Let no one confuse a retro-grouch with a human fossil. This retro-grouch made a giant leap forward when I bravely submitted to my first demonstration of Facebook. The fellow who gave the tutorial was quite good at giving demonstrations.
Actually, I was impressed with Facebook as a platform. It seemed useful for certain types of groups. It seemed well integrated with other platforms on the internet.
So then, if I was so impressed with it, why haven't I opened up an account? Two things are stopping me.
1. Won't I lose control of ad-blocking on Facebook? Please don't tell me that ads are not too obtrusive, so far. On an internet browser such as Firefox, you can use a free ad-blocking program that works 98% of the time. I am suspicious that most of the bandwagon towards smartphones and Facebook is ultimately motivated by the desire to get people addicted to a platform first, and then bury them under ads that they can't do anything about.
2. Thoreau's classic wise-crack about new technology as being 'pretty toys...an improved means to an unimproved end.' When you see all these assholes walking around with their smartphones, unable to live without scratching the itch for more than three minutes at a time, you have to wonder what the content is, of these messages. Pictures of their cat? Banal chit-chat about the weather? Whether they ate corn flakes or Cheerios for breakfast?
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Civilizational decline was, at one time, best exemplified by tabloid newspapers and the like. Then Decline added another layer, as society became addicted to the garbage dump of television. Then the internet spam started; remember when people were forwarding dumb jokes to their friends' and followers' email box? And now societal Decline has culminated in Facebook.
In order to honor the occasion, a neologism needs to be widely adopted: triviality, banality, and drivel need to be combined into one word. I was inspired by Merriam-Webster's etymology of the word, drivel: "Middle English, from Old English dreflian, perhaps akin to Old Norse draf, malt dregs, before the 12th century."
Combining these words, let us adopt the word, drivia (drivial, driviality), to describe the effluvia of Facebook and smartphones.
The larger issue here is whether a real camper should be tied into satellite television or the internet at all? Doesn't it seem funny to you that there are all these blowhards [*] on the internet, rhapsodizing about 'boondocking', and the wonderful life of Adventure, natural Beauty, Harmony, Simplicity, sacred Solitude, etc., and yet they spend half the day staring at satellite television or internet drivia.
Why do they pretend their lifestyle is superior to the average schmo in a stick-and-brick house? Couldn't they just as easily move to a low-cost-of-living town, and buy a premium package of fiber optic internet and television?
I will let the reader cogitate on that for a couple days. What we really need to do is come up with more constructive uses of time when camping.
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[*] In case the reader can't tell, I am ranting against myself as much as anybody.
Actually, I was impressed with Facebook as a platform. It seemed useful for certain types of groups. It seemed well integrated with other platforms on the internet.
So then, if I was so impressed with it, why haven't I opened up an account? Two things are stopping me.
1. Won't I lose control of ad-blocking on Facebook? Please don't tell me that ads are not too obtrusive, so far. On an internet browser such as Firefox, you can use a free ad-blocking program that works 98% of the time. I am suspicious that most of the bandwagon towards smartphones and Facebook is ultimately motivated by the desire to get people addicted to a platform first, and then bury them under ads that they can't do anything about.
2. Thoreau's classic wise-crack about new technology as being 'pretty toys...an improved means to an unimproved end.' When you see all these assholes walking around with their smartphones, unable to live without scratching the itch for more than three minutes at a time, you have to wonder what the content is, of these messages. Pictures of their cat? Banal chit-chat about the weather? Whether they ate corn flakes or Cheerios for breakfast?
____________________________________________________________
Civilizational decline was, at one time, best exemplified by tabloid newspapers and the like. Then Decline added another layer, as society became addicted to the garbage dump of television. Then the internet spam started; remember when people were forwarding dumb jokes to their friends' and followers' email box? And now societal Decline has culminated in Facebook.
In order to honor the occasion, a neologism needs to be widely adopted: triviality, banality, and drivel need to be combined into one word. I was inspired by Merriam-Webster's etymology of the word, drivel: "Middle English, from Old English dreflian, perhaps akin to Old Norse draf, malt dregs, before the 12th century."
Combining these words, let us adopt the word, drivia (drivial, driviality), to describe the effluvia of Facebook and smartphones.
The larger issue here is whether a real camper should be tied into satellite television or the internet at all? Doesn't it seem funny to you that there are all these blowhards [*] on the internet, rhapsodizing about 'boondocking', and the wonderful life of Adventure, natural Beauty, Harmony, Simplicity, sacred Solitude, etc., and yet they spend half the day staring at satellite television or internet drivia.
Why do they pretend their lifestyle is superior to the average schmo in a stick-and-brick house? Couldn't they just as easily move to a low-cost-of-living town, and buy a premium package of fiber optic internet and television?
I will let the reader cogitate on that for a couple days. What we really need to do is come up with more constructive uses of time when camping.
________________________________
[*] In case the reader can't tell, I am ranting against myself as much as anybody.
Comments
Lyn
2) don't ever use the Internet with any expectation of privacy.
Google your name and you will see what I mean.
One of the best things I did was get rid of my iPhone and god back to the basic flip phone that I used for phone calls only, although it has other capabilities. It doesn't get used much and freed up a lot of my time. The short week I traveled in 2015 I was out of internet and didn't carry a tv. I didn't miss either and enjoyed the beauty around me, the sounds of the wind, the cloud movements showing me a storm was on the way ... all in a tent.
I never could understand the people with trailers, RVs that go to a crowded RV park, set up their camp with a large tv outside so they can sit and do what that do at home ... watch tv, play on the internet.
I love it when you are in the ranting mood ... always a great post when that happens ... no warnings are needed.
The Internet began as a place where information could be posted and others could access it. Then someone found that their information was being accessed by lots and lots of people and advertising space could be sold on the site. It has been a war and a 'blocking race' ever since.
The Internet is still useful but as you say it now contains more drivia than information. I am a proud contributor!
"I love it when you are in ranting mode..." That's probably because you have the inclination to laugh off rants. Other people are so sensitive...they wilt if the blogger says anything that doesn't appear in a Hallmark Get Well card.
An arms race!