A Slight Reformation

I have to say, after reading all of these documents about Twitter and Facebook and such, that I am, if not reformed, at least teetering on my previous beliefs. The one that stood out the most to me was "How the Other Half Writes: In Defense of Twitter." I was initially set against the use of Twitter (it seemed to be a pointless and slightly vain waste of time to me). But after reading Geoff Manaugh's blog, I have started to see it in a new light. Manaugh's comparison of Twitter to a pen really seemed to make sense to me. Not everyone is comfortable sharing their immediate thoughts with others, or may not have anyone to share them with--that's what Twitter does for them. Also, much like online classes, people who are uncomfortable speaking out in class or at work,etc., may speak out (expressing their opinions,etc.) just as much as the more outgoing people on Twitter or Facebook. It provides a kind of confidence, the security to say whatever one wants on cyberspace because it is less scary than saying it out loud. Back to Manaugh, he is also right when he says that it is no one else's business what other people are saying online. If you don't like it, ignore it, don't do it yourself. This is something I have to tell myself after hearing other people's comments in class and reading this blog. My favorite quote from this blog: "Heraclitus would have had a f****** Twitter feed!" Nothing shows how hyped up someone is about a topic more than an outrageous example coupled with a cuss word.

Also, I appreciated the two conflicting blogs, "Blogging Essential for a Good Career," and "Twitter, Flickr, Faceboook Make Blogs Look So 2004." When I read them, I thought they both made valid points and I think two things can be taken away from these two blogs: 1) that technology is ever-changing and the better we keep up with it and adapt to it, the better off we all will be (yes, I know, I am at least slightly reformed after our class discussions), and 2) that no matter what you are saying online, or where you are appearing online, you should always do so with caution. Present yourself online as you want the world to view you. My rule is that if I wouldn't want my mom to read what I am writing online, then I shouldn't be writing it. To some, this method may seem old-fashioned and very restricting, but it's up to you how you want to be viewed to the world online.

In essence, this first week has been a technological learning experience for me. Forcing myself to be open-minded and to try to experience something new and see where it takes me has been tough; I'm one of those cautious people who doesn't like change. However, while I am not promising to "tweet" my life away or to blog daily, I am willing to give social networking a chance.