alfreda89: (Blankenship Reeds)
2013-06-23 12:03 pm

So, Social Media....

It's a time sink.

If I didn't have to do it in the modern economy, would I? Yes, but I'd probably use it differently. I'd hit it fast early, or late at night, see what friends and family were up to, and then flit away. But for various reasons my friends and family are entwined with writers I know by reputation, fans, old school acquaintances, former coworkers, and friends of friends.

Some of that is good--I've gotten to know a lot of people a little better, met some of my great fans, and through their interests learned a lot of fascinating things. I am an absolute magpie for new information. I consider that a blessing--if I live to be 105, I will be taking harp lessons and learning a foreign language while reading more nonfiction on odd new genetic stuff. And writing fiction to support myself.

A few idiots and trolls have crossed my path. (There are one or two people on my list that I have not blocked for various reasons, but if that was all Facebook content was for me, I'd be long gone.) If there were more of them, I'd abandon Facebook and look for another medium. I am building a new blog now. Eventually it will feed into all my other paths.

I need to set up the group filters that crashed in one of Facebook's updates. But when you lost filters for 800 people, fixing that is rather mind-boggling.
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alfreda89: 3 foot concrete Medieval style gargoyle with author's hand resting on its head. (Feels like Autumn; USA color (WA))
2010-11-10 10:37 am

The "Why?" of social media -- and keeping your head above water

Here's an interesting article over at the New York Times' Book Review, talking about the movie Social Network and a new book by master programmer and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier called You Are Not a Gadget. Zadie Smith's article/review is more about her own history watching all this from a distance, and how she has purposely chosen to opt-out of the current craze.

And the world spins faster )

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/25/generation-why/?pagination=false