Social networking sites, which do you prefer? For my countless and untold sins I have accounts with several of the more commonly known social networking sites, and I have suddenly arrived at a conclusion. Beginning with the ever popular Facebook, what makes this site so widely used? As far as I can see the Facebook team appear intent on changing the damn layout of the site every other day, making it extremely frustrated to those of us who have just gotten used to one format, and learnt how to use it, then Hey Pesto it’s changed again! Bloody nuisance!
Then there are the characters who use this social network, an interesting bunch, which like I said, includes me. Most use the site to keep in touch with friends, sometimes relatives and often just to have a nose at the profiles of those we used to know, want to know, would like to know or wish we didn’t know!
By far my biggest irritant is the `Buy &/or Sell’ sites on FB. Why do people place an item or vehicle for sale on the site but constantly not bother with any information about the item or vehicle? For instance, For Sale. Ford Escort. That’s it! No location, year of registration, mileage or condition. No prices on items, often not even a title or description, just simply a photo! Do these people all assume we are a nation of mind readers? Or are they themselves just too damn lazy! Imagine a shop with no advertising, no items on show and no prices available, not even a name above the shop premises, would you go in and attempt to purchase something? Not bloody likely!
OK, what about Twitter? From the little I have learned about this site, it is further reaching than its FB rival, tweets appear to span the world based solely on what subjects or people one follows. A Good idea I think. The downside to me is, every one seems to just tweet links to other sites or webpage’s, no real messages, just links. If one reads a statement or comment and replies, no further answers, replies or insults are returned, is this `social’ or more in the realms of anti-social? I am still learning about Twitter and so far I have made some fascinating contacts, or follows & followers as the used titles. I just wish more Tweeters would write something interesting, entertaining, hopeful, helpful or simply plain nice, instead of thousands of links to other sites, films, books, people or publicity stuff that no one really wants to bother with.
I became a member of Linkedin but damned if I can remember why and who invited me! Yes it’s a great site for announcing ones business, qualifications, work status and other formal information, but again getting answers is difficult. I find no one sends me messages or answer any I send, the Linkedin members seem intent on publishing their own successes and achievements but with little thought to what their own contacts are up to. OK, so this may be just down to me, maybe I’ve chosen the wrong people as contacts, or not stated my interests clear enough, or possibly I simply don’t have any friends . . . . .
Friday 20 April 2012
Monday 2 April 2012
Apathy
So, the government now wants to monitor our texts, emails and websites, doesn’t this sound a tinsy bit like the Cold War years? The difference being, we the public are the `enemy’ and the government is the Big Brother Authority.
Squeal as you may to this latest piece of national dominance issuing forth from the allegedly democratic British government, but in truth, is it not our pure apathy that allows such things to occur?
People in the western world appear to be unable to stand up for themselves anymore, relying solely on moaning and lamenting to anyone willing to listen!
Most of us fall into this category, if a person were to trip over an uneven pavement; the cry would go forth;
“Why doesn’t some one report this?”
But alas no one does because no one really cares. Why should we be bothered, it was not us that tripped so let someone else deal with it! This same level of apathy drapes its uncaring blanket over all of us at some time, a practice we have all been guilty of at some stage in our lives.
So why do we simply insist on moaning rather than standing up for our rights? Is it because we do not know how? Is it because we fear any back lash? Or is it just that we cannot be bothered to make the effort? What ever the reason, the government, businesses, the medical establishment, in fact all those in a position of authority are allowed to happily stamp all over us.
The only thing we are famous for fighting against, is planning permissions! Suggest building a nuclear power station in the middle of nowhere and lo and behold, thousands pour onto the streets in protest! Even though those who protest will benefit from increased jobs, increased commercial benefits and an economic up turn for that area. No, all we care about is the value of our houses and how having a nuclear plant near by may reduce the selling price of our property. I used a nuclear plant as an example but it could be any type of commercial construction, from a school to a wind farm, we raise our voices in protest at the sheer audacity of building such a thing near our homes.
So what is our stance in life today? Is it simply to protect the value of our homes? Unfortunately this does appear to be the case. Start a war in another county? Fine, OK. Raise taxes beyond the ability of thousands of people on low incomes? Yep, that’s fine. Snoop into our private lives, through the web and texts, through our financial transactions? Yes that’s alright.
Try to ease our fuel consumption by erecting wind turbines? No! That’s not OK; it’ll affect our house values! Build an incinerator to help reduce the amount of rubbish that is buried in landfill sites? No, that’s unacceptable as it will affect the value of our homes!
Take any action or construct any device, machine or building that will help both us and our environment will bring cries of dismay from all homeowners across the western hemisphere. But tax us into the gutter, spy on our every move with CCTV or read our texts and emails, enter all our details onto every computer in the land, yes that’s fine.
Where did this apathy come from? Why do we no longer care unless it affects the property values? Where has our spirit of defiance gone? Is there a price?
Squeal as you may to this latest piece of national dominance issuing forth from the allegedly democratic British government, but in truth, is it not our pure apathy that allows such things to occur?
People in the western world appear to be unable to stand up for themselves anymore, relying solely on moaning and lamenting to anyone willing to listen!
Most of us fall into this category, if a person were to trip over an uneven pavement; the cry would go forth;
“Why doesn’t some one report this?”
But alas no one does because no one really cares. Why should we be bothered, it was not us that tripped so let someone else deal with it! This same level of apathy drapes its uncaring blanket over all of us at some time, a practice we have all been guilty of at some stage in our lives.
So why do we simply insist on moaning rather than standing up for our rights? Is it because we do not know how? Is it because we fear any back lash? Or is it just that we cannot be bothered to make the effort? What ever the reason, the government, businesses, the medical establishment, in fact all those in a position of authority are allowed to happily stamp all over us.
The only thing we are famous for fighting against, is planning permissions! Suggest building a nuclear power station in the middle of nowhere and lo and behold, thousands pour onto the streets in protest! Even though those who protest will benefit from increased jobs, increased commercial benefits and an economic up turn for that area. No, all we care about is the value of our houses and how having a nuclear plant near by may reduce the selling price of our property. I used a nuclear plant as an example but it could be any type of commercial construction, from a school to a wind farm, we raise our voices in protest at the sheer audacity of building such a thing near our homes.
So what is our stance in life today? Is it simply to protect the value of our homes? Unfortunately this does appear to be the case. Start a war in another county? Fine, OK. Raise taxes beyond the ability of thousands of people on low incomes? Yep, that’s fine. Snoop into our private lives, through the web and texts, through our financial transactions? Yes that’s alright.
Try to ease our fuel consumption by erecting wind turbines? No! That’s not OK; it’ll affect our house values! Build an incinerator to help reduce the amount of rubbish that is buried in landfill sites? No, that’s unacceptable as it will affect the value of our homes!
Take any action or construct any device, machine or building that will help both us and our environment will bring cries of dismay from all homeowners across the western hemisphere. But tax us into the gutter, spy on our every move with CCTV or read our texts and emails, enter all our details onto every computer in the land, yes that’s fine.
Where did this apathy come from? Why do we no longer care unless it affects the property values? Where has our spirit of defiance gone? Is there a price?
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