What Drives Me To The Internet?
Social media have opened up a world I'm only just appreciating. I've always had family, neighbors and friends. Now there's virtually everybody in the world with something to say.
There's certainly time for familiar faces on Facebook, for example, but I've realized, recently, that there are the equivalent of modern-day Shakespeares out there, to be enjoyed as well.
We have words to describe the process we go through in searching for these hidden gems. "Lurking" has a disapproving frown somewhere in the background. "Following" has an obedient ring to it. "Commenting", meanwhile, isn't always possible, and when it is, it's often tucked away behind a click, or under an ad.
Have we settled on a big picture word for what we're actually doing? Maybe a word like "Skimming" describes it. We're constantly on the lookout for interesting, fun, creative material. We bookmark, link and download in addition to follow.
What I'd really like, though, are ways to make skimming easier. When I read an opinion piece, I usually find the comment filter "reader's picks" the best way to sort, rather than "oldest" or "most recent". That way I'm all but sure to skip the crackpots and dumbbells.
Which is why I proposed that Twitter adopt ranking in my post this January. One can think of ranking as a way we establish what's artful and what's a waste of time. And when you think about it, ranking is democracy for our daily lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment