Hardcore Politics Do Not Belong in the Facebook Arena!

Like at the dinner table, there are a number of topics that should be consciously excluded from discussion on social networking sites. If we were to follow old- school ethics that our grandparents raised us on, political opinions and fierce debate wouldn't be spoken aloud at all. And yet, Facebook and Twitter are being used at platforms for political agenda, lobbying and fierce debate. Tsk tsk.

If you don't have anything entertaining to say,  don't say it at all!
(Image from Draco2032. (2010).  America's Taboo Language. http://draco2032.blogspot.com/2010/03/americas-taboo-language.html )

As Jess raised in 'Should Politicians be Using Social Media Sites' (2011), people 'add' or 'follow' politicians on said sites to 'connect' with them as people, rather than just as a public figures. Getting to know them on a personal level, and to an extent 'humanising' the cold figure that most government members embody, may in fact broaden their support base. But in this bloggers opinion, if you're a politician with a public Facebook page - unless you're sharing an anecdote about your failed Masterchef attempt or the ongoing, awful smell of your campaign bus- it doesn't belong on Facebook. It is a guilty pleasure for most and a procrastination tool for an even larger majority - both groups who probably don't desire to have their leisure time sullied by controversial debates and well... Serious topics full stop. 


But as Hamelink (2006) highlights, computers have 'created a virtual reality in which truth and lies, real and unreal, can no longer be distinguished.' In other words, unless Today Tonight attacks their online credibility, who are we to distinguish political truths from lies? Most seem to have no qualms with lying during campaigns, so when given the freedom of the keyboard and the absence of their speech writers, it's only a matter of time before the scandals begin to unfold right..? I can't wait; Afterall, isn't that what keeps us enthralled with social networks? 




REFERENCES


Macintyre, J. (2011).'Should Politicians be using social media sites?'. In New Media Interpretation. Accessed March 28, 2011 from http://jmcintyrekbc206.blogspot.com/2011/03/should-politicians-be-using-social.html

Hamelink, C. (2006). The Ethics of the Internet: Can we cope with Lies and Deceit on the Net? In Ideologies of the Internet, K. Sarikakis & Daya Thussu, pp. 115-130. New Jersey: Hampton Press.

(https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB206/KCB206_BK_313947.pdf)

iTunes Exposure, Embarrassment and Misleading Evidence.

Granted - music, movies and other entertainment choices can paint a pretty clear picture of ones interests, and even elude to what type of person you may be. But like Katherine (http://katkirkwood.blogspot.com/), my iTunes is full of things that could paint a rather embarrassing picture!

Yeah, I'd be embarrassed of some things in my iTunes library.
(terrible twos and running shoes, 2011.  http://2snshoes.blogspot.com/. Accessed 20 March, 2011)

My music collection is a crazy, sporadic mix of 6013 songs that have been accumulated over the past 6 years since my first iPod. Some are all time loves, some I've never heard before and a vast majority should probably be deleted. But they won't be. And that's just the beginning - there's applications, TV series, games etc that could reveal a lot about my personality. But they don't. I just get bored a lot...

In Levy's (2006) article, The Perfect Thing, he explores at length how a music collection is self- defining. I disagree. The exploration of playlists however, is more on the money. Playlists are personal - but for a stranger sitting next to you on the train to get a good enough glimpse to judge you... Well I'd be changing seats.

Snooping is an everyday pastime, didn't you know?
(cartoon comics, n.d. http://www.mexicanmemorabilia.com/cartooncomics.html. Accessed 20 March, 2011)

On the other hand, both my Mum and sister wouldn't have a clue how to put together a playlist, let alone put one on their iPods. So they rely on me, and my taste in music. Which would say nothing about them should a stranger get a hold of their pods. Tony Blair is not alone on that one (Levy, 2006).

The iTunes hybrid of music sharing and social networking, 'Ping', if successful, will undoubtedly satisfy all the curiosities of the peripheral snoopers... Hopefully. Permitted snooping is different, right?

__________
REFERENCES


Levy, S. 2006. “Identity” in The perfect thing: How the iPod shuffles commerce, culture and coolness, 21 – 41. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. Accessed on March 20, 2011. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB201/KCB201_BK_272671.pdf

Online Social Networks- Centre Stage and Spotlight to the Over-Share.

We all know the one. The one person we leave in our Facebook or Twitter 'friends' list, purely for entertainment value. Yes, this person is the over- sharer, or also commonly referred to as the 'look at me'. 

(n.a. The angry dome. (2008). Emerging new trend: butt cleavage. http://pinstripebindi.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/emerging-new-trend-butt-cleavage/. Accessed 13 March, 2011) 

                                         

                                       Exhibit A - Physical Over- Share.

                        

We know what topping they had on their morning toast, and every song lyric that reminds them of their current tumultuous love life. But what is it about these online environments that makes these people A. want to share the intimate details of their lives, opening themselves up to the possibility of widespread ridicule, and B. think that we want to hear/ care about the explicit details of their ordain lives?

Granted, if you're Ashton Kutcher musing about how sweet partner Demi Moore looks in her new underwear, then sure, we get the appeal. But if you're neither of these people, or blessed with celebrity status, chances are, no one wants to know!

(n.a. Yow, Yow! (2009) Because sometimes... People just don't want to know. http://itsyowyow.com/2009/06/07/. Accessed 13, March 2011)

Exhibit B -  The Virtual Over- Share

The Donath and Boyd reading highlights the fact that simply, people love to be noticed. And displaying connections to say.. A local sporting celebrity, may be deemed worthy of privacy sacrifice for the attention and predicted praise it may return.

The 'Words Without Sound' (http://visitorqueue.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/the-art-of-oversharing/) blog author visits the possible reasonings for why people share such private details with their online communities. Among possibilities such as drama and sympathy, plain old attention seeking seems to be the consensus.

So perhaps get to know your over-sharing friend. Maybe they're reaching out; Maybe they don't have real- world friendships for which would be a more appropriate ground for sharing. And you never know, the 50 status updates per day could start diminishing...


REFERENCES 


Donath, J. and Boyd, d. (2004). Public displays of connection.   BT Technology Journal , volume 22 (4): 71-82.  Accessed March 13, 2011.


Nikki. (2011). The art of oversharing. http://visitorqueue.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/the-art-of-oversharing/. Accessed March 13, 2011.