The Anti-Social on Social Networks

I'm on too many.

 

 

 

 

(What, is that not enough? Okay, fine.)

I think I've OD'd on social networking. HighSchoolClub.com was my first taste of it, and was quickly followed by CollegeClub and BlackPlanet. The idea of "meeting" new people and learning about them without having to actually open my mouth and talk to them was intriguing to me. And I could keep up with my friends even when we weren't at school without spending all night on the phone with them. Sweet! This introvert was pleased.

The number of social sites I joined quickly ballooned. Y'all know me; I'm always after the "next big thing" when it comes to anything dealing with technology. Social networking was no exception. There was MySpace, then Facebook, several Ning sites when they were still free, and probably hundreds of little sites that I easily forgot about. Now there's the Facebook page plus two fan pages, this blog, four Twitter accounts (which I just brought down from five--how the heck did that happen?), four Tumblr blogs (but one is for business!), LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, GetGlue, StumbleUpon, Flickr, YouTube...

Enough!! 

oh mr. faceless guy, how did we get here?

 

Now I'm making cutbacks. Already deleted FourSquare (which is a creepy little thing, now that I think about it). GetGlue will be gone after Once Upon A Time & Desperate Housewives season finales (what is it about those little stickers?!). Twitter and Tumblr accounts are being consolidated or deleted all together, and one by one I'm unjoining sites that I'm sure I'll never miss. And there is a reason for it all.

 

One thing that has me a little frustrated is trying to create unique content for each site. It's difficult, if not impossible. I'm friends with a lot of the same people across different sites. I know how much I hate checking my Twitter timeline, then seeing the same comment on Facebook. It's annoying! So I avoid doing that, but there's really only so much I want to share with everyone.

 

Another issue I have with social networking is that many people--myself included--are distracted from the real world by it. Even when we do venture out (IRL!) often we are uploading pix, checking in, and tweeting about who we see. Instead of, yanno, actually focusing on the experience. It's not uncommon to go to dinner with a table full of people and have minimal verbal conversation because everyone's eyes are glued to the tiny screen of their phone. Which basically leads to my biggest gripe.

 

Somehow, social networking has enabled me to be even less social (who knew that was possible?). And I suspect the same is true for many others. Who needs to call when I can tweet you or send a message on Facebook? We don't have to "catch up" because I can see your whole life online. And now, I've gotten to where I barely comment anymore! I simply like, retweet, reblog, repin or +1 it. Even I, in all my anti-social glory, see a bit of a problem with this.

 

All this new-fangled technology be darned! I am going to make a serious effort to start reaching out to my family and friends the old-fashioned way. I'm going to pick up my phone... and text.

Google Friend Connect is Going Away

Ever since my days on Blogger, Google's Friend Connect has been my favorite way to follow blogs and see who is following mine. Unfortunately, Friend Connect is one of the products that Google is planning to cancel. By March 1, 2012 all non-Blogger sites (such as this one) will not have access FC. Instead, the hope is that people will start using Google+ to connect. Ummmm, problem: I don't use Google+. I do have a personal G+ page, but I couldn't tell you the last time I used it. The same is true for the few people I know who even bothered to sign up for it in the first place.

I said all of that to say that I hope those of you who follow KinxnQuirx via Friend Connect will use one of the other avenues to follow, including:

1. The KnQ Facebook page, which is updated whenever there is new content

2. An RSS feed that lets you follow through your favorite reader or receive posts in your email

3. Twitter: blog updates plus my personal randomness

All of these options (and some) are available to the right side of the page, so feel free to hit that follow button! I'm removing the Friend Connect widget, but if that is the method you use to follow you should still see the site in your "Sites I'm Following" list until March.

I genuinely appreciate each and every reader, whether you avidly follow the blog or just stop through occasionally to see what's new. Thank you!

Just a Reminder

It's been a busy couple of weeks, and this one is no exception! Post are coming this week though, so no worries.

• I just wanted to remind you that there are like a million and one ways to keep in touch with me. See that little "Follow Me" tab to the right of your screen? Click it! Hit me up on Twitter (@ me sometime!), Facebook (the KnQ page needs y'all... c'mon!), LinkedIn, and follow via RSS subscription of get posts right in your inbox. If you're a fellow bibliophile you'll definitely want to check out Goodreads. Click the logo to add me as a friend so I can be nosy and see what you're reading get some reading suggestions. And of course you can always email me (submissions@kinxnquirx.com). I ain't hard to find, and I promise I really am friendly (usually).


• While you're connecting and all that good stuff, remember to send submissions to be featured! I want, no NEED, submissions featuring natural hair, fashion, makeup, fiction, topic suggestions... You name it! As I said in the welcome post, I want this site to be a truly interactive place where you don't feel like you're just a reader, but a part of a little community. Don't make me have to draft you! LOL


• If you have not already, sign up for Intense Debate. It's a great commenting system that sort of tracks your comments across various sites. And the little votes show you how many folks agree (or disagree) with you & show others how much you rock. Win-win!

Okay, that's it. Work has officially fried my brain, so I need to rest. But I look forward to talking to WITH you soon!

Get Over It?

On a message board I tend to frequent, a poster shared something that one of his facebook friends (who happens to be white) said:

"Why do some Young black people who have never experienced slavery, reference it
as a reason to hate the white population? Of course it's not everybody, only a
select few. My opinion is they need an excuse as to why they have no ambition.
They want a handout for something not them, their parents, nor even their
grandparents went through. But what do you think? I know this is a touchy topic.
Please understand I'm not racist. But after so many times of being told "I'm not
welcome here" with some emphasis of slavery, something that the only reason they
have knowledge of is a history book and what their parents tell them, and not on
personal experiences, I want to get to the bottom of this.... We have a black
man as President. Slavery is dead and gone. Seriously GET OVER IT..."

There were several interesting responses, most of which I agree with:

"I think its the same reason why white ppl fear black perpetrated violence even
though they never personally experienced it. You feel a certain way, because
this thing has happened to people just like you. The fear some of you feel...
just multiply it by 100 and let it linger for a couple hundred years and then
come back and ask some black people why they don't wanna be bothered with your
kind. Its not ignorant, because the knowledge of the past is still relevant. The
Germans will suffer the stain of the Nazis for all eternity, the white race will
suffer the stain of slavery/Jim Crow so long as U.S. of America is here."

 

"Why do some white people think that blacks are mad about slavery, when its
actually the decades of social injustice, hidden racism, widespread stereotypes,
and cultural insensitivity shown toward them and their families that is still
prevalent today?" 

Says the great great grandchildren of the owners and shareholders of the LLoyds
of London, Haliburton, and William- Morris Corporations who all made billions
off of the sweat of our ancestor's backs through free labor... Some people think
slavery ended and everyone just went on planting flowers singing hymns. The
effects of slavery carry on, but worse, the social and government actions that
were utilized to successfully implement slavery and oppression based on skin
color still linger on and will have to be fought at every turn in order to
obliterate.

well the Jews do the same thing. They keep talking about the holocaust like it
happened yesterday. So until that conversation ends we can keep talking about
slavery.

So what do you think? Does this guy have a valid point in your opinion? Do we need to "get over it" since we did not experience it ("it" being slavery) firsthand? Is he just ignorant? Or is it covert racism? Speak on it!

Don't Let This Be You!

Word to the wise (or in this case, not-so-wise): If you're going to rant & rave about your job, boss, coworkers, etc. on Facebook, Twitter and the like, you may want to check your friends list every now and then. Yanno, just as a precaution against things like this:



 

I'm cutting this short; I need to go back and double-check my privacy settings...