http://www.newsome.org/2006/02/social-computing-and-unbridled/ Kent Newsome on technology, music and life Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.newsome.org/2006/02/social-computing-and-unbridled/comment-page-1/#comment-4911 Mathew Ingram Sat, 18 Feb 2006 15:02:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/newsome/?p=2702#comment-4911 Well said, Kate (that's a great word, piffle). And thanks for the props, Kent. Well said, Kate (that’s a great word, piffle). And thanks for the props, Kent.

]]> http://www.newsome.org/2006/02/social-computing-and-unbridled/comment-page-1/#comment-4912 Kate Sat, 18 Feb 2006 01:47:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/newsome/?p=2702#comment-4912 Piffle.Pure, unadulterated piffle.Yes, we now have high school students who think using texting lexicon in term papers is okay, and yes, their teachers have to spell it out, in no uncertain terms, why it's not.Yes, there's a load of horrible blogs out there. A load of poorly produced songs, multimedia navel-gazing, self-absorbed (boring) meandering in a variety of media.But <I>those</I> aren't the blogs that get linked to, the videos that get watched, the songs that get listened to.The "A-listers" get read because they're interesting, knowledgeable, witty, or have an innate feel for what others want to read about.How is this "flattening" self-referential, insulating culture of stagnation being waved at any different than, say, Real Life? People have almost always hung out most with the people they meet who share their ideals, their approach to life. The same thing happens online--geeks and nerds like to frequent geeky and nerdy boards; conservative parents like to frequent parenting boards with a conservative slant; and liberals flock to the Daily Kos and Democratic Underground.At the same time, you, via Last.fm, have discovered a lot of new music you like. I can bop online and research real estate prices in Alaska (and at home), or grab figures from the Census Department to bolster an argument I'm having with my brother.Pluses and minuses abound. Piffle.Pure, unadulterated piffle.Yes, we now have high school students who think using texting lexicon in term papers is okay, and yes, their teachers have to spell it out, in no uncertain terms, why it’s not.Yes, there’s a load of horrible blogs out there. A load of poorly produced songs, multimedia navel-gazing, self-absorbed (boring) meandering in a variety of media.But those aren’t the blogs that get linked to, the videos that get watched, the songs that get listened to.The “A-listers” get read because they’re interesting, knowledgeable, witty, or have an innate feel for what others want to read about.How is this “flattening” self-referential, insulating culture of stagnation being waved at any different than, say, Real Life? People have almost always hung out most with the people they meet who share their ideals, their approach to life. The same thing happens online–geeks and nerds like to frequent geeky and nerdy boards; conservative parents like to frequent parenting boards with a conservative slant; and liberals flock to the Daily Kos and Democratic Underground.At the same time, you, via Last.fm, have discovered a lot of new music you like. I can bop online and research real estate prices in Alaska (and at home), or grab figures from the Census Department to bolster an argument I’m having with my brother.Pluses and minuses abound.

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