I am trying to simplify my little internet world. So many social sites, blogs, follow or un-follow? Join or not? It hit my pea little multiple sclerosis swiss cheese brain when I accidentally deleted some folks from one of my G+ circles. I did not wish to hurt anyone’s feelings and then it dawned on me if I could not remember who the heck they were I was over estimating my nuisance value. I love to follow many people on twitter/google/blogs because I learn from them and get exposed to ideas I might not otherwise consider. Social networks also provide – well a connection to others I would not otherwise have. But I will no longer follow people just to be following them because someone else I follow does or in return their following me. I hope to follow only folks on social networks that I enjoy and they in return at least acknowledge me.
So far the only thing I have removed is my facebook account. Seriously, too much noise. What I define as noise is anything that is not relevant to me. I do not care what someones score was in a game or who found what out about someone – please click here and let us see all your data . … . This is probably why I never embraced FB in the first place. And, while I realize all social sites data mine FB IMHO is the worst.
Selfish – probably.
Setting up who I wish to follow or who wishes to follow me in G+ is kind of humorous. There are some techies and photographers I am following but the techies are quick not to follow me LOL duh I am not a tech blogger or writer. But I think many folks sign up for the google plus and become intimidated real fast. It is not set up like many other social platforms while it is really a simple idea – make circles with your friends in them – it also has draw backs as any new platform will – growing pains? It seems to be more geared toward quality follows than collecting high follower stats. Quality V quantity . … not a social contest?
One thing is sure for me – there are a lot of arrogant folks trying to sway the direction G+ takes. I am still hoping that there will be room for nobodies in the judgement of the “techie social sphere” to form some awesome circles.
I am trying to do away with my old news reader and use google reader as it is more integrated with my cell phone contacts and the Chrome browser. The problem I have is how to go about doing this without having to manually add everyone to the google reader from my other program. Export and Import just create double feeds and when I delete one sometimes it removes both. Unfollowing people I still wish to follow. I must be missing something as this should not be this confusing to do.
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The other big deal is how do I tie all this stuff together? The trend is headed toward a less transparent web identities. I have always kept this blog away from my real world given name and used my nickname. keeping the two “identities’ separate is getting harder and harder. Do I care that you know who I am in real life – not really. Do I wish to keep some of the things I have written on the blog out of my families eyes – you bet!
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I just finished re-reading some of Jean M Auel’s Earth’s Children series. I love her books! While reading the authors acknowledgement s in Shelters of Stone I was reminded of a time when I was active, meeting folks, apart of, etc. First off some of the folks she mentions I had the honor of meeting. Most especially bringing back memories of my favorite Anthropology professor David Abrams (deceased) – a teacher who sent my mind dreaming and yet at the same time was demanding of his students and the reason I did meet or heard these people speak. Cave Art still rocks David!
The in my face: it saddens me that I probably never will get to visit the caves whose art awes me.
Ok that is it for now.
it sucks when the reality of what is collides with the non reality of what we want… and the two just don’t jive…. cave art is neat… i know nothing about it and what it means other than it is what the people of the cave dwelling days viewed as life….
trimming down… i did that a few months ago… i’m so glad that i did… it was very difficult to keep up with everything i had in reader plus facebook and twitter too… i always felt like a failure because i just couldn’t keep up with it all… i would get so far behind on my blog reading (and still do even after the trim down)… if i had nothing to do but sit here and read i would be so happy…but even then i don’t know if i would stay caught up with it all LOL
some days i feel like a bad blogger because i don’t comment as much as i should… i always read, eventually… must don’t comment…
and i have to say that i’m so happy for all this internet social stuff… i’ve “met” some wonderful folks… you included… that i would never have come across otherwise… and i must tell you that you have enriched my life, and coach’s as well… thank you for being my friend!! :0 (how’s that for mush?)
Well first off I value your and coach too!
Trimming down is so hard to do. I was (and still am) overwhelmed. It could be said that I have nothing better to do some-days than sit here and read but between the heat, my ON, and my brains inability to formulate coherent responses at times . …
I guess I am working on weeding down the list by looking at value. Do I get something and I know this sounds a tad wrong – but does the person/blogger/follower ever comment/communicate back.
And cave art interests me for a variety of reasons. For The art itself, what it teaches us about our prehistoric ancestors . …
Hey we are good readers but not so good at commenting? Umm I hope trimming down is not considered a bad thing.
I am not into social networking. I don’t twitter, rarely look at my FB page and I don’t do anything on my cell phone other than make phone calls. I just blog , follow and read other’s blogs. That’s enough for me!
I enjoy the blogsphere, I have “met” interesting and supportive people, and I can cruise and peruse blogs at my own pace.
Cheers
That you can do that is one of the awesome reasons for blogging. .
Lately we have come across many agencies, businesses, etc. that assume everyone has text messaging on their phones. Sometimes getting business handled in a timely fashion was almost impossible as the folks were so wired in technologically speaking that it never occurred to them that not everybody is.
I am to interested in where the technology is taking us in a geeky way I guess so the social media sites if nothing else intrigue me and I am sucked into the vortex LOL.
I do believe that in a few years sites like G+ and Facebook will be the norm. Hopefully with all the bugs worked out. Blogging I hope will never die!!
I’m definitely easily overwhelmed by it all. It often takes a long time for me to put thoughts into writing.
This is my second round on Facebook and it’s much better. I have less than 30 friends and, for the most part, enjoy what people share or am at least neutral about it. Since I had closed my account, when I came back and re-established one, I think folks thought I unfriended them. So, they’re not seeking me out and I’m getting to choose who I add. I also am using it more this time around for getting information from organizations — the homeless shelter and their needs, a few groups on neuro and neuro-immune stuff. Some organizations are using facebook to push info instead of RSS.
I recently cleaned quite a few blogs from my subscriptions but am slowly adding new ones. I’m cautious about adding new ones because if I like what I read, I feel compelled to comment and that can add to the overload. Of course, if I didn’t write a book…! 🙂
I go back and forth about linking things together and using my name — took that plunge on G+. The first time I posted pics of myself on my blog, I remember being aware that would be a bell that couldn’t be unrung. I know that people could figure out who I am. It’s more the thing of do I want someone coming up with my blog when they google my name? I don’t have my blog posted on my FB profile. Yeah, I’m less than integrated…a fragmented soul…(intended as a dramatically sarcastic comment).
Jan, I think you’re way ahead of most on attempting to integrate this all. Question — why do you feel it’s probably selfish to remove your FB account? Or did I misunderstand?
Seems many of us are overwhelmed LOL.
I deleted the FB account that was cluttered full of friends that I had no clue who the heck they were! I do not think that is selfish.
You did not misunderstand I misplaced that line it should have been right after this statement?:
” But I will no longer follow people just to be following them because someone else I follow does or in return their following me. I hope to follow only folks on social networks that I enjoy and they in return at least acknowledge me.”
Specifically the last line.
It is super that we all have so many choices and can find what works for us.
Got it. That makes more sense.
BTW, I still don’t get notified of follow-up comments from your site. Just an fyi. 🙂
I have hunted through code long enough to tell you I honestly do not know what it is that this site has against you LOL!
No matter what email you use to comment etc. I have to manually approve them – not so with everyone elses?
I do not know if your the only one not getting the notifications?
All I can do is say sorry for now and hope to find the problem someday.
jan
It’s a puzzle, isn’t it? This whole always-in-touch-with-everyone social Internet thing? I sure haven’t figured out how I want to work it. How much of myself do I want to put out there? How much value is there in e-connections, and how much time and effort can I devote to maintaining them? On one hand, it’s been a kind of low-intensity way to reconnect with old friends. That’s been fun. It’s been a way to casually keep up with people I no longer see every day. That’s been fun. It’s a way to keep tabs on family and relatives, which I guess is kind of pathetic. I’ve got blogger buddies I’ve never met, and likely will never meet, in person, but they feel like friends. I like that.
Still, I feel like I should provide some interaction, leave comments or whatever, and feel bad when I don’t, even if I really have nothing to contribute. I feel like I’m spending way too much of my life sitting in front of a computer, although I’m grateful that it allows me to do so much, and I’m not sure what I would do instead. My G+ contacts are currently limited to a handful of my nerdier friends, and I’m not sure where I want to go with that.
It’s a brave new world… Let me know if you figure it out, OK?
Well nerds are good and most of mine are too.
Ok, topic at hand/mouse/keyboard – Most of the folks I have in my circles are techie nerd types, photographers, and a few blogging friends. I have slowly been adding MS beeps into the circles and low and behold the spam started. How much privacy exists depends greatly on the judgement or lack thereof of other in your circles.
I am hunting down the culprit and will block them – I love that feature if only it was better than it is right now. I am enjoying watching a social platform from infancy and find it interesting who the G+ peeps pay attention to and who they ignore when features are requested and implemented.
What I have figured out is there is no longer true internet anonymity and hiding from the giants like goggle, yahoo, cell companies, internet providers, is almost pointless. I can still try to hold onto some anonymity here in the blog-o-shere.
My cell phone talks to my computer, my computer talks to my cable television service, when my hard wired phone rings the television shows the callers ID . … not a world for the chicken.
I’ve been out of the loop a little while. I hope you haven’t deleted me.
You do not look deleted to me 🙂 I am not spending much time on twitter or on the blog obviously. just started back to Pe and swimming. Actually fell asleep at the computer the other night talk about a stiff neck!