Right. I didn't get the job at Ogilvy Healthworld, but that's OK. It means I can write more blogs, and keep those 10 people who read my blog entertained for another 3 and a half minutes. Thanks for those who asked via facebook, MSN and MMS Text.
Ahh, Facebook - and modern communication. It is one of the biggest things to have ever graced the lives of so many, to affect enterprise for the best, to make so many stars out of the normal people out there. Modern communication (so, the internet, mobile communications etc) and everything that comes with it (social networking, ebay, blogging, retail) has been the biggest revolution to effect so many, since the industrial age. So many have benefitted it is unbelieveable. However, there are those that still that use it as a scapegoat for societies pitfalls.
I read today on the BBC website that Archbishop Vincent Nichols has blasted "Myspace and Facebook led young people to seek 'transient' relationships, with quantity becoming more important than quality".
The main argument coming from Nichols is that relationships are not as 'rounded' as they used to be because we are no longer asked to read body language, or tone of voice because electronic written communications don't really allow for this, leading to non-rounded communities. He does not deny that there are communities online, however he is left sceptical in believing that these communities are based on boasting about ones self to as many people as possible. This can result in teenagers or anyone for that matter, feeling isolated and desolate when these non-real relationships - and even suicide.
I can understand the concerns. There are people who have 700 'friends' of facebook and 7000 followers on twitter. Surely they can't talk to all them? They are making up for something aren't they?
I don't think so. I have around 460 friends on facebook, and God knows how many on Myspace (only 29 followers on twitter however, most insist in selling me something). I agree with the Archbishop that most of them are not genuine friendships, but acquaintances. These acquaintances are real however, and would exist with or without facebook - it is merely a list. My best friend does not have facebook, myspace, twitter or is on any networking site of any sort. The only way for me to chat to him is to call him up, or drop him an e-mail.
I have a realistic idea of who my real friends are, and who aren't. I know which people are adding me for my body, and those who add me because I listen to metal, and those who add me because I am friends with them in real life. So, I talk to them accordingly, about my body, Metal and real stuff. I don't think the Archbishop realises that people are not stupid and are aware of who these people are online and the relationships they hold with them. Of course, there are some deluded people out there who are genuinely obsessed and create false friendships with Devon and Randy - the Porn and Rock star duet, but this is something that is wrong with some individuals who use social networking to create friendships that cannot be found in real life, not the networks themself.
Most people in life can make genuine friendships, those who can't, use social networking. It's easier and more acceptable to be creepy online.
But this is nothing new; The blaming of something new, of something that isn't covered by the bible, or something that goes against it. Rock and Roll encourages promiscuity; Heavy Metal encourages the worshiping of Satan, Cliff Richard and Wham! promote homosexuality. However, the results are always the same. Promiscuous women, Satanists, Gays and those unable to build real life relationships already exist, they just tend to levitate towards these specific social tools to express themselves. It appeals to them. Just makes what they do or who they are more acceptable (homosexuality and Satanism).
In the evening I played a prank on a friend which turned out to prove a kind of a point in the end, or this blog in argument against the Archbishop.
Prank victim: One certain colleague from my course, lets call him, Steven
Prank: Peter Andre was on BBC Radio 1's programme this evening, promoting himself and the new single. 'Going in Alone' [something like that], and someone text in as 'Steven' "I love you Peter, and I love the new single. Are you ready to re-marry? Love Steven from Kent". Everyone heard it and wrote on his wall about his new love for Peter Andre.
Here is the Catch: It's bollocks.
Although Mr Andre was promoting his new single on radio one, no one text in pretending to be Steven. I wasn't quick enough for that. I managed to contact as many people as possible who may be friends of 'Steven' via facebook chat, and asked them to say they heard Radio One announce his text live on air, and react to it; and they did. So, Steven now thinks someone text in pretending to be him, about fancying Peter Andre, and now he wants to find out who did it. But it is all made up.
What resulted from the prank?
Collectively there are 60 different posts over all (and counting) that I know of (not including IM, PM etc). This accumulated in about an hour so I was rather pleased with the mini buzz that was created around this little white lie.
So what does this tell me?
Firstly, it says I need a job. I have spent all evening trying to orchestrate this joke. Yes, that is what it originally was, a joke, to fill the time. After the joke was finished and I started to write a blog on what the Archbishop had said, I realised this prank born out of idleness seems to prove a point on communities.
Well, it tells me that there is a big sense of community online, especially with Facebook. Something like this would not have been pulled off without modern communication technology, because what Facebook has allowed me to do is to bring together many people to pull a prank on that common friend that is Steven. Everyone apart from Steven himself was in on this little 'experiment'. Because of this, it tells me that there are real communities online, they do exist.
"But surely if you were a real friend of this Steven you wouldn't have pulled such a public joke on him?" I hear you say.
No, there is a reason why the best man at your wedding is your best man, but he still shows the guests the photo of you with your trousers down doing a poo in the sink ages 15.
The internet and the viraility of some material and the nature of human beings wanting to share things is something that is now becoming an essential part of the marketing plan. Using online allows consumers to share videos or information about a product with their peers and friends, and ths is encouraged by being a part of something. As tonight has shown, people want to be a part of something and will quite happily spend time to make sure that they and their friends belong to it. It will become an offline social talking point as well. I have already talked to my family about this, and I am sure by tomorrow it willbe talked about by those involved with friends face-to-face. This is what s valuble to marketers, but also that provides some evidence that communities and relationships online are not as false as Archbishop Nicolas is making out.
As I said before in this post, I feel that the claims of the Archbishop are slightly over exaggerated and something of an attack to something new that deems to threaten religion, or the Bible. However it is something that he can exploit to really 'spread the word', instead of knocking on peoples doors. Of course there are social problems and issues, but it doesn't create them, it just highlights they are there in the first place. I think it important to realise that, and that there are many advantages out there.
So This is what I ask from you:
What do YOU use social networking sites for?
Why are the friends on facebook called your friends?
Why did you participate in this experiment?
Do you think Archbishop Nicolas is correct or is he wrong?
Oh, And DONT TELL 'STEVEN' IT WAS ME!
[Steven has now found out and isn't too pleased. I'd like to reiterate the prank was never intended to be used as an example for this blog - just happened to prove a point]
Cheers, Scott
I read today on the BBC website that Archbishop Vincent Nichols has blasted "Myspace and Facebook led young people to seek 'transient' relationships, with quantity becoming more important than quality".
The main argument coming from Nichols is that relationships are not as 'rounded' as they used to be because we are no longer asked to read body language, or tone of voice because electronic written communications don't really allow for this, leading to non-rounded communities. He does not deny that there are communities online, however he is left sceptical in believing that these communities are based on boasting about ones self to as many people as possible. This can result in teenagers or anyone for that matter, feeling isolated and desolate when these non-real relationships - and even suicide.
I can understand the concerns. There are people who have 700 'friends' of facebook and 7000 followers on twitter. Surely they can't talk to all them? They are making up for something aren't they?
I don't think so. I have around 460 friends on facebook, and God knows how many on Myspace (only 29 followers on twitter however, most insist in selling me something). I agree with the Archbishop that most of them are not genuine friendships, but acquaintances. These acquaintances are real however, and would exist with or without facebook - it is merely a list. My best friend does not have facebook, myspace, twitter or is on any networking site of any sort. The only way for me to chat to him is to call him up, or drop him an e-mail.
I have a realistic idea of who my real friends are, and who aren't. I know which people are adding me for my body, and those who add me because I listen to metal, and those who add me because I am friends with them in real life. So, I talk to them accordingly, about my body, Metal and real stuff. I don't think the Archbishop realises that people are not stupid and are aware of who these people are online and the relationships they hold with them. Of course, there are some deluded people out there who are genuinely obsessed and create false friendships with Devon and Randy - the Porn and Rock star duet, but this is something that is wrong with some individuals who use social networking to create friendships that cannot be found in real life, not the networks themself.
Most people in life can make genuine friendships, those who can't, use social networking. It's easier and more acceptable to be creepy online.
But this is nothing new; The blaming of something new, of something that isn't covered by the bible, or something that goes against it. Rock and Roll encourages promiscuity; Heavy Metal encourages the worshiping of Satan, Cliff Richard and Wham! promote homosexuality. However, the results are always the same. Promiscuous women, Satanists, Gays and those unable to build real life relationships already exist, they just tend to levitate towards these specific social tools to express themselves. It appeals to them. Just makes what they do or who they are more acceptable (homosexuality and Satanism).
In the evening I played a prank on a friend which turned out to prove a kind of a point in the end, or this blog in argument against the Archbishop.
Prank victim: One certain colleague from my course, lets call him, Steven
Prank: Peter Andre was on BBC Radio 1's programme this evening, promoting himself and the new single. 'Going in Alone' [something like that], and someone text in as 'Steven' "I love you Peter, and I love the new single. Are you ready to re-marry? Love Steven from Kent". Everyone heard it and wrote on his wall about his new love for Peter Andre.
Here is the Catch: It's bollocks.
Although Mr Andre was promoting his new single on radio one, no one text in pretending to be Steven. I wasn't quick enough for that. I managed to contact as many people as possible who may be friends of 'Steven' via facebook chat, and asked them to say they heard Radio One announce his text live on air, and react to it; and they did. So, Steven now thinks someone text in pretending to be him, about fancying Peter Andre, and now he wants to find out who did it. But it is all made up.
What resulted from the prank?
Collectively there are 60 different posts over all (and counting) that I know of (not including IM, PM etc). This accumulated in about an hour so I was rather pleased with the mini buzz that was created around this little white lie.
So what does this tell me?
Firstly, it says I need a job. I have spent all evening trying to orchestrate this joke. Yes, that is what it originally was, a joke, to fill the time. After the joke was finished and I started to write a blog on what the Archbishop had said, I realised this prank born out of idleness seems to prove a point on communities.
Well, it tells me that there is a big sense of community online, especially with Facebook. Something like this would not have been pulled off without modern communication technology, because what Facebook has allowed me to do is to bring together many people to pull a prank on that common friend that is Steven. Everyone apart from Steven himself was in on this little 'experiment'. Because of this, it tells me that there are real communities online, they do exist.
"But surely if you were a real friend of this Steven you wouldn't have pulled such a public joke on him?" I hear you say.
No, there is a reason why the best man at your wedding is your best man, but he still shows the guests the photo of you with your trousers down doing a poo in the sink ages 15.
The internet and the viraility of some material and the nature of human beings wanting to share things is something that is now becoming an essential part of the marketing plan. Using online allows consumers to share videos or information about a product with their peers and friends, and ths is encouraged by being a part of something. As tonight has shown, people want to be a part of something and will quite happily spend time to make sure that they and their friends belong to it. It will become an offline social talking point as well. I have already talked to my family about this, and I am sure by tomorrow it willbe talked about by those involved with friends face-to-face. This is what s valuble to marketers, but also that provides some evidence that communities and relationships online are not as false as Archbishop Nicolas is making out.
As I said before in this post, I feel that the claims of the Archbishop are slightly over exaggerated and something of an attack to something new that deems to threaten religion, or the Bible. However it is something that he can exploit to really 'spread the word', instead of knocking on peoples doors. Of course there are social problems and issues, but it doesn't create them, it just highlights they are there in the first place. I think it important to realise that, and that there are many advantages out there.
So This is what I ask from you:
What do YOU use social networking sites for?
Why are the friends on facebook called your friends?
Why did you participate in this experiment?
Do you think Archbishop Nicolas is correct or is he wrong?
Oh, And DONT TELL 'STEVEN' IT WAS ME!
[Steven has now found out and isn't too pleased. I'd like to reiterate the prank was never intended to be used as an example for this blog - just happened to prove a point]
Cheers, Scott
cheers scott for entertaining me with your blog, we both need a joke m8 haha but at least you are doing something haha
ReplyDeleteWhy Thank you. I appreciate it. Keeps me occupied and it's fun so all is good
ReplyDeletekeep posting new stuff - its been my morning read with a cuppa tea ;)
ReplyDelete