10 Things I’ve Learned on Facebook

As a long-time media professional, I’ve always seen Facebook as a personal publishing platform as much as a social connection tool. It’s a useful vehicle for personal expression and (re)distribution of information and ideas – especially for those who choose to use it in substantive ways. (O.K., there aren’t too many of them, but that’s all right.)

After about a year and half of fairly intense use of the social networking site, I’ve learned a few things. This is it in a nutshell:

1. Many people have an awful lot of free time on their hands.

2. People are often not working when “at work.”

3. Humor is a very idiosyncratic thing and doesn’t always translate as well electronically as in person.

4. Some people are just plain argumentative.

5. Some people are overly earnest. (I’m probably more serious than most, but not all of the time. C’mon, people, humor is the spice of life! )

6. Many people (myself included) are obsessive about certain topics.

7. Some people feel compelled to comment on anything and everything – whether or not they have anything to say or know anything about the topic at hand.

8. Many people – and I mean MANY – comment on things without even reading them first. And of those who do read them first, some don’t do it very carefully.

9. I have more politically conservative friends than I thought (though plenty of liberal ones, too … whew!).

10. People sure do love farms (though I don’t know anyone who actually lives on one).

Empty Lives

Milking metaphors out of the machine. Brings to mind the Graham Parker song, too.

Here We Go ...

After using Facebook in an apparently somewhat unprecedented, issue-oriented, blog-like manner for the last several months – to the chagrin of some, it seems – I've finally made the effort to launch a real blog. The intent and scope of this endeavor, to the degree that any exists, is to foist that which I find interesting and worthy of illumination or comment on all who chose to subject themselves to whatever I offer up. Those that know me well will expect both a few recurring themes (music, media, cultural and political topics, and sports), as well as the occasional random tidbit or esoteric oddity.

I am fortunate in that I have many smart and thoughtful friends and colleagues. I envision writing for them, and I hope they will be motivated to comment now and then. I also hope that through one means or another, others whom I don't know will also discover this content and find it interesting, informative, thought-provoking and sometimes worthy of comment.

One last thought: I hope the humor, whether blatant or subtle, will always be near the surface. I'm always amazed that just because I do like to get into "heavy" topics now and then, people seem to think I'm way more serious than I really am. I hope you'll see both the serious and the silly.