Turned on my computer a couple of days ago and found that the minions at Facebook had replaced my personal page with the dreaded Timeline format. I do not like the Timeline format. It is cumbersome to navigate, and assures that every banal remark I've ever made is preserved for posterity.
Oh, joy. Really, Facebook minions? I know you're trying to get us all to live our lives virtually, to play your games, to get thousands of friends, and click on all those intrusive ads that are tied to our browser history, which is a clear violation of privacy, in my book. I can no longer go on line and do research on weird topics that I see on television or read about in a book without some stupid add popping up offering to sell me 17th century jousing equipment! I don't want to buy the stupid stuff, people. I just wanted information. Sheesh. Where are encyclopedias when you need them?
But my little issues with Facebook go beyond the lack of privacy and dictatorial Overlord behavior of the minion programmers, all of whom I'm sure sit in tiny cubicles with strange music blaring into their ear buds, growing paler by the minute as they eschew all light and actual human contact. Yes, I have issues with "friends" as they're called. First of all, "friending" is not a verb. Really. The old maid English teacher in me revolts. But it's also these glimpses into other people's lives that I really wish I had not seen.
For instance, I do not care that you had a ham sandwich for lunch. I also do not care that you purchased a new ribbon for your cute doggie, that your child has learned to go potty, or that you've just noticed a new crack in your ceiling. While I'm sure these are all earth-shattering events in your life, they do not interest me nor your 643 other friends. Think "headlines" rather than "footnotes" folks. Lest you think I'm preaching a sermon I don't practice, I'm trying to stop doing those things. Will save them for the blog :-)
There's also this thing which -- while it is definitely low-tech -- has been known to be helpful. It's called CONVERSATION, between two people actually living in a house together. How many times must we be subjected to husband-wife, parent-child, and sibling-sibling dialogue when these people ARE IN THE SAME HOUSE? Open your mouth, dammit! Speak! I do not care that you want your husband to change his shirt. I do not care that your children are not washing the dishes as required, or that your sister is a big old doo-doo head. It is none of my business and I don't care! Stop telling me, please.
With the political season coming on, I'm also seeing numerous posts about the candidates, both pro and con. While an occasional post supporting your candidate is fine, posting 27 in a row is a little on the obnoxious, dare I say obsessive side? Same goes with pictures of kittens and puppies, as well as the play-by-play of you watching some reality television program and commenting on what a loser a contestant is. Hello? You're watching the program, and if that's not enough, you're also writing about it and having a conversation about it!
And, as a Christian, may I just say that God will not consign me to Hell because I fail to "Like" some photograph of unicorns, bunnies, kittens, waterfalls and rainbows with a pithy phrase or even -- dare I say -- a Bible verse on it! Yes, God is good, but God crammed down your throat with "unspoken prayer requests" and diatribes against your own personal "big" sin is not. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the more hateful you are on Facebook the less effective your point, so keep it to yourself, please.
Now, I'm not a complete crumudgeon where Facebook is concerned. Finding friends I haven't seen in many years has been fun, as has being able to re-establish those relationships. It's a great way to share good news when you're and happy and bad news when you need support. And I truly enjoy seeing and hearing what my friends are doing most of the time.
But as more and more of our lives become entwined with the "virtual" world out there, a technological "Cloud" literally descending upon us, it behooves us to take note of what we put out there for all the world to see. I often tell my students that I get down on my knees and thank God every day that all of this did NOT exist when I was in high school and college! Because I know of many, many instances that would have undoubtedly made the YouTube world that would preclude me from ever being gainfully employed, much less gain security clearance, which I had at one time, but thats another story. The current generation will either adopt the philosophy that everyone has a right to be young and stupid for a while or NO ONE will be eligible for employment. Seriously.
Oh, I'll continue playing on Facebook, Timeline aside. But I will also continue to untag pictures of me that I don't want to see and will continue to "hide" people who get on my nerves, "unfriend" those who offend me.
I'll also try to think a little more before I share the results of that search on hedonism in the 1500s.
Oops!
Oh, joy. Really, Facebook minions? I know you're trying to get us all to live our lives virtually, to play your games, to get thousands of friends, and click on all those intrusive ads that are tied to our browser history, which is a clear violation of privacy, in my book. I can no longer go on line and do research on weird topics that I see on television or read about in a book without some stupid add popping up offering to sell me 17th century jousing equipment! I don't want to buy the stupid stuff, people. I just wanted information. Sheesh. Where are encyclopedias when you need them?
But my little issues with Facebook go beyond the lack of privacy and dictatorial Overlord behavior of the minion programmers, all of whom I'm sure sit in tiny cubicles with strange music blaring into their ear buds, growing paler by the minute as they eschew all light and actual human contact. Yes, I have issues with "friends" as they're called. First of all, "friending" is not a verb. Really. The old maid English teacher in me revolts. But it's also these glimpses into other people's lives that I really wish I had not seen.
For instance, I do not care that you had a ham sandwich for lunch. I also do not care that you purchased a new ribbon for your cute doggie, that your child has learned to go potty, or that you've just noticed a new crack in your ceiling. While I'm sure these are all earth-shattering events in your life, they do not interest me nor your 643 other friends. Think "headlines" rather than "footnotes" folks. Lest you think I'm preaching a sermon I don't practice, I'm trying to stop doing those things. Will save them for the blog :-)
There's also this thing which -- while it is definitely low-tech -- has been known to be helpful. It's called CONVERSATION, between two people actually living in a house together. How many times must we be subjected to husband-wife, parent-child, and sibling-sibling dialogue when these people ARE IN THE SAME HOUSE? Open your mouth, dammit! Speak! I do not care that you want your husband to change his shirt. I do not care that your children are not washing the dishes as required, or that your sister is a big old doo-doo head. It is none of my business and I don't care! Stop telling me, please.
With the political season coming on, I'm also seeing numerous posts about the candidates, both pro and con. While an occasional post supporting your candidate is fine, posting 27 in a row is a little on the obnoxious, dare I say obsessive side? Same goes with pictures of kittens and puppies, as well as the play-by-play of you watching some reality television program and commenting on what a loser a contestant is. Hello? You're watching the program, and if that's not enough, you're also writing about it and having a conversation about it!
And, as a Christian, may I just say that God will not consign me to Hell because I fail to "Like" some photograph of unicorns, bunnies, kittens, waterfalls and rainbows with a pithy phrase or even -- dare I say -- a Bible verse on it! Yes, God is good, but God crammed down your throat with "unspoken prayer requests" and diatribes against your own personal "big" sin is not. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the more hateful you are on Facebook the less effective your point, so keep it to yourself, please.
Now, I'm not a complete crumudgeon where Facebook is concerned. Finding friends I haven't seen in many years has been fun, as has being able to re-establish those relationships. It's a great way to share good news when you're and happy and bad news when you need support. And I truly enjoy seeing and hearing what my friends are doing most of the time.
But as more and more of our lives become entwined with the "virtual" world out there, a technological "Cloud" literally descending upon us, it behooves us to take note of what we put out there for all the world to see. I often tell my students that I get down on my knees and thank God every day that all of this did NOT exist when I was in high school and college! Because I know of many, many instances that would have undoubtedly made the YouTube world that would preclude me from ever being gainfully employed, much less gain security clearance, which I had at one time, but thats another story. The current generation will either adopt the philosophy that everyone has a right to be young and stupid for a while or NO ONE will be eligible for employment. Seriously.
Oh, I'll continue playing on Facebook, Timeline aside. But I will also continue to untag pictures of me that I don't want to see and will continue to "hide" people who get on my nerves, "unfriend" those who offend me.
I'll also try to think a little more before I share the results of that search on hedonism in the 1500s.
Oops!
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