Social Networking; it’s everything but Social

Example of a scale-free network (courtesy of H.G. Katzgraber)

Because of technology, we’re a highly connected society, yet we’re the most uncommunicative one. When I first started blogging, it was a way for me to get in the habit of writing at least once a week. It was to share whatever’s on mind from life experiences and travels to poetry and book promotions, with people who are interested.  I also wanted to know what other people thought. As of today, I still feel this way. I want to connect with people who want to connect instead of seeing my follower count go up but they’re really not following. In a world saturated with information, news, gossip, YouTube videos, etc. I’d rather communicate more on a personal level than for the sake of popularity. It’s funny because I’ve never gave ‘being popular’ a thought. I guess it’s all about getting your name out there.

And then, as I continued to blog and I published a few books, I decided to join Twitter and Facebook. I have to admit, I don’t ‘get’ Twitter. I’ve never seen much discussion from most of my Twitter followers, even when I ask a question because everyone’s too busy asking their own questions and posting links. When I do venture over to Twitter, which isn’t often, all I see are people posting links with comments such as, “Read my review!” “Check out my blog.” “Huff Post and Amazon!” I’m sure some people think this is a way of communicating, but not me. I'm not saying that I don't retweet and promote mine and my friends stuff, but I don't think that's all Twitter should be about ... or maybe I just don’t get the whole Twitter concept.

But I do get the whole Facebook concept and I refuse to pay for promotion. The one nice thing I have to say about my Facebook page is that people DO talk—they’ll leave comments. I think it’s great to see people giving their input about a particular question or about someone’s success.

What it really comes down to is that for all the different ways we can socialize, we’re not very social. We want our names out there, 15 minutes of fame, but we don’t want to talk to anyone on the way. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud many of you for tackling the social networking sites and really promoting on them. It’s a job all in itself.

Social networking should also be about socializing and discussing our lives along with world events, politics, religion, etc. We should be more apt to discuss than argue because of the many outlets we’re given to express ourselves. Instead, we argue and/or avoid altogether crucial subjects for fear of people not liking us.

What are your thoughts about social networking? What do you like or dislike about it?

Networking and Unsocial,

Bea

P.S. One social networking site I love is Pinterest.

Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You!

Over the past few years I’ve heard people say how aggravated they get when they text someone and the person calls them back. They’ve said that they text the person because they don’t want to talk to them. Recently I’ve seen a trend in unanswered calls, but responses in text, email or on Facebook. Maybe it’s me. Maybe the people in my life don’t want to talk to me. But if that’s true, then I have to ask, “Why bother contacting me at all?”

I’m writing this post because I don’t understand the whole “don’t call me when I text you” thing, so hopefully someone can explain it to me. Have phone calls already become a thing of the past? There have been a few times, maybe coincidences, when I’ve called someone and they didn’t answer the phone, but shortly afterward I’ve received a text or email from them. Really? When I’m trying to set something up, or even have a quick question, I want to talk to the person. First off, I don’t like text talk such as ‘u’ for ‘you’. I feel it’s making us a dumber and lazier society. Secondly, things get lost in translation when you text and email. For me, nothing is more annoying than going back and forth in several texts and emails to set up the simplest get together when I could get it done within a five minute phone call. Done—no more time wasted.

Technology has given us so many wonderful opportunities, yet it’s also made us strangers even to our closest friends and family. I don’t know if it’s laziness or impatience that makes people want to text or send email instead of hearing the person’s voice. Some people I know say texting and emailing is quicker. I shrug at that argument because I don’t agree. If someone sends me an email while I’m out, I won’t get it until I come home. I don’t have a multi-mobile fetish—my phone allows calls and texting. I’m not a “here, now, know my location and what I’m doing at this moment” kinda gal. I’ll admit that I don’t like talking on the phone for long periods of time, and when I’m not in the mood to talk that pretty much covers all mediums.

This whole “don’t call me, I’ll call you” thing makes me wonder about emergencies. What if someone called a friend or family member because they were in an emergency situation and that person decided not to answer but text? I posed this question to someone before and they told me the person should have called 9-1-1, not them.

Are you a “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You” person? Do you think there’s anything wrong with texting and emailing instead of calling? Are you a “here, now, know my location and what I’m doing at this moment” kind of person? Do you think talking on the phone should be a thing of the past?

Let me…but just don’t call.

About Face

I recently joined Facebook to promote my blog readership and my present and future writing endeavors. I’ve connected with some writers, but also with my past. People have always talked about the connections they make on Facebook, but I didn’t care until I actually joined. As great as it is to connect with other writers, I find it sweet that I’m connecting with past neighbors and my second grade teacher. Yes, my second grade teacher, who used to call me an angel. I’d go home and tell my grandmother she called me an angel, and my grandmother would respond, “An angel with horns.”

Facebook lets us reach out to all moments and interests in our lives. It isn’t the only opportunity to connect with people from around the world, but it is a place where we can create our own little families—share our kernels of life. It’s also educational—a great place to add ‘likes’ and receive updates. I’ve been reading about Barry Eisler’s decision to self-publish. For those of you unaware about the publishing world, traditional publishing is going through major changes. It’s no longer the main or only way to publish. Due to technology, there are so many mediums (paper or Nook or Kindle) and ways to self-publish. The economy played a role in traditional publishing houses being choosy with their book choices. Since writers wanted to get their story out there, and publishing companies began focusing on known writers or celebrities, self-publishing became the main competitor of traditional publishing.

It’s a relief to read what Barry and Joe Knorath have to say about self-publishing. Self-publishing has always been a taboo in writers’ circles, so Barry’s and Joe’s information helps writers  know the challenges of both so they can make the best decision for their works. It lets me know that traditional publishing isn’t the only way to go, and it also makes me feel that rejection from big house publishing companies doesn’t mean my writing is bad.

Barry Eisler is a well-known author of many books, and has now decided to self-publish. This decision has made agents and traditional publishing companies angry because it puts them in jeopardy. There are many arguments between self-publishing and traditional, but seeing an established author who has gone the traditional route then change to self-publishing, has caught many people’s attention—especially mine. Barry and Joe Konrath, a Chicago writer, had a long discussion about Ebooks and Self-publishing. In December, Joe wrote a blog post titled, “You Should Self-Publish”. You can read the discussions between Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler on Barry’s blog: Ebooks and Self-Publishing: A Conversation Between Authors Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath and Part 2.

So I made an about face with Facebook, and the publishing world has made an about face with self-publishing.

Have you done an about face?