Me, banging on
Here's me banging on about social networking on the website of research company (I don't really know what they do) Tamar. Thanks to Henry for asking the questions and putting me up there; he's the non-stalker who set up my FaceBook "fan page", which I can't access and have no interest in accessing.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 4:57 PM
16 Comments
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16 Comments:
Interesting. What's your motivation for blogging? I've always found it hard to explain why I blog. Except I enjoy it and, like you, it's an outlet for my writing. Such as it is. ayjxl.
Interesting. I was hyped by the Guardian into joining facebook. I had no interest in friendster etc etc but somehow the relentless plugging from the Guradian (were they paid?) convinced me that facebook was different.(The guardian just doesn't seem to be the same paper it used to. or mayeb its me? Its not you, its me... etc etc boo hoo hoo) Its not really, is it? Still, I could find a couple of people via facebook that I'd lost touch with, who I couldn't find with google. And I had a few games of chess.
I clicked on Tamar's "what we do" section of the website. I'm none the wiser.
By the way, I first came to your blog via the badscience website. I don't generally read that one anymore, but I read most everything here. so that's a victory for Mr.Collins..
Matt S
Cheers for the mention Mr C - in case anyone is remotely interested, which I doubt they are, Tamar are a Search Conversion Agency - we optimise websites for big companies like Direct Line and B&Q to try to make them appear higher in Natural Search rankings...
I like blogging because I like writing. I think that's all there is to it. If not a soul commented on my blog entries, I'd still find it a good outlet for the words inside me that need to get out. The interacting with nice, interesting people is a bug I caught while doing 6 Music. That's just a bonus.
Not a soul comments on my blog entries and I still find it a good outlet for the words inside me that need to get out.
And they do need to get out. Imagine if they all just stayed in my brain like some mutant alphabet soup.
Morning, Andrew.
Knowing that you do that film-related stuff, I wondered if you'd yet had the opportunity to check out this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDD9jGMlxNQ
Best wishes,
Tom
MattS: "By the way, I first came to your blog via the badscience website. I don't generally read that one anymore, but I read most everything here. so that's a victory for Mr.Collins.."
One, two, three, four, I declare Blog War!!!
Just kidding. I still read and enjoy both.
I think social networking sites are what you make of them, though I agree that they can change over time. For example I loved MySpace when it was first around (though I'd argue the boom in it was way before 2006 as you stated) but gradually stopped using it as I started using Facebook more. Myspace became pretty much solely about bands promoting themselves and the race to get as many friends as possible.
Facebook I think is more of a real social network. I use it to keep in touch with people I actually know. It's useful to arrange parties, going to gigs etc. I use it to keep track of photos - like when a group of 8 of us went on holiday together with 4 different digital cameras. I can now print off the best pics, rather than just the ones I took.
What I can't be arsed with is the "funwall", "poking", "such and such has just thrown a sheep at you - would you like to throw one back" etc etc. My worry is that this kind of stuff, along with meaningless groups such as the "National Talk Like A Pirate Day Group" is what will eventually be its downfall.
Social networking is still in its infancy. What will be interesting is when people who started using social networks as youngsters get older (30+) and still use it. Hopefully at that stage it will have settled down and "matured" a bit.
Already we're seeing things like LinkedIn being set up, following the social networking model but putting it into a professional context. If you haven't come across it it's essentially "facebook for grownups". Your profile is a professional one and you use it to find jobs, business opportunities, business partners, advice etc.
Oh, and with regards to arguing in the internet, this is one of my favourite XKCD comics. It's funny 'cos it's true!
http://xkcd.com/386/
I don't see how blogging is considered the same as social networking sites anyway.
Myspace is mostly about promoting music which is tedious after a while. Facebook is mostly about periodically (for some people: hourly) reminding people they know you. The other sites, like Bebo, are there mostly for cuteness.
Blogging is different, because it doesn't have any particular aim, it's just a collection of thoughts on things you've seen or done. Noone HAS to read it, and generally you don't get shot down for what you've said. It's just taking what's in your head and putting it down on paper. Without the paper.
Meeting people is entirely incidental and is not the purpose.
I loved my blog because I love writing, but recently I found it hard to keep going, and also because I like to remain anonymous people were finding out who I was (especially at work) so I made the hard decision to delete it. You'll have to take me off your blogroll now Andrew, sadly.
I miss it though, and I plan to return one day.
Facebook I don't miss. I tried joining Myspace ages ago but it wouldn't let me, saying I didn't fit their demographic!
That was a very interesting read Andrew. Thanks.
I too joined myspace a couple of years ago but grew bored with it. I also set up a Facebook page but must admit to being overwhelmed a bit by it (and not in a good way). Any time I log into it now, there seem to be endless friends requests and a total myriad of stupid games and applications to plough through. Screw that! I just don't 'get' it.
Doug
yea a few people at my work found out about my blog and comments like,
"you thought you knew someone..."
and
"where does he get the time?"
got back to me.
To mitigate against the latter I have, controversially, moved my time zone to GMT-11 Apia. Sneaky sneakster that I am.
Fuck all I can do about the former.
tristan - interesting piece of trivia for you... LinkedIn is actually two years older than Facebook. As a self-confessed Facebook addict, I've been on linkedin for much longer, and whilst it's not got the daily pull that photos, stories, updates and news has on Facebook, it's still a must-have site for me.
By the way, do people really use twitter? and if so what for?
I've never looked at the actual site only read about it (alot- again, in th Guardian). In fact I'm too scared to log onto it in case I'm hooked. But from the outside it sounds utterly pointless and silly. Anyone know otherwise?
Cheers
Matt s
Despite having "Social Media" in my job title, I only just joined Twitter last month, and have so far been largely unimpressed...
“I've been in the media for 20 years, in various branches of it, and I've made it my business, in social situations, to be nice to people and turn up on time and provide clean, usable copy/material/footage.”
I don’t know whether I’m maudlin or mentally ill, but I found that quite moving.
Indeed. Twitter just seems weird. What is the point of it?
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