Tipping points
1) Facebook.
There are now, officially, too many people on Facebook. People whom I don't like. People I think are too old to be on. And, mostly, people who take it too seriously.
The last part is the biggest issue. Facebook, with its focus on sharing comments and pictures and statuses and more comments and more pictures, ends up being something that tells people I really don't know and people I really don't like what I'm doing right now. What I looked like at that party last Friday. That I went to a party last week. Et cetera.
Now, there's many of you I'm fine with knowing what I'm doing. Or that I like knowing what I'm doing. Although you may or may not care. But there are those others. And they're becoming a larger group every day... it seems. (They may work for Ben Linus too. Although he may not be evil.)
So I'm thiking of quiting. (Which is to say "deactivating" my profile, since Facebook doesn't let you quit unless you post porn.)
2) Censorship.
I don't really feel a sting or a shock when I hear, read or see vulgar language. But I'm in the minority. As this blog has stretched over time, more and more people read it. Friends. Family. Co-workers. Ex-girlfriends.
I've liked it being a kind of random, open and free exchange of thinking and information.
And yet, I can't help but think that the use, and overuse, of the word "fuck" shows an inability to creatively put together a more interesting and challenging set of images, phrases, similes or metaphors.
So I'm not going to allow them any more. Which is to say that I am going to begin using my editorial powers. (Don't worry, your sentence fragments and typos are safe for me.)
Likewise for "shit."
There are now, officially, too many people on Facebook. People whom I don't like. People I think are too old to be on. And, mostly, people who take it too seriously.
The last part is the biggest issue. Facebook, with its focus on sharing comments and pictures and statuses and more comments and more pictures, ends up being something that tells people I really don't know and people I really don't like what I'm doing right now. What I looked like at that party last Friday. That I went to a party last week. Et cetera.
Now, there's many of you I'm fine with knowing what I'm doing. Or that I like knowing what I'm doing. Although you may or may not care. But there are those others. And they're becoming a larger group every day... it seems. (They may work for Ben Linus too. Although he may not be evil.)
So I'm thiking of quiting. (Which is to say "deactivating" my profile, since Facebook doesn't let you quit unless you post porn.)
2) Censorship.
I don't really feel a sting or a shock when I hear, read or see vulgar language. But I'm in the minority. As this blog has stretched over time, more and more people read it. Friends. Family. Co-workers. Ex-girlfriends.
I've liked it being a kind of random, open and free exchange of thinking and information.
And yet, I can't help but think that the use, and overuse, of the word "fuck" shows an inability to creatively put together a more interesting and challenging set of images, phrases, similes or metaphors.
So I'm not going to allow them any more. Which is to say that I am going to begin using my editorial powers. (Don't worry, your sentence fragments and typos are safe for me.)
Likewise for "shit."
Labels: Mark
posted by M S Martinez at 2/28/2009 09:28:00 PM
8 Comments:
1) If I am reading between the lines correctly on this one, might I suggest going to the Settings Panel -> Privacy. You can give certain people a "limited view" of your profile -- that way they might be able to see your favorite books, but not photos of you and your weekend debauchery. It is a good way to create a hierarchy of knowledge among all your cyberfriends.
Although I would understand if you wanted to quit, but I like looking at updated photos of you :(
2) I don't think you need to go as far as censorship. We are all friends here, and I think a friendly reminder of the diverse crowd of lurkers (all 3 of them) that read the blog is enough.
I just discovered the "Less About" function for the Facebook News Feed. What a godsend! I deleted a few people a couple of months back because I couldn't stand the continual whiny updates.
Ok,
If we don't want to see "the f word" on here that's ok, I'm fine with you making that decision.
But, I do have a problem with this statement:
". . . I can't help but think that the use, and overuse, of the word "fuck" shows an inability to creatively put together a more interesting and challenging set of images, phrases, similes or metaphors."
Just leave it at, "hey, guys, (Sam) my mom reads this, or my niece reads this, or whoever, can you watch the language?" Since this is obviously in reference to a recent post let me speak to that. Sam's piece was one of the most original and entertaining things I've read on this blog for a long time, and I, for one, loved reading every word of it. If you want to say that it was not appropriate for the blog's audience say that. I read what you wrote about Sam's story and I think you were blinded by a four letter word.
It also seems to me that you're implying that you want to censor as a sort quality assurance. Like, "it's not that this is offensive language, it's just that it's bad writing." Which is really not what you're doing at all, which you assert when you say that grammatical errors are still ok. You're editing for content, not quality, you're choosing to censor certain words because of the words, not how they're used to craft sentences and paragraphs. And I'm not saying you're wrong to do it. Many people think that it is offensive language, in fact I think that's the point in many ways. I'm just saying let's call a spade a spade and leave the editorial out of the edit. The overuse of any word could show the same lack of creativity you describe, but that's not what you're looking to cut out.
I can be done now. Sorry to ramble on.
Oh, and facebook does suck. Does anyone know if you can choose to not be tagged in photos by other people?
I'm trying to think of the best way to say this, and I may miss.
Point 1. Agreed. I don't want to see the f word because my family reads the blog and they don't like it. That was the point that I was trying to make. And, ultimately, it’s the reason I’ll edit out the swears. I should have made that point before stating my opinion, which is: Point 2. My personal opinion is, and always will be, that expletives are lazy writing. At best, they’re bad cliches and, at worst, dead metaphors. I can explain this more, if needed. Fair warning, it's one of theories are writing and thus, I'll go on and on.
Point 2 has nothing to do with my opinion of Sam’s story. I liked Sam’s story.
While I don't necessarily agree I can see where you're coming from with the laziness opinion, I don't think there's any need to explain, at least not for me.
Also I apologize if my comment from last night was combative, I didn't really mean for it to be quite so much that way.
To: B R Christensen (sorry I don't know your actual name) I don't know how to keep people from tagging you, but I know you can un-tag yourself by pulling up the picture and next to your name just click on untag/remove picture.
From: Mark's sister
Thanks Tonya,
- Brad
I have blocked so many random people on face book from seeing my profile. Also I just keep it very private, I don't want people who are not my friends in "real life" to see my business or lack of. And do you mean it is me that is too old?
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