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I have not posted on here for a while. I have considered it, told people I would do it, but in the end nothing came of it.
I am tired of the notion of sharing, which will likely be my downfall in this social “share everything” world. Likewise, I am still trying to come to terms with this issue and how best to address it. Until then, I intend to keep a low profile.
I have been considering ways to post images on here. Right now, I am currently hosted through SmugMug, whom I like dearly, and am happy to pay money to know my images are safe there. Yet, I am always looking for tweaks, even for systems that I am not using, and I keep wondering about placing the images of the blog in Dropbox. Unfortunately, the ease-of-use factor is limited, and tracking down the link to direct it to the blog seems overly complex, so until I find a more elegant solution, I will remain with the present system.
I have also considered the purpose of this space, wondering in what way to grow it. As I move towards completing my masters, I have wanted to elevate the conversation, by removing old posts, and using the blog to think more critically about subjects that I care about, such as narrative and memory. I no longer am interested in a curative role, a notion I find tiresome. I still appreciate the work that Swissmiss or Kottke do, but it is an exhausting, time-intensive activity in both assembling and perusing. Also, there is the dominating factor of the “beat them to the post and piss on them if they are last” mentality that remains prevalent on Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook, which is a game I no longer wish to play.
I have always been fond of the long essays of Paul Graham, and his choice of not posting a new thought every minute, day, or week. They’re arrival is sporadic, but they can be insightful and worth the time required to visit. He reminds me that the repetitive notion of posting daily (or hourly) blogs beats ideas to a pulp, gutting them of inspiration and quality. Although I respect Seth Godin’s constant work, as a reader, I become tired of the monotonous banging rhythm that seems to issue from the site.
I don’t need to be constantly stimulated anymore with new delights, regurgitated information, or images stolen from others for being “liked”. I would rather visit places occasionally, being given a chance to look around, to discover what new additions have been added, and to allow myself enough time (but not my day) to catch up.
I used to like being on the cusp of the new. I liked posting before others, hearing the new musician before they hit it big, finding the trailer before the trailer was released, trying the new website or program before others had tried it. Yet, in these days of Pinterest and Tumblr and blah, blah, blah, I just drown in all the noise and I only want to turn it all off.
I remember when Twitter was in its early first steps into the popular culture, people were told to treat it like a river, where you dip in for a visit, then climb out until another day. Now, we step into these social sites, and we are pulled screaming from the shores, swept away, and dragged under until we surface and realize that the place and time when we once stood is far behind us. For me, this has become too much, and I need to stay away.
I am no longer excited, no longer inspired by these places. They have become of angry voices, arguing over familiar points, beating each other to old punches, sharing news and reviews that I didn’t want to hear.
I love modern technology, but there has to be a better way. Or maybe, we simply need to better users of it. The ease of use has removed the filters that perhaps most of us require. I don’t expect all gems, but a human process is required to remind people that 99% of what they write is shit.
The whole notion makes me feel like an old man, a neo-Luddite, but I reject this notion. I believe it is more so that I reject the separation from the realized experience that has been reduced to a projection of light burned upon my eyes. I would like to share my pictures of how I spent my summer vacation, but I think only a few close family and friends need to see them, preferably when they visit for supper, over dessert or wine afterwards. I like those times, when the people we are actually friends with visit us, eating our food, telling stories, and playing cards and board games afterwards.