Buzzing Bee and Tweeting Bird
All the latest controversy and debate surrounding Google buzz (read here) makes me wonder if we have the time and mindspace for another social networking tool. Frankly, I think the whole Orkut/Facebook/Twitter phenomenon is quite a colossal waste of time and effort. Please don't get me wrong, I do understand and appreciate the advantage in being connected to every-minute-live-update about world events. I think these social networking tools have revolutionalized the way we get news and the power of media. It is a great boon for media personnel.
I do not understand, however, the need for all of us be connected 24x7 with each other. Media personnel sending out frequent tweets about news events I can understand. People on my friend list posting their daily ablution timings and frequency is what I don't care about. I care about my friends but do I really need to know if they had a hangover today and have run out of their house looking for coffee?!!
I have often shared my views about feeling totally lost on the Facebook page. If you ask me to choose, I personally prefer Orkut. The reason for that is that I get less frequent updates about friends and I find my business there finishes fast and quick. Facebook on the other hand gives me the aforementioned daily schedule of people I know. Twitter - well I appreciate that tool too. Its short and concise and I can choose to follow updates from certain people. And yes I know I can switch off those updates on the Facebook page too. I am talking of the default behavior of these sites and also the most used features.
Another thing that I fail to understand is our need, mine included, to post/tweet something on a regular basis. I am a Gemini and I love to talk/argue/debate/discuss. I welcome posts/tweets wherein people share their thoughts on a certain subject, share links/articles they like. Tell me and the world how you liked a movie -please do. But, you do not need to send out tweets that tell me you tried to book the tickets and failed and so you went to another mall and tried again and failed again. Maybe, blogging is an option if you do feel the need to share.
It is not just the people who post these tweets that get a kick out of it. It is also the readers and/or subscribers. What is it that drives us to follow people and their daily routine? Do you not think that the whole Facebook/Twitter phenomenon has given a new meaning and structure to stalking? Do you not see that our need/desire to know about people tends towards being voyeuristic?
ps: This post is only my attempt to understand our liking for social networking and the I-follow-you phenomenon. It is in no way meant to demean, discourage or judge users of these social networking sites. Like I said, the readers (me included) do get a kick out of it.
I do not understand, however, the need for all of us be connected 24x7 with each other. Media personnel sending out frequent tweets about news events I can understand. People on my friend list posting their daily ablution timings and frequency is what I don't care about. I care about my friends but do I really need to know if they had a hangover today and have run out of their house looking for coffee?!!
I have often shared my views about feeling totally lost on the Facebook page. If you ask me to choose, I personally prefer Orkut. The reason for that is that I get less frequent updates about friends and I find my business there finishes fast and quick. Facebook on the other hand gives me the aforementioned daily schedule of people I know. Twitter - well I appreciate that tool too. Its short and concise and I can choose to follow updates from certain people. And yes I know I can switch off those updates on the Facebook page too. I am talking of the default behavior of these sites and also the most used features.
Another thing that I fail to understand is our need, mine included, to post/tweet something on a regular basis. I am a Gemini and I love to talk/argue/debate/discuss. I welcome posts/tweets wherein people share their thoughts on a certain subject, share links/articles they like. Tell me and the world how you liked a movie -please do. But, you do not need to send out tweets that tell me you tried to book the tickets and failed and so you went to another mall and tried again and failed again. Maybe, blogging is an option if you do feel the need to share.
It is not just the people who post these tweets that get a kick out of it. It is also the readers and/or subscribers. What is it that drives us to follow people and their daily routine? Do you not think that the whole Facebook/Twitter phenomenon has given a new meaning and structure to stalking? Do you not see that our need/desire to know about people tends towards being voyeuristic?
ps: This post is only my attempt to understand our liking for social networking and the I-follow-you phenomenon. It is in no way meant to demean, discourage or judge users of these social networking sites. Like I said, the readers (me included) do get a kick out of it.
Comments
first, the reason I typically use these media to post thoughts is to feel important that someone, somewhere may care enough to read what i am posting. This, I believe, is a phase and may change as a become a more mature blogger.
Second part, whether they are good or not, the question itself is a moot one. they are for those who like them. And as they are less obtrusive, the simplest argument is that you like it, you use it. else, stay clear. For those who feel compelled to use them but regret it, I guess the real reason is about not having something better to do or not having the will to do the better thing. The last, but not the least, is also a fear of being left out of the whole 'in thing'. peer pressure, as it is often called.
keep writing!!
Axay
And I appreciate the power of these tools. I am merely speaking about the overuse/abuse of these mediums to share every minute detail and stalk every single move of a person.