Social media is enlightening, especially Face Book because it appears to be more personal ads depicting foolish passing thoughts or shallow political and religious parading with little to no feedback input except some ‘pats on the back’ through a button called ‘like’.  Readers (‘Friends’) rarely read carefully defined numerical reasoning for an opinion but respond well to pictorial graphics blaring poor grammar and spelling errors to draw attention to an ideal. Face Book folks (at least some) who do actually post their opinion, also do NOT welcome a controversial opinion or note however, and quickly delete it if it inflames them or they simply ‘unfriend’. Divorce is so easily accomplished that the other ‘spouse’ doesn’t even know their relationship status has changed to ‘single’ (which includes close relatives as well).

While so easily controlling reader-subscribership is comforting to many, it’s also pretty boring to me. I do like a good debate that incorporates valid reasoning on all sides. I appreciate it when information heretofore unknown by me and others is brought to light to be examined and dissected upon which a ‘new’ foundation can or might be built. I like the opening of new questions that present ‘what if we did this’, or ‘how can we do that’. I want to be able to view and understand other ideologies more clearly, colored into perspectives not based on solely one side of the street, but above it, below it, from the other side and from sides previously unknown.

Finally (well almost) what does really befuddle me on Face Book, Twitter etc. are the tools folks use in order to be ‘heard’, they holler (in caps), scream with pictured blood, ‘kill or maim’ in highlighted verbiage one another over a united anger at the real culprits who are not even part of their social network at all. Perhaps it might be more constructive to consider addressing newspapers, Congressmen, the President, or even pastors directly rather than browbeating, bullying and harming each other. That, of course, isn’t going to happen except for a few who will speak out to that other audience, all the rest will simply push and shove those in their immediate vicinity who are just as helpless as they.

So, Face Book seems impossible to me because while many other online forums entice and only tolerate one tiny slant and nothing more, with Face Book it’s impossible to have any kind of discussion because ideas move like mercury and evaporate before even a few can hear or see, let alone participate. Face Book is more like a Sunday comic section with the same amount of depth. So I am left with the first question ever encountered by human beings: ‘Is this all there is?’

................okay, FINALLY (in caps so you’ll hear me) I really miss the rousing discussions we used to have here.

Yeah, it’s very quiet round here these days.  I remember a time where it used to take me a few hours every day to catch up what had happened here when I was asleep.  And that doesn’t necessarily include the daily chat threads we had going.

As you say, Facebook is very much a “now” thing.  It’s like walking into the middle of a huge party, and trying to work out what’s going on.  Do you go and chat about every-day things with friends? Do you embark on a convoluted discussion with someone you barely know, but seems to be drawing a huge crowd? Or do you stand in the middle of the room and scream “look at me!” at the top of your lungs?  Or if you’re like me, you huddle in some obscure corner, watching it all pass by, unable to move because it is all so overwhelming.

I agree.  I don’t Facebook because all the noise puts me off (yes I’ve become a curmudgeon).  I prefer conversations over status updates.  The barrage of (mostly) meaningless text that fills my screen when I log on overwhelms me.  I don’t want to wade through all of the feel-good ‘repost this’ and ‘what I had for lunch (pix!)’ updates just to find the details I’m actually interested in.  And if any of your friends dare play Facebook games you can essentially write them off.

Smerk - 11 January 2013 08:31 PM

Or if you’re like me, you huddle in some obscure corner, watching it all pass by, unable to move because it is all so overwhelming.

It gets cold in the corner here, want some cocoa?

I want marshmallow with my hot cocoa? 

Yes, that’s the debris I detest.

Charybdis - 12 January 2013 10:03 AM

And if any of your friends dare play Facebook games you can essentially write them off.

Better write me off, then.   At least I attempt to stop the couple of games I do play from bugging everybody, but I have been told that they can be rather persistent about posting on your timeline without your intervention.

It gets cold in the corner here, want some cocoa?

Could I have marshmallows, too, please?

I just block games with the little x and the “block this game” option. Never see them again.

I’ve done that too.  The only game I did play was Words With Friends but I stopped that one too….it was taking up too much time.  I think I’m more interested in drawing I’m afraid (I’m boring).  When I DO want to ‘talk’, I want real conversation and real input.

I usually marvel at the amount of drivel that some people post.  I think I change my status about once or twice a week when I have something to say.  I suspect if I spent as much time on there as some people I would be welded to my chair.  I guess some people like it like that.

I haven’t poked my head into the Facebook chat, myself.

I also miss the warm, friendly crowd we used to have around here..

I do too Robin.  I feel like we’re traipsing around a ghost village house….....

I haven’t been posting much anywhere, though more so on Facebook than on here.  Some of that has to do with a lot of MoHers being over there and not wanting to post things multiple times.  And some of it has to do with Dave dealing with all of his health issues and trying to keep it contained to a couple of places, so I tend to chime in in those places.  And some of it has had to do with school, and just trying to keep up with all of that on top of everything else that was going on at home.  I guess I just didn’t want to burden folks with that stuff here as well as over on Facebook.  I’m hoping to start coming back over here more often.

Let’s have a resurrection party.  Get as many of the gang as we can in here, post terrible jokes and banter like we used to.  Anyone?