Negativity has a nasty habit of looking for me.
No matter how hard I try to hide it will find its way to me.
I got the blogger’s blues!
Last September I cut off my TV watching habit.
I think that some where in the depths of my being there is a little drama queen loving all that turmoil, but when the “drama” started affecting the people that I love, the self indulgence had to stop!
So I turned off the TV, and let me tell you, it was one of the best things I ever done in my life!
Suddenly I found myself with more time and more energy at my disposal, and since I don’t like to be idle for too long I had to pick up another bad habit – It is called internet socializing :)
Now, unlike the TV where a couple of talking heads are brain washing you into a submissive citizen and consumer, the internet still has that Wild West freedom feeling and appeal.
You can still meet people that are not interested into selling you shit, you can still meet free thinkers that are not goose stepping in popular or official dogma, and you can still reach over the boundaries of class, age, sexual orientation, religion etc and have honest friends and a honest exchanges of ideas.
(Or maybe I am just a very fortunate person in finding you guys!)
But things are changing fast on the internet and the Wild West culture is starting to be over run by the same evil doers that are running the TV and media outlets.
Blogs were supposed to be a private, personal form of expression, right?
But now everybody that is somebody has a blog!
From Oprah to Phil, from Drudge to Huffington and Obama the so called “blogs” are turning the internet in another TV station.
I wouldn’t mind if Oprah would spend 10 hours a day writing post and answering to comments but she doesn’t.
Behind the so called “blogs” there is an army of paid professionals that are running the show.
(How can I or any other blogger compete with that?)
Same thing is happening to My Space, Face Book, Twitter etc.
The simple folk and his little form of expression are run out the town by the big money ant their big guns.
But the real sad and disturbing trend is that a lot of the “little” guys that IMO should protect this free spirit and fight against big brother and big money, are joining the evil doer’s side.
More and more I am bombarded by “sellers” and “pushers” that under the disguise of gentile bloggers are selling and pushing shit to me.
And I am not talking about people promoting their blog and their creativity; I am talking about people that are pushing their internet stores or political party agendas.
So the question I have is how do you fence yourself from evil doers but keep reaching out for the like minded folk?
How do you make your little voice heard in this more and more media dominated environment?
Is blogging still a relevant form of expression or has it become obsolete?
What is your personal experience and POV?
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12 comments:
It's funny - because i have been thinking recently that i need to switch of my telly and do more reading, painting, fussing the cats and generally not watching repeats of motoring shows
One of the reasons i've never gone to twitter is that i just couldnt give a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut (to put it extremely crudely) what Oprah, Simon Cowell and David Hasslehoff et al are thinking every damn second of the day - but you are right to say that celebs are trying to use any medium they can to spread their name and sell a few excercise DVDs
The one i hate is the endless emails to increase the size of my naughty bits.
But maybe the fact that the media are trying to use the blogsphere makes it more relevant than ever that free minded individuals like yourself keep on preaching the good word (so to speak)?
and please, puh-lease keep fighting, cos i desperately need things to keep me thinking :)
I went to a 4th of July party this last weekend in a friend's backyard where I ate some great food, listened to a not-very-good-but-fun live band, played monkey-in-the-middle in the pool, played the piano a little and sang with people and learned about gophers. I think I even got scoped out to participate in some unusual sexual combination. There were lots of people who were interesting and some intriguing and some I didn't know, never talked to and will never see again. I could introduce myself or not, and could kick off my shoes and play party hearty or not as I chose. To me, that's socializing and it can take lots of forms but it is still people seeing other people face to face.
I have friends who for the better part of their lives seem to do nothing but sit at their laptops. I think the attraction is that the computer and by extension the internet are interactive and people have the sense they are being 'social'. I don't want to sound judgmental, maybe they really are, but it sure doesn't seem that way to me.
I too, hate those stupid penis extension, watch and drug ads that flow into my email inbox by the bazillions but the worst part for me is sometimes being in the same room as one of my real life flesh and blood friends, people that I really like, not talking, and having them IM me, or send me the same kind of stupid advertising thinking its humorous and then trying to convince me it's a form of socializing.
I threw my television out years ago and now I am keep looking at my computer and thinking maybe it should follow, but I'd miss reading Buddha of Hollywood.
For me it's all about choice - how I choose to spend my valuable time. So some of my time is spent on the internet, but I always have the choice and the control of the "off" switch which I use regularly. As for twitter and facebook and such, I am like Don't Feed The Pixies - I couldn't care less.
The internet is a great tool and I've met some really neat people on it, but it's such a small part of my life. Doesn't it always come down to balance?
I used to socialize a lot on sites like My Space, but I've so totally given up on that form of social networking cuz all I seemed to meet were men looking to hook up the first day we 'met', and not to share ideas. That got old fast.
I had the Internet blues for a while and couldn't blog or read anyone's blog, I was blogged out. I'm feeling a bit better about it now, but have limited myself to 'meeting' people through my blogs, not on networking sites. It seems as though the people I 'meet' through my blogs are more likely to have taken the time to read them and get to know me, at least to a degree. Also, it's a good place to see how much you may or may not have in common.
You're right, everyone has a blog nowadays. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kermit the Frog starting a blog to lament being green. It can be very annoying, especially knowing that the people whose names are on them probably don't have much to do with them.
I guess I've just learned to be more wary of the people I meet online and I'm much more selective in the blogs I read and the people I talk to.
Well, I'm just rambling now, so I'll stop.
Have a wonderful day.
Jane
Just be yourself !
Some will stay some will go , but guys like you don't care about ratings anyways.
hi Buddha,
people who bring harm deliberately are not happy. why punish them more? why punish oneself about it?
i doubt that people who participate in that media are not aware of what you wrote. they bring harm in one way. we bring harm in other way. how are we different?
good luck.
mickael
One more thought ... Just ask yourself ,"Why do I blog ?" . Then do it only for that reason.
When my family asks me why I road my bike 30+ miles instead of driving to their house . I answer "So I can ride my bike" . They never get it ,but I'll bet you will.
@ Pixie – LOL! I just love your comment!
Where were those ads when I needed them?
And don’t worry, you wouldn’t get read of me that easy :)
@ Diego – I think some time people use computers as an excuse to avoid real human relations.
When you are behind a computer screen you can be anybody and look any way you want.
It is that power of deception that attracts some people but again the reverse is true too.
You never know what you get until you get hurt.
@ Talon – The internet is such a great resource box.
I love the power it gives you and also the more control you have over it, but like you I am trying to limit my exposure to it.
Of course some times I don’t do it and I burn out :(
@ Jane – I could never understand that part of the internet socializing.
The “cyber sex” or “cyber love”
I still need a physical woman to fall in love.
Just call me old fashion :)
@ Flight – What ratings? LOL!
For me blogging is a form of introspection.
It gives me another perspective on my life.
Plus I like telling stories :)
And yes I get it – I love biking; my whole family does!
@ Mickael – Very astute questions – I love when you make me think :)
I hope I am not hurting anybody with my blog.
And if I do please people let me know!
Buddha,
get yourself a zen stick and beat shit out of me will you? :)
good luck.
mickael
@ Mickael - I am not that good, you know...
but I'll try to do my best :)
Buddha,
while writing previous post i expected the answer you gave yet hoped for a different one.
strategy principle says that one will lose unless one is confident in victory. why do you punish yourself?
good luck.
mickael
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