
- Nobody wants to hold themselves accountable to it, let alone me
- It’s practically the exact same thing I’m lamenting
- As if all Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. isn’t largely internet exhibitionism, anyway (and what makes a post with “meaning” or “sensibility” any less so?)
These are some of the reasons I am considering: (a) removing the auto-post from Twitter to Facebook (b) removing the FriendFeed from this blog to FB. Twitter and dansanders.net are “mine,” and if people want to see the content, they will come see it. Forwarding to FB causes me to follow a schedule of FB-checking, because that’s where they post replies. And how is that beneficial to your own well-being? Twitter is 140 characters worth of your own blog. Your own blog is you, creating (hopefully). FB is a strange version of “hey, look what I found” where your only option is to de-friend someone (the thought of which is kinda distasteful), hide them (and what’s the point, if you’re not gonna just de-friend them), or put up with a hundred quiz results a day and poorly-punctuated posts about political issues that the poster doesn’t even come close to understanding. (wow, that was a fair bit of alliteration)
Of course, the possible (and already said-to-myself) response to the above is “and you just wasted bandwidth by complaining about it.” Perhaps. Half the crap I see on TV is – okay, ninety percent – is wasted signal. But, it’s my “station,” I’m paying the ISP fee, and I get to rant. Yay, me. Folks that don’t like it won’t come back. Which is the Way of Things (or at least it should be).
Where’s your “like” field? This doesn’t work like FB?
I have mentioned before what you touch upon regarding Twitter: it is essentially a microblog. What can actually be a wholly creative expression at times. The most enjoyable tweets seem to be the ones that lend both insight about the poster and their activities/musings, as well as nuance about the larger world around us all. A great tweet conveys both 411 (for the detail junkies like myself) and something that is maybe just opaque enough to make me pause and think a moment. It’s (dare I say this aloud) like POETRY in that way. WHEN it’s good. I ain’t saying it’s good often. I’m just sayin’ … .
And I’m a bit chastened at my own recent failures to properly feed both my own Twitter and blogging. So thanks for the kick in the pants.
Your last lines are the most resonant, at least to this Tweeter/blogger: “Folks that don’t like it won’t come back. Which is the Way of Things (or at least it should be).” It’s a life lesson that needs constant reinforcement about just being who we are, and some will like us, some will love us, and some will hate us. And that’s for them to decide. Reminds me of one of my favourite Irish sayings (minus the silly god business, of course):
May those that love us, love us.
For those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we’ll know them by their limping.
OK. Now that makes a little more sense. I’m not too sure about the bandwidth issue. I can think of way bigger issues in that particular facet. Of course, you’re the perfect example of an introvert.
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This is the personal website of Dan Sanders, IT Security Officer-blogger-game designer. I created the World of Atkelem fantasy setting (see WorldOfAtkelem.com). Feel free to send me a note if you have questions, and thanks for visiting.
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