Facebook Rants
My theme for late on here has been for posting pet peeves. It seems that blogs are good for either disseminating innovative and useful information (of which I have none) and for ranting. So onward we go.
Facebook. One of the more awesome things to happen on the internet in recent history, and definitely the Most Coolest (super-superlative) social networking site yet developed. It lives alongside Google Docs as a site I not only visit, but use on a daily basis.
But there are some things that irk me.
1. Question-Mark-Face-People. Honestly. If you have a question mark for a face, then you have completely missed the boat when it comes to facebook. It is imperative that upon signing up for an account, the initial action taken is to upload a picture of yourself. Alongside this, I group people that use pictures of themselves as a baby, or pictures of themselves in a group. There should be one person in the picture, and it should not have been taken before you learned to feed yourself.
2. No-Network-People. I don’t even think this should be allowed to exist on facebook. People who are not in a network are saying one (or more) of three things:
They have never gone to college.
They don’t have a job.
They don’t live on planet earth.
The first two are excusable, and I am not bothered by it. But when someone fails to even sign up for a Geography network, I am existentially perturbed. If you live on planet earth, then you qualify for a Geography network. Please take advantage of a social networking site by associating yourself with a physical place that also contains people. It’s the least you can do.
3. This could be the big one: People who don’t understand the concept of comma separated values. When you list your favorite movies, it is supposed to be a list of movies, separated by commas. Then every title in between the commas becomes a link, which you can click on to find other friends that also like that movie. Writing down “Anything with Leonardo DiCaprio” is not only an ethically terrible decision, it is a technically bad decision. You should not use conjunctions, such as “Episode I and Episode II” as this also makes the whole thing worthless. You could enter genres of movies, or even directors, so long as they are separated by commas. “I usually watch comedy, or drama, but not chick-flicks, except when I have to” will create four different links, and I doubt anyone else also likes the movie “except when I have to.”
As in all cases, please take the appropriate action.
And on a positive note, I finally got my new car registered! I had to skip two classes and drive all over creation (Independence) in the snow to get it done, but it worked out pretty well. I did end up having to pay back taxes on my contour, which I guess is something you are supposed to do?? Who knew?
RE: #3: I’m not changing my hybrid Facebook CSV just becuase you can’t handle it. “kirsten dunst-less movies” is staying.
This has been a public service announcement sponsored by sprignaturemoves.com
You should check out Julie’s lists. She is a excellent example of #3. And I would never expect you to remove “kirsten dunst-less movies.”
I don’t think it’s fair that you rant about people who have no-network. Some people went to college but then dropped out and live in a remote, secluded Village far from human civilization – let alone people who use facebook and/or are under the age of 70.
My pet peeve #8,746: People who get irritated at others for ridiculous reasons.
love you!
Well played.
As I said, I have no problems with no-job-network or no-college-network people. But facebook is designed for your very “identity” to be found in communities. It’s post-modernism for the internet. To sign on to facebook and not place yourself within these communities is like buying a pool table and never inviting anyone over. You are free to play pool by yourself, but it’s not quite the way the game is supposed to be played.
I have no pet peeve with you. You are great and I love you.
And I am jealous of the pictures you take. Good job.
Why thank you fair brother – which pictures are you referring to?
I would love to have a network – I really would. The truth of the matter is, I have no community of people my age. I have three friends and they all live many hours away. So much so that the other day I drove 240 miles to make a sandwich with a friend, go for a quick walk, and drive back. If you could find me a network of friends, it would be superb.
Also, if i had a pool table, people would want to be my friend. Then I would get a network.
I also have no pet peeve with you. I wish you could come visit me.
I love you very very much. Have you tried using the webcam I got you??
love love
I have it set up next to the computer, I just need to plug it in. What do you use for video chatting? AIM?
ahh good brother – fair question.
I use a variety of messaging services. For most video calls, I use skype – very nice quality, good sound, well created service.
For a little less quality we can go with the traditional “MSN live messenger” which is what I use for many calls, usually voice though – while video is sometimes used, I much prefer Skype.
In the worst of circumstances, there is AIM. This service not only provides a poor – and nearly non-functioning version of voice/video call, but I am absolutely dumbfounded as far as how to work the piece of.. lard. Also, I steal wireless internet and get kicked off AIM a lot.
Thus – it’s really your choice my fair brother. I would highly suggest Skype, as it is both free for me to call you and an excellent service, becoming more and more popular each day. Nana and mother also have this, and would be pleased to hear from you. And see you. Your shimmering face.
Let me know what you choose. The choice is yours. Remember, as the great Dwight Shrute once said, “information is power.”
Also – the link below should make you quite pleased. I watch it several times a day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAAca108HfU&eurl=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=29346036
I don’t like your site anymore because I spent a long time writing a witty and very hilarious response to your last comment and it never came up. Count me out.
count me back in.
did you look at that video??!!
I haven’t watched it yet, but I have been knee-deep in work and class for the last few hours :o) I will do it his afternoon.
And I will explore your suggestion of Skype.
Joe, slowly step away from the computer/internet, and find some real physical people. Networks of actual people sitting in the same room actually talking to one another and even maybe sharing physical pictures and/or stories with one another can be quite stimulating. When they tell you their list of favorite movies you can process their list in whatever format they provide it to you in. They can also tell you where they went to college and where they work, provided they went to college and have a job. It’s really fun you should give it a try. 🙂
I am not sure that I will ever “get it”, Social networking, hmmm. Why not just hang out and be friends with people? why does everything have to go further and further and further, what happened to the simple front porch? Must we be defined by our progress? When does progress and electronic interconnectedness actually isolate us?
I will tell that to my Mom and Nana in Maine and my sister in England. “Guys, this electronic stuff is really just isolating us more… please come over to my front porch.”
It’s 4:30. I should go home and clean before they get here.