Author Topic: Facebook Culture  (Read 842 times)

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Facebook Culture
« on: March 05, 2021, 10:12:01 am »
I'm a Facebook addict but acknowledge the catastrophic effects on politics of late.

But McLuhan taught us to set aside morality when looking at "effects".  The morality is in us, and the effects of the tool bring those out.


Four questions.

1. What does the medium enhance?
2. What does the medium make obsolete?
3. What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
4. What does the medium reverse or flip into when pushed to extremes?



I will attempt to start answering:

1. Person-to-person communication, in an intimate way but also instantly, with pictures, movies, and writing and music even... across the world... anywhere... in groups...
2. Telephoning ?  Maybe.  Emailing ? 
3. Shared history and shared interests for groups... there used to be local "clubs" that went away with TV
4. It turns into a propaganda weapon

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Offline cybercoma

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2021, 12:40:03 pm »
I shouldn't spend my time answering all these questions because I'm at work, but I think there's something interesting to consider for the obsolete question.

Facebook makes thoughtful commentary obsolete. Thoughtful in the sense that the medium encourages rapid snippets of information, rather than deep intensive reading and consideration. There's the other side to this as well, the medium encourages rapid-thoughtless presentation thoughts. Everyone gets the feeling that their knee-jerk reactions should be published for everyone to see. So what's obsolete here? In-depth, thoughtful study of ideas and in-depth thoughtful presentation of ideas: books, academic articles, etc. Everything is fast, easily-digestible, and inflammatory to increase engagement. Engagement boosts exposure through algorithms and we descend into an inflammatory thoughtlessness that creates division.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2021, 12:49:53 pm »
1. I shouldn't spend my time answering all these questions because I'm at work, but I think there's something interesting to consider for the obsolete question.

2. Facebook makes thoughtful commentary obsolete. Thoughtful in the sense that the medium encourages rapid snippets of information, rather than deep intensive reading and consideration.

3. There's the other side to this as well, the medium encourages rapid-thoughtless presentation thoughts. Everyone gets the feeling that their knee-jerk reactions should be published for everyone to see. So what's obsolete here? In-depth, thoughtful study of ideas and in-depth thoughtful presentation of ideas: books, academic articles, etc. Everything is fast, easily-digestible, and inflammatory to increase engagement. Engagement boosts exposure through algorithms and we descend into an inflammatory thoughtlessness that creates division.
1. I work days and will give & take time from my employer as I see fit.  I give more than I take.
2. I tend to agree.  Now you WILL get long think pieces linked to and subsequent discussion threads.  That is unique to Facebook and I would count it as a "gain" or - better - to answer question #3, it recaptures "the coffee house" from 17th 18th century England
3. I think that's more about "politics on Facebook" but ok.  And... on second thought more about Twitter. 

I can think of a few "prime uses" of Facebook:

1) Online chat with friends about what's new... what's shocking... what's funny.  Like grabbing a coffee and not knowing which one of my 2K friends will drop in.  (How many friends have you folks got ? :D )
2) Sharing personal moments with close ones, like pictures, little successes, very bad news like RIPs, day to day life, and being able to do it with movies, text, and links to other media too... with people far away in distance or in time, such as high school friends I haven't seen in decades
3) Fighting with people about social issues

That's what I do with it.  Most of my family talks about having to "take a break from it" because they have had a fight or somesuch.  I haven't experienced that.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2021, 02:49:39 pm »
I don’t do Facebook.   I’ve never understood the appeal, other than keeping in touch with relatives who are far away.  I can see it for that purpose.  But there are other platforms to do so as well.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2021, 03:02:46 pm »
I don’t do Facebook.   I’ve never understood the appeal, other than keeping in touch with relatives who are far away.  I can see it for that purpose.  But there are other platforms to do so as well.

Well I am so glad you posted on here.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2021, 03:04:15 pm »
Well I am so glad you posted on here.

You’re welcome.

Sometimes you Facebook addicts need to hear from people who choose abstinence. 

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2021, 03:34:28 pm »
Sometimes you Facebook addicts need to hear from people who choose abstinence.

Wow, another treat !

Thank you again !!!

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2021, 01:44:59 am »
I’ve never understood the appeal, other than keeping in touch with relatives who are far away. 

Yeah, I signed on when I was pregnant with my oldest and only friended my family abroad.  They wanted to see pics and it was easier than emailing everyone. 

Even though I don't accept friend requests from randoms or even people I haven't seen in a long time, little by little I ended up with enough people that I don't want to post personal things anymore. 

I notice very few people post these days, it's mostly ads and groups.  The people who post seem to over-post, not just their own nonsense, but even all the memories of their previous nonsense. 

What I really don't get is people who post political stuff and then argue with friends and family.  Seriously, join a forum... or twitter.

I do like it for marketplace and for video/calls when needed, but that's about it.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2021, 05:46:39 am »
How about you, BC, care to try the four questions?

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2021, 04:20:20 pm »
How about you, BC, care to try the four questions?



Ugh, now I have to think   ::)  but ok...



1. What does the medium enhance?

Connection between people, for anything from keeping in touch to selling things to dating. 


2. What does the medium make obsolete?

Nothing I can of.  Just My Space and Friendster...


3. What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?

This is something I've often thought about.  In a way it's brought life back to centuries ago in the way we stay connected.  For example, it hasn't been a way of life to know what someone you went to high school with is doing these days, but all of a sudden, you can easily friend them and see who they married, what their kids look like etc. 

It can make for interesting dynamics too of a bygone era.  Say you break up with someone, all my life we said goodbye and parted ways and I thought of them from time to time thinking what they're up to.  Now, if I stay friends with them and their family/friends, I know all of it. 

Facebook brought that aspect of life from an era long ago when communities were smaller and there was no escaping your lot unless you deliberately made changes to it (equivalent of unfollowing your ex's mom).


4. What does the medium reverse or flip into when pushed to extremes?

I'm not sure I understand this question, but pushed to extremes as in the bad parts of it... it would be the social experiments like Cambridge Analytica, also Fake News and Invasion of privacy.
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Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2021, 05:03:01 pm »
1. What does the medium enhance?
2. What does the medium make obsolete?
3. What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
4. What does the medium reverse or flip into when pushed to extremes?

1. For me the real value of FB is in maintaining communication and relationships with people outside my regular local social circles.  So for friends and family who have moved to other cities or countries I'm not only able to keep communicating with them, I get to see pictures and sometimes videos of them and their families which is nice.  This was not possible before without phone calls, emails, letters, which take more effort and are more formal, whereas facebook is a more passive and casual experience I can simply browse at my leisure.

FB groups can also make organizing communication easier among a bunch of people you know, though other apps like whatsapp has taken a bite out of FB here.

2. Local clubs, phone calls, letters/emails, and of course privacy, which is a big one.  Due to Facebook i have also never had a high school reunion since FB was created, because we all converse on FB.    It would be to nice to see everyone in person.

3.  Maintaining ties with old friends and family in a more globalized world.  People move cities more than ever, whereas 50-100 years ago this was less common, so it's easier to maintain ties with family/friends.

4.  FB also makes memes and posts that are political in nature that can be written by anyone, rather than journalists or other professionals, so less authoritative people can spread opinions on subjects that contain more falsehoods, including propoganda.  Can contribute to unfounded conspiracy theories etc.  I think like any social media it can isolate people.  Less reason to telephone or meet friends in person if social links can be maintained over internet.
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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2021, 07:56:08 pm »
So far, I agree with what has been posted and there seems to be some convergence too.

Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2021, 08:11:29 pm »
My only real fundamental problem with FB is the privacy issues.  I'm not comfortable posting personal photos of myself with my real name or other personal details, so I avoid doing these things while using the site.

The problems with fake news etc are universal to social media and the main victims are the stupid or gullible that don't understand the difference between some guy posting nonsense and other info that's backed by more reliable sources.  I guess there's pros and cons to democratizing our media.  Giving everyone a voice means even the stupid have a voice.
"Nipples is one of the great minds of our time!" - Bubbermiley

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2021, 08:21:12 pm »
My only real fundamental problem with FB is the privacy issues.  I'm not comfortable posting personal photos of myself with my real name or other personal details, so I avoid doing these things while using the site.

The problems with fake news etc are universal to social media and the main victims are the stupid or gullible that don't understand the difference between some guy posting nonsense and other info that's backed by more reliable sources.  I guess there's pros and cons to democratizing our media.  Giving everyone a voice means even the stupid have a voice.

Personally, I feel privacy is overrated.  I am more worried that the police are going to misuse my data than marketeers.  But ok...

I find "privacy" to be another social wall that people are trying to sell you.  My old parents were so afraid of Facebook by reading it on the news.  They thought their financial information would be stolen.  We got them on and now for the price of getting served Reverse Mortgage ads they can see what their kids' and grandkids' lives are all about every day.  Seems like a fair trade.

Remember when we used to fret about TV violence and commercials ?  This seems better.  I would say that the economic structure isn't set up to replace the revenue from the thousands of small businesses being destroyed by it all, though...
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Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Facebook Culture
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2021, 08:39:08 pm »
Personally, I feel privacy is overrated.  I am more worried that the police are going to misuse my data than marketeers.  But ok...

I agree about marketers.  But we must all realize that any info FB has access to the government probably does also.

Also consider that it's illegal (in theory) for the US to spy on its own citizens, but not illegal for them to spy on Canadian citizens or anyone else outside the US.  That means the US can spy on Canadians however they wish, and then give that info to Canadian governments.  The US has alerted Canadian authorities many times about criminals and whatever else.

It's a brave new world.  Our governments don't even have much choice.  If they want to keep pace with the Russians and China they need to be surveilling countries, including their own, for potential threats.  So it's up to us to protect ourselves from their prying eyes.

Usually if you're not doing anything wrong bad nothing is going to happen to you.  But it's still creepy.  Nobody likes the idea of anyone tapping their phones or text messages.
"Nipples is one of the great minds of our time!" - Bubbermiley