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Fooey, Facebook, Farewell.

I know, I tried once before. I didn’t manage it. But tbh, the last few months have seen me avoid Facebook, except to update The Serval Project Page. I now have an identity to do that, and find I am merely annoyed and overwhelmed by Facebook. I have so much happening in life, that I avoid responding. It is making me rude. I don’t like being that. And I guess the story today of cookies from Facebook tracking you even when logged out was the final straw. Also see this ridiculous Facebook Timeline (Facebook Invaded My Privacy, And All I Got Was This Lousy Timeline). Enough already.

I find am actually interested in engaging people now the dread of it Facebook had instilled in me is gone. But why the dread?

I think the simple answer is, many people do a lot on Facebook, and I just became overwhelmed. Guiltily, the unanswered messages piled up.  Facebook, like me when the kids rooms are beyond my acceptability limit, turned into a screaming +10 monster of nagginess. Actually, I am much more mellow…I just remove tech from their reach until fixed – or unleash Daddy (the Gary Larson cartoon featuring a small boy in front a whiteboard with formulae, and a professorish man with a pointer standing next to it, with caption ‘eventually Billy came to dread his father’s lectures as a form of punishment’ is terribly apt here:) ).  Anyway, Facebook is starting to feel like the Internet‘s version of the beginnings of an abusive relationship. Questioning me endlessly about what I am doing, who I am seeing. Tracking me endlessly. Demanding endlessly. That is a lot of endlessly:) Yes, hyperbole, but I honestly came to dread Facebook emails.

I do participate more on Google+, I have found. That might be temporary, but I am more comfortable there. Twitter I don’t mind dipping in and out of, but have never found the right tool to wade through the flood of information. I would love to, so recommendations, please!

So, henceforth, all will centre back with my blog, Google Plus, (this is me) and sometimes, Twitter (me there too). My blog updates Twitter. I update Google+, until APIs from Google allow me to blog-> + the same way,with a nifty plugin. Posterous occasionally will be kept in mix to update log, Tumblr,(which just mirrors this blog, so nbd), and Twitter all at once, in lazy fashion.

So if you want to actually interact, Google Plus, or here on blog:)

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Death as a social experience

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

I sent this to a group of uni friends who keep in touch:

I am fascinated by social media and lifestreaming, though i have removed myself from a rather large amount of it.

I was surprised at the loss so many otherwise non geek type people felt when i left Facebook, quite odd reaction – how much they missed connecting with me. Erm, the phone? email? my blog?

Some of the best conversations i have had online have been since leaving, with people who would just follow my updates – who had no need to ask, to discuss, they KNEW already what was happening in my life.

We have reduced our lives to 140 characters or so in many cases, a series of updates and photos and location updates and…noone needs to find out the backgrounds, the feelings, life is a fast paced series of vignettes and snapshots. fake, junk food like equivalency. filling without nourishing or satisfying, yet we crave more.

Anyway, we have had twitter births, weddings – this was probably inevitable.

Now we have death. Death in the form of an execution. Government sanctioned death, tweeted by the official who confirmed the order.
Tweetage Wasteland : I Just Checked In To A Firing Squad.

Is it viscerally disturbing because it was an official? Because we don’t do death penalty here? Or was it the calmness, the almost indifference associated with tweeting? Just another piece of info, litter dumped in the stream, it has bobbed to the surface, but will
disappear again soon, just another piece of flotsam and jetsam that is human life online.

We are bytes of information.

I’m not sure if i am scared or optimistic. I value the connections i have made online, some really deep and valuable friendships that have lasted years. now, with a disability, i appreciate the ability to travel the world, as it were, even more.

It is terribly easy to think of it as fully living though. it isn’t. my kids keep me grounded, their sweet solid reality is a wondrous thing. The internet is people, yes, in that it is information and communication and entertainment –  all people derived. Yet if we lose
touch with people here, around us, if we lose our humanity in being online, what then?

Noone bats an eyelid at births online anymore, they just shrug and say well, that funny old internet. Now death is headed the same way. But murder – execution. Wow. Still trying to understand how i could become indifferent to that.

I guess the same way we can face the evening news without flinching, the violent dvds. They have all been leading to this. The more you see, the less you flinch.

Maybe. If the day comes when i could not flinch at this stuff, i am
trading in my humanity card – i am not fit to be part of the species.

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Bits of me

It has been a week. One would expect that. Ok, not entirely a week in date terms, if one is to be fussy, its just feels that way. Much other people’s stuff and comings and goings and thinkings and wantings and not wantings and loving but not in the way they wanted and loving is just enough kind of ways and oh my. I love where i probably shouldn’t, and that is my own business and a pattern i see no reason to change now (the shouldn’t i mean, never been good at shoulds), don’t love where it is probably wanted (at least how it is wanted), but love is what love wills itself into being.

A wilful child, love, best thing is just to get on with it, like life, and see where it does or doesn’t go. However, the constant touchstone of my life, i always love my beloved family, my dearest friends, and my children – well, they are my literal raison d’etre. My wayward heart does its own thing beyond those absolutes.

Eb (Evil Back) is my most faithful companion, and all efforts to persuade him to be otherwise are to no avail. This is discouraging but am attempting further ways to persuade him that he is not what i want in a devoted lover, thank you. Attempting hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, and accupuncture in upcoming weeks, may keep you posted, or not as i do or don’t think of it. I don’t tend to do much of that here, why would that interest you? It doesn’t do much for me either!

However, for Facebook refugees bemoaning that i no longer am there, and somehow failing to be able to live in a  world where simple hi how are you works into increasingly busy lives, i made rash promises to the effect of updating here occasionally. Consider it an occasion.

I try to post things of interest. I have too many interests, and too much that is demanding of my time. I have taken to the step of rebelling against that strange sense of obligation to finish reading all my feeds (like unwanted vegetables to children at dinner), even if Feedly makes it so nice an experience, and to post to social networks regularly, (i remain a solitary monster who reaches out in bits and pieces. Mostly pieces, though some are quite pretty held up in the light). Finiding posting time is hard enough, and takes a combination of Zemanta, Shareaholic, WordPress tools, and Evernote. Oh, and strange feeling that this looks interesting finds that seem to call a theme together enough to make me post.

I am addicted to podcasts, but also gleefully decide this week they will be marked as watched despite not having been. Oh the anarchy. I tend not to miss Boxcutters ever, and they mentioned me very nicely this week, and i got a warm chocolate fudge gooey kind of aww moment from that – thanks guys.

Trying to squeeze in half an hour a day for guitar practice is a battle i do not always win but i do try so hard, for i love Fergus the wonder guitar. I am fascinating by the strange numb blistery feeling on my left hand fingers, where i hold the strings for chords. Having played the violin, i think i have finally persuaded my wrist to settle down and just let my fingers decide placement, don’t be so damn rigid. Feels still a tad anarchic. I use a few really good apps, such as Guitar Toolkit and Chords on the iPhone.

Being a book addict, audiobooks (thanks Audible.com ) are a constant companion, i try for two a week. Used to read a book a day, still do if i decide i am allowing myself a hide form the world (despite it knocking urgently at my door and emailing and ringing and messaging) day when the kids are not around. This is increasingly hard to find.

I have made two gift quilts for baby and toddler, and have two play mat/snuggle rugs for small ones, and two baby ones to make as gifts. I have made an intensely bright tye died rainbow fleece winter coat that just needs lining and buttons, and hurts your eyes like sunshine on a bright day, and is very warm,therefore perfect. I started my quilt (design below), and am starting to make pet beds with the So So Sisters, (my partners in crime and dear sisters of the heart and material), as local pet shelters are in need for these colder days.Also two double, one queen to king sized quilts of various bizarre designs for three eldest daughters, five or six knitting projects, made fleecy pjs for two smallest, and and am hand stitching in bed (i do spend a large amount of time stuck here or in a wheelchair with EB after all), a hex pieced bag for me to carry my iPad (love it still)  and iPhone (love it too!) and other general stuff around in. Must be mad. I keep promising to resurrect the photos of collected works we had up on Facebook, i will get there. Maybe on weekend if someone reminds me. I am using my IPad a lot oddly in quilting, and Dropbox, and running EQ7 (via Parallels) on my Macbook Pro, so technology seems to be my thing no matter what I do.

timelady quilt

Timelady Quilt

Also working on several webdev projects for work, and one for a not for profit i shall be talking a lot about very soon, as soon as i get the content finished for the site – i have written in my todo list by weekend, so it must be done by then. It is amazing, and has huge potential to save AND enhance lives, so am very very excited to be a part of it.

I have had one thing mostly distracting my thoughts the last few months, i am hoping i have reached a resolution, a place of rest and peace and a point to start growing and evolving with it, rather than struggling with it, but time will tell, it always does. It is still background noise, but hopefully the playlist has hit more of an upbeat but ambient vibe, suitable for joy and acceptance and potential, less for worry and fear and pain.

In short, like all of us, i have a lot on the surface, and far more brewing underneath. The brave face is necessary to function. I am not that good at it in my writing, hence these updates are irregular. I am too honest in my writing, and have found it hard enough to not be more detailed and open. However, tis is not a bare my soul blog. It is whatever it feels like it is at the time. It feels like i have said enough:)

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Facebook updates – Zuckerberg realises the oops but not the magnitude

Facebook privacy update simplify for users, hurts business model Does Facebook Have a Fatal Cultural Problem? … How To Find Out If Your Facebook Account Has Been Hacked Mark Zuckerberg: We Don’t Know What We’re Doing with Location Yet Facebook Acquires Private Content-Sharing Startup Sharegrove A Guide To Facebook’s New, Simpler Privacy Controls | Lifehacker Australia … Continue reading »

Facebook CEO finally gets that people are a tad annoyed…

In other words,unless you know enough to make yourself more private (which Facebook has claimed it will be easier to do, at least), then i am afraid you are still at risk. … Sorry when people are angry and leaving, btw, is not much of a sincere mea culpa, it is more of a sign of business concern. … Continue reading »

Open source music plays for thee…

http://xkcd.com/743/

Click to embiggen and visit

Techie stuff today

Unrequited love: Adobe’s latest response to Thoughts on Flash | Macgasm.

The HTML5 Readiness Chart Highlights How Well Your Browser Handles The Future | Lifehacker Australia.

100 Incredibly Useful & Free Mac Apps | Mac.AppStorm.

Facebook’s Huge Maze Of Privacy Options Mapped Out | Lifehacker Australia.

Why Being A Geek Makes You Happy | Lifehacker Australia.

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Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook – Facebook – Gizmodo

Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook – Facebook – Gizmodo.

I know, i know, enough already. I think this one probably maybe has it out of my system – for now;)

I started a page for it anyway:)

Why I am leaving Facebook

I posted this morning on Facebook I was leaving. I explained the privacy concerns I have, including

Facebook’s new features secretly add apps to your profile | Social Media | Macworld.

and

Neowin.net – Facebook’s new features can secretly add apps [Updated].

and, finally,

Mistakes like that are NOT ok. I do not believe they were mistakes, quite frankly.  I agree with the Wired article.

I am keeping Twitter, like the ship in Silent Running, just floating in space, quiet, pointing here. Buzz may or may not allow me some technical connections., but filtering the gold from the dross is proving difficult, and as yet, unresolved for me. Facebook, however, is gone.

Yet there is more to my decision to leave Facebook, and it’s about time. Yes, i know;)

I have too much time. I have too little time. Not contradictory, obvious and complimentary.

In the good times, I have some mobility, not as much pain, the drugs aren’t making me too sick.

I have five amazing people i am proud to call my children, four of whom still have raising to be done. I have my elderly dad, and even though he is recovering from severe cancer, i want to spend time with him while i can. I have magic friends. I have quilting as an art medium. I web develop part time, to make a small mark of independence in my life, and it gives me huge joy to create that way, too. I am learning guitar, finally, after many years of longing to.  There is sunshine and beach and air and life to be explored when i am mobile. I do not have time for signal to noise. I have a life.

In the bad times, i have pain and drug side effects.

I have the need to escape. Into other wheres, other minds, other times. I do not have time for signal to noise. I am struggling to survive.Into audio books, print books, movies, anything that can help expand my mind at best, escape and wryly, wincingly smile, at least. And at worst, i endure.

I am leaving noone but a bunch of electrons. I have no need to advertise myself, or promote myself. I have learnt what I need to, and am leaving.

Facebook’s Gone Rogue; It’s Time for an Open Alternative | Epicenter | Wired.com

Facebook’s Gone Rogue; It’s Time for an Open Alternative | Epicenter | Wired.com.

It has taken me two days and i STILL haven’t managed to finish cleaning out my FB profile yet, to removing current data. I know, too little, too late, but why compound it? Every privacy setting is on, I have removed their new exciting page options, or malware as i believe it, and woudl remove my profile altogetehr if not for squatters (unlikely with my name, but still).

I have decided to do the same with all my socnets.

Find me here, my place, where I own and control things.

Or not:)