Truth be known, I used to be an active member of the Facebook community. It was a wonderful diversion for a while, allowing me to reconnect with high school classmates, college friends and military buddies. Then, after about an hour and a half, I grew weary of it and deleted my account, ashamed of the time that I wasted on the drivel that has become the trademark of Facebook. Yes, I am being harsh here but I hope that at the end of this posting that you will find a way to tolerate, understand and perhaps embrace my point of view on the subject of what is known as "Social Media".
In the end, I found myself bored with 99% of what people posted on Facebook.
Here are some examples:
What people had for dinner: "I made a baked tilapia tonight that was to die for"
Breakfast: "Mmmmmmm, coffee"
Gushing about grandkids: "That little Jimmy is potty-trained and he's only 4 years old!"
Vacations: "Tulsa is quite a town!"
Personal Issues: "I'm depressed today"
What I/we did today: "Took the kids to McDonald's"
What I/we did today: "Took the kids to McDonald's"
Things to do: "Have to mow the lawn"
Kids: "You should hear Susie do her A-B-C's!"
Kids (the sequel): "You should hear Susie do the Itsy Bitsy Spider!"
Pictures: "Here's one of me with Minnie Mouse"
Music: "Has anybody heard this version of MacArthur Park by Tom Jones?"
Politics: "What do you think of Chelsea Clinton in 2028?"
Religion: "I'm thinking about joining Scientology. Any thoughts?"
Internet grammar: uve got to c my bff! lol!
Internet grammar: uve got to c my bff! lol!
Diet: "I think I'm becoming lactose intolerant"
Diet (the sequel): "I think I'm becoming gluten intolerant"
Diet (the sequel - 2): "I think I'm becoming peanut intolerant"
Thus, how I became Facebook intolerant.
What is most shocking is that people would chime in and leave comments about the aforementioned statements. Let's take one of them for example:
"Took the kids to McDonald's"
People actually chime in on this stuff. For example, comments about taking kids to McDonald's may read as follows:
"Have a Big Mac for me!"
"Love those french fries!"
"The shakes are the best"
"Beats the heck out of Burger King"
"Do they still give the toy in the Happy Meal?"
I've seen this, I'm not exaggerating. If you think that I exaggerate, see my blog regarding "The Toughest Guy I Know". That should prove that I report facts and nothing but the facts. (Choke, cough).
Back to the issue of Facebook.
O.K., we have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that 99% (or at least 20%) of the stuff on Facebook is drivel and that the people who chime in and leave meaningless comments are equally drivelous. In fact, there are no shortages of drivelous comments left by normally well-meaning people about the drivelous comments made by their equally drivelous friends.
But, there are folks that post some interesting stuff on Facebook. I once learned about a theoretical physicist from Arizona State University named Lawrence Krauss. He wrote a book called "A Universe From Nothing" which forwards the idea that the universe could have, in fact, emerged from nothing, given the realities of quantum physics.
Not a single person chimed in.
There was a posting which showed a video. The video took 3 minutes to guide a pathway of human history from the dawn of humans to present.
Nothing.
Another posting examined the beliefs of the great scientist Stephen Hawking who examined the nature of the creation of the universe.
Nada.
The list of drivel and drivelers is endless.
But all is not lost.
The one saving grace of my brief association with Facebook is the fact that I was reunited with a man who was a huge influence on my life. Everyone has someone who they can point to who has directed them on their path of life, regardless of its ultimate outcome. Mine was a man named Gerald "Jerry" Snodgrass.
More about Jerry Snodgrass in another edition of "West of Denver".
Readers, enjoy your day.
"Took the kids to McDonald's"
People actually chime in on this stuff. For example, comments about taking kids to McDonald's may read as follows:
"Have a Big Mac for me!"
"Love those french fries!"
"The shakes are the best"
"Beats the heck out of Burger King"
"Do they still give the toy in the Happy Meal?"
I've seen this, I'm not exaggerating. If you think that I exaggerate, see my blog regarding "The Toughest Guy I Know". That should prove that I report facts and nothing but the facts. (Choke, cough).
Back to the issue of Facebook.
O.K., we have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that 99% (or at least 20%) of the stuff on Facebook is drivel and that the people who chime in and leave meaningless comments are equally drivelous. In fact, there are no shortages of drivelous comments left by normally well-meaning people about the drivelous comments made by their equally drivelous friends.
But, there are folks that post some interesting stuff on Facebook. I once learned about a theoretical physicist from Arizona State University named Lawrence Krauss. He wrote a book called "A Universe From Nothing" which forwards the idea that the universe could have, in fact, emerged from nothing, given the realities of quantum physics.
Not a single person chimed in.
There was a posting which showed a video. The video took 3 minutes to guide a pathway of human history from the dawn of humans to present.
Nothing.
Another posting examined the beliefs of the great scientist Stephen Hawking who examined the nature of the creation of the universe.
Nada.
The list of drivel and drivelers is endless.
But all is not lost.
The one saving grace of my brief association with Facebook is the fact that I was reunited with a man who was a huge influence on my life. Everyone has someone who they can point to who has directed them on their path of life, regardless of its ultimate outcome. Mine was a man named Gerald "Jerry" Snodgrass.
More about Jerry Snodgrass in another edition of "West of Denver".
Readers, enjoy your day.
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