Technology/The Internet/Communications

[Linus]

This piece is from xkcd, a techie cartoon. It's a few years old since Facebook has powerhoused past MySpace in population, I believe. That said, I wonder sometimes if people friend others just for the sake of... well, friending. To be honest, in many ways, these aren't "communities" in the traditional sense. They are more like networking in a small party sense. You connect with others in hopes of being able to see opportunities (Twitter, in particular, is the worst of this I find and it's partly why I stopped visiting Twitter).

It reduces the human element -- that thing that makes us special -- to near nothingness. Last night I watched "Kill Switch", an X-Files episode written by William Gibson (he's the man who coined Cyberpunk). At the heart of the story was the deeply-in-love couple who wanted to be on the Internet forever. To me, it's sad when we give up our humanness to communicate to each other and instead, we communicate AT EACH OTHER.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do like Facebook. I can ping people and share articles of interest. But I recently contemplated trashing it over a) privacy issues and b) someone who didn't understand that I didn't want their e-vite to a conference. They sent it to me about 6-10 times (I can't remember but I remember getting more and more annoyed). I avoid the apps on Facebook because I do not trust their ability to control privacy. Unlike Canada, the US has the worst privacy policy I've seen.

I am open about my life and I hide nothing. I've had students find me and be very supportive of who I am and what my past is. Does it put me at risk? Sure. But I won't hide who I am. I've always been open but **I** get to decide what I want to share and when I want to share it. Not some third party.

The options, IMO, should always be, what I call, the Novell School of Security. There are two schools of computer security: Microsoft and Novell.

Microsoft maintains that everyone has access to everything unless you dictate no.

Novell says no one has access unless you dictate yes.

I prefer that method.

[Bit]

LOVE that map! lol!! Thanks, Linus!

[Random]

I orgn got on FB because my son had a page... (he was underage, and the only way he got to play on social networks was if mom was his friend)

Then people from B/F started adding me...

Then my real time friends started adding me...

Then I started playing some games, and needed more friends.. so I added people who I didn't know, but were recomended...

Then my family started adding me...

Then my families's family started to add me...

Then my partners mother added me...

Then my mother added me...

*Blink*

I drew the line when my cousins step mother's brother wanted to friend me and my mothers second cousins wanted to friend me...

I sort of stopped using it for personal stuff when my 70 yr old aunt called me out for talking about locking mitmo in a closet and leaving her there over night for being a brat..

I'm thinking about making one for friends, one for family and one for games..

or just not messing with it at all... haven't desided on which one yet..

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Linus

This piece is from xkcd, a techie cartoon. It's a few years old since Facebook has powerhoused past MySpace in population, I believe. That said, I wonder sometimes if people friend others just for the sake of... well, friending. To be honest, in many ways, these aren't "communities" in the traditional sense. They are more like networking in a small party sense. You connect with others in hopes of being able to see opportunities (Twitter, in particular, is the worst of this I find and it's partly why I stopped visiting Twitter).

It reduces the human element -- that thing that makes us special -- to near nothingness. Last night I watched "Kill Switch", an X-Files episode written by William Gibson (he's the man who coined Cyberpunk). At the heart of the story was the deeply-in-love couple who wanted to be on the Internet forever. To me, it's sad when we give up our humanness to communicate to each other and instead, we communicate AT EACH OTHER.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do like Facebook. I can ping people and share articles of interest. But I recently contemplated trashing it over a) privacy issues and b) someone who didn't understand that I didn't want their e-vite to a conference. They sent it to me about 6-10 times (I can't remember but I remember getting more and more annoyed). I avoid the apps on Facebook because I do not trust their ability to control privacy. Unlike Canada, the US has the worst privacy policy I've seen.

I am open about my life and I hide nothing. I've had students find me and be very supportive of who I am and what my past is. Does it put me at risk? Sure. But I won't hide who I am. I've always been open but **I** get to decide what I want to share and when I want to share it. Not some third party.

The options, IMO, should always be, what I call, the Novell School of Security. There are two schools of computer security: Microsoft and Novell.

Microsoft maintains that everyone has access to everything unless you dictate no.

Novell says no one has access unless you dictate yes.

I prefer that method.

Updated Tech Map (the one above is from 2007). This one is for 2010 (click on the image for the larger version):

[Waldo]

Looks like those maps are actually measuring two different things. The first indicates it's displaying information related to the size of membership. The second indicates daily volume of social activity.

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Waldo

Looks like those maps are actually measuring two different things. The first indicates it's displaying information related to the size of membership. The second indicates daily volume of social activity.

Oh, I know he did it differently but what I like is that now I can find the End Guy for the Internet. LOL

[cara]

i am having a heckuva time trying to figure out how to get people on my first FB account that has family on it to the FB account i just created that i would like to leave family members and family friends off of. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by cara

i am having a heckuva time trying to figure out how to get people on my first FB account that has family on it to the FB account i just created that i would like to leave family members and family friends off of. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

I did this exact same thing. I have a family FB and a Friends FB. I deleted the few I friends I had off of the family account and added them to the friends one.. been great ever since. I love having a place to play away from my family, and my MOM.