That's ridic, methinks.
I am not sure I can pin down my unease about the explosion of Social Networks. After all I've always been a big proponent of communications.
Perhaps it's that when it gets popularized to this degree, communication and creations of real value and substance tend to drown in the overwhelming noise.
I have the same issue with parties. Unless you partition yourself off three or four people from the rest of the party, you have no choice to do any real communication. With dozens of people talking at once on top of music, they can't say three sentences in one connected thought, in fact often you're lucky to get one single sentence over clearly. It's gets all superficiality, no substance.
Update:
Anna said:
"Well, my perception of parties is different, but that's probably because I love to dance."
Ah yes, that's a different thing of course.
"For me, this blog is as if Eolake was sitting every day in a pub, and if you want to exchange a few words with him you can always drop by."
Let's make it a café (on general principles), and that's just it.
I've only once had a neighborhood café where it was actually like that (for a year or so, in Copenhagen), a group of regulars and owners and staff. I think it's rare, it takes a special balance of size and location and profitability.
Maybe it's more normal with pubs.
"...communication and creations of real value and substance tend to drown in the overwhelming noise.
ReplyDeleteI have the same issue with parties. Unless you partition yourself off three or four people from the rest of the party, you have no choice to do any real communication. With dozens of people talking at once on top of music, they can't say three sentences in one connected thought, in fact often you're lucky to get one single sentence over clearly. It's all superficiality, no substance."
Ditto. I couldn't have said it any better. [except for removing the "gets". ;-) ]
I'm delighted to share deep thoughts and have deep discussions with people whom I respect. That's what dinners, phones, and one-on-one email are for. Don't look for me on any of the social networks. Far too much chaff.
I'm sure this was a very interesting blog post, but I only got to "That's ridic, methinks," then I had to move on to check some other blogs. I'd hate to think I was missing something fascinating elsewhere because I was wasting time with something merely interesting here.
ReplyDeleteI got a smile from Michael Burton's comment . . . a very clever return dig, I thought.
ReplyDeleteBut really, Eolake, you're hitting on pretty much what bothers me about blogs, though you may not see the equivalence (and I'm afraid I can't explain it any better).
To be 'in touch' with someone... some particular person! That's what interests me, not the scattershot to hit anyone who passes by. Which is how I see the blog.
I won't argue that the blog may not be necessary to find that one person, but I can't see it as otherwise of any great value, when it is one of millions. A come-on (like an advertising billboard) with all the rest; but most of them are merely out there begging for a response. Any response. Marking only the hunger of the blogger.
Well, you have an interesting point there.
ReplyDeleteThough the "advertising billboard" analogy only holds if the blog has no worthwhile content. If it *has* content, I don't see while it should be regarded different than, say, a book, except in format.
Well, my perception of parties is different, but that's probably because I love to dance. So I love parties where you can dance, and I love one-to-one discussions. And I can't have any discussion if there is music.
ReplyDeleteFor me, this blog is as if Eolake was sitting every day in a pub, and if you want to exchange a few words with him you can always drop by. After a while you start knowing the others who drop by too. And there is no background music in that pub.
"Well, my perception of parties is different, but that's probably because I love to dance."
ReplyDeleteAh yes, that's a different thing of course.
"For me, this blog is as if Eolake was sitting every day in a pub, and if you want to exchange a few words with him you can always drop by."
Let's make it a café, on general principles, and that's just it.
I've only once had a café where it was actually like that. I think it's rare, it takes a special balance of size and location profitability.
Post updated. Amended this:
ReplyDeleteLet's make it a café (on general principles), and that's just it.
I've only once had a neighborhood café where it was actually like that (for a year or so, in Copenhagen), a group of regulars and owners and staff. I think it's rare, it takes a special balance of size and location and profitability.
Maybe it's more normal with pubs.
With so much time spent on emails, I cannot imagine having even more silly advertising sites to have to check. I'm not on myfacebookspace or any of them silly things. Guess I'm just old fashioned, only email and telephone here!
ReplyDeleteOnce I saw facebook links showing up on commercial sites, I knew it was doomed to commercialism and was glad I refused to sign up - and"friending" is juts absolutely trashy misuse of the language. It should be called "become a mark, sucker" or something more honest like that.
And the constantly changing security situation keeps me far far away. No beneift I see yet except keeping in touch with shallow people.
L
I'm delighted to share deep thoughts and have deep discussions with people whom I respect.
ReplyDeleteYeah, deep thoughts, sure.