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]]> Comment on First Tweet & Fall Arrives by Geoffrey Wright http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/10/10/first-tweet-fall-arrives/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Geoffrey Wright Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:20:46 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=45#comment-89 I miss you, Hillary. I miss you, Hillary.

]]> Comment on First Tweet & Fall Arrives by Hilary http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/10/10/first-tweet-fall-arrives/comment-page-1/#comment-86 Hilary Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:16:35 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=45#comment-86 I have always been wide and shallow so FB is a perfect match for me :) I have always been wide and shallow so FB is a perfect match for me :)

]]> Comment on First Tweet & Fall Arrives by Geoffrey Wright http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/10/10/first-tweet-fall-arrives/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Geoffrey Wright Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:25:06 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=45#comment-85 Kate & Tony: I think you're both right. Both Facebook and Twitter are (or at least can be) valuable tools both for maintaing friendships and perhaps even for making new ones. And it's good to know what's going on in people's lives. But I know I spend too much time online, and that my life is too connected and correspondingly distracted these days. Lately I've been turning of both my iPhone and my computer for entire weekends and I very much enjoy the experience. It's remarkably peaceful... I've always had to struggle with leading a life of mindfulness. Some people are easier to distract than others, and I live at the wrong end of that scale. Facebook and Twitter are wonderful, but -- for me, at least -- deeply distracting. (Well, I guess I only assume that about Twitter. I don't really have the experience to back that statement up.) And I'm not picking on these tools in particular. So are blogs, emails, forums, Wikipedia, news sites, etc., etc. IRC, Usenet and BBSes were all also distracting back in their day. But in one way the new crop of tools _are_ worse yet because they're more interesting, more immediate and easier to use. This formula is my best attempt to find the good in these tools and escape the dreaded distraction. And I do realize that part of the power of these tools is their "moment-to-moment" nature, so that I'm not really using them as intended. I don't want to be reactionary or try to pretend that change doesn't happen. But neither do I want to accept new technology without question. Hopefully this approach will represent a viable compromise. Time will tell, I suppose. It always does. And thanks for the insightful comments. The fact that both you guys noticed the post and gave me thoughtful feedback is at least some small proof that this system isn't entirely worthless! Kate & Tony:

I think you’re both right. Both Facebook and Twitter are (or at least can be) valuable tools both for maintaing friendships and perhaps even for making new ones. And it’s good to know what’s going on in people’s lives.

But I know I spend too much time online, and that my life is too connected and correspondingly distracted these days. Lately I’ve been turning of both my iPhone and my computer for entire weekends and I very much enjoy the experience. It’s remarkably peaceful…

I’ve always had to struggle with leading a life of mindfulness. Some people are easier to distract than others, and I live at the wrong end of that scale. Facebook and Twitter are wonderful, but — for me, at least — deeply distracting. (Well, I guess I only assume that about Twitter. I don’t really have the experience to back that statement up.) And I’m not picking on these tools in particular. So are blogs, emails, forums, Wikipedia, news sites, etc., etc. IRC, Usenet and BBSes were all also distracting back in their day. But in one way the new crop of tools _are_ worse yet because they’re more interesting, more immediate and easier to use.

This formula is my best attempt to find the good in these tools and escape the dreaded distraction. And I do realize that part of the power of these tools is their “moment-to-moment” nature, so that I’m not really using them as intended. I don’t want to be reactionary or try to pretend that change doesn’t happen. But neither do I want to accept new technology without question.

Hopefully this approach will represent a viable compromise. Time will tell, I suppose. It always does.

And thanks for the insightful comments. The fact that both you guys noticed the post and gave me thoughtful feedback is at least some small proof that this system isn’t entirely worthless!

]]> Comment on First Tweet & Fall Arrives by Tony Wright http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/10/10/first-tweet-fall-arrives/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Tony Wright Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:59:21 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=45#comment-83 I was a Twitter curmudgeon for a bit, but quite enjoy it nowadays, though I'd enjoy Facebook just as much if the people I spent time with posted there (most use tools to push Tweets to FB). It may be shallow (140 chars or no), but it *IS*. It's not a replacement for deeper contact, nor does it mean that the deeper contact happens LESS. Quite the contrary. I give Twitter partial credit for the existence of at least one friendship and credit for strengthening several others (that I wish I had more time for). And it helps me keep tabs on folks I really like but only get to see every month or two. It's also great for small-talk. On a pub crawl the other night I chatted with a women and her husband (both follow me on Twitter) and we had a pretty great conversation (because she knew me a lot better than she otherwise would've). As your brother, I formally (and publicly) demand that you step up your social media participation (I'd prefer a Twitter account). :-) I was a Twitter curmudgeon for a bit, but quite enjoy it nowadays, though I’d enjoy Facebook just as much if the people I spent time with posted there (most use tools to push Tweets to FB).

It may be shallow (140 chars or no), but it *IS*. It’s not a replacement for deeper contact, nor does it mean that the deeper contact happens LESS. Quite the contrary.

I give Twitter partial credit for the existence of at least one friendship and credit for strengthening several others (that I wish I had more time for). And it helps me keep tabs on folks I really like but only get to see every month or two.

It’s also great for small-talk. On a pub crawl the other night I chatted with a women and her husband (both follow me on Twitter) and we had a pretty great conversation (because she knew me a lot better than she otherwise would’ve).

As your brother, I formally (and publicly) demand that you step up your social media participation (I’d prefer a Twitter account). :-)

]]> Comment on First Tweet & Fall Arrives by Kate http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/10/10/first-tweet-fall-arrives/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Kate Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:54:10 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=45#comment-77 While it's true that facebook, twitter, etc - even blogging, which obviously allowed scope for deeper communication - are often better at the wide and shallow than the deep and meaningful, I have to say, I don't see any problem in that. Back in the old days before electronic communication was the norm, we had this as well - there were, for instance, people I knew in college who I might sit and have a cup of coffee with in the snack bar if none of my close friends were there; people I'd chat to if we were both smoking during the same break, sharing an ashtray; folks I only saw occasionally because they were the roommate of a closer friend, and so on. I liked these people, I was happy to know what was happening in their lives, I was happy to spend some time talking to them, but they probably wouldn't ever be very close friends with deep and meaningful relationships - after all, you meet hundreds of people in the course of your life - you can't do deep and meaningful with all of them. As long as the wide and shallow of FB, etc doesn't replace ALL the deep and meaningful relationships in your life, why not use it for keeping up with those who you might otherwise miss entirely? If it weren't for FB, there'd be a lot of people who I'd never have heard about again - for instance, you! - and I think having a nice, quick peek into their lives, even if it's not particularly deep, does add to mine... Glad you won't be going way entirely! While it’s true that facebook, twitter, etc – even blogging, which obviously allowed scope for deeper communication – are often better at the wide and shallow than the deep and meaningful, I have to say, I don’t see any problem in that. Back in the old days before electronic communication was the norm, we had this as well – there were, for instance, people I knew in college who I might sit and have a cup of coffee with in the snack bar if none of my close friends were there; people I’d chat to if we were both smoking during the same break, sharing an ashtray; folks I only saw occasionally because they were the roommate of a closer friend, and so on. I liked these people, I was happy to know what was happening in their lives, I was happy to spend some time talking to them, but they probably wouldn’t ever be very close friends with deep and meaningful relationships – after all, you meet hundreds of people in the course of your life – you can’t do deep and meaningful with all of them. As long as the wide and shallow of FB, etc doesn’t replace ALL the deep and meaningful relationships in your life, why not use it for keeping up with those who you might otherwise miss entirely? If it weren’t for FB, there’d be a lot of people who I’d never have heard about again – for instance, you! – and I think having a nice, quick peek into their lives, even if it’s not particularly deep, does add to mine… Glad you won’t be going way entirely!

]]> Comment on Irredeemable Wastes of Time by Geoffrey Wright http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/08/26/unredeemable-wastes-of-time/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Geoffrey Wright Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:22:58 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=41#comment-3 It's good to know that I'm not the only IT person on this quixotic quest! And I don't think that I can hold myself to 30 mins a day. Maybe I can wean myself down to that number. :) It’s good to know that I’m not the only IT person on this quixotic quest! And I don’t think that I can hold myself to 30 mins a day. Maybe I can wean myself down to that number. :)

]]> Comment on Irredeemable Wastes of Time by Julie http://www.northernwastes.org/2009/08/26/unredeemable-wastes-of-time/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Julie Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:25:45 +0000 http://www.northernwastes.org/?p=41#comment-2 Love the blog and the concept. My online guilty pleasure is reading other people's blogs. :) I have done something similar though, giving myself about 30 minutes a day to do this. Sometimes I cheat though. Good luck! Love the blog and the concept. My online guilty pleasure is reading other people’s blogs. :)

I have done something similar though, giving myself about 30 minutes a day to do this. Sometimes I cheat though. Good luck!

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