I've been at a technology conference for the past two days. More specifically, I've been in a hotel ballroom with 150 technologists who are trying to figure out how the hell they'll be able to sell their social networking tools to enterprises. Or to Yahoo. Or Microsoft. Or Google.
Google, who just announced OpenSocial, sent a Googlite at the last minute to answer questions from the increasingly vocal and skeptical crowd. That turned into a warm and fuzzy love session with Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft folks talking about how much they respect and admire each other. How nice for them.
Maybe it's just me, but I see social networking as inherently a bit masturbatory and cowardly. When I look at social networking technology, I don't see new and exciting ways to connect with interesting, smart people. I see new and exciting ways of broadcasting my activities to the world without taking the risk that comes with having real relationships.
Don't get me wrong. I love Facebook. I love that I can reconnect with folks I knew 20 years ago. I like that I can goof off with my pals at work. But any technology that removes human beings from connecting with each other face-to-face, or even email-to-email, leaves me feeling empty and sad. Kind of like another solo activity sometimes does.
And you shouldn't think that I -- especially if I barely know you -- care what you were doing 45 seconds ago on the Internet. I'm sorry, I don't. I care about what you're feeling; I care about what makes you get up in the morning. I do not care which Web site you were just looking at, or which little bit of information you just read. But that doesn't mean I don't love you.
I would respond with a well-thought-out post but I have to go throw a sheep at you now.
ReplyDeleteyou're so meta. you don't care what i did on the internet 45 seconds ago, which was reading YOUR BLOG!
ReplyDelete