It’s been said that the Internet is the greatest source of mis-information known to mankind. Generally, I’ve taken this with a grain of salt. I certainly don’t believe everything I read on the Internet and I try to verify “facts” that look suspicious. When I get those “warning” emails from panicky friends about the latest killer computer virus or that urban legend warning of the dangers of kidney removal, I go straight to sites like symantec.com or snopes.com to see if they are indeed true. You should too.
I’m starting to think that the biggest problem facing us in the modern world is the mainstream media. I’ve used msnbc.com as my home page for many years now because it is fairly free of pop-ups and I can configure it to present local news fairly easily. Up until today, I was happy with this arrangement.
Then, I’m looking at the site this morning and the biggest headline is a “story” about the mother of octuplets and the interview she gave to Ann Curry of NBC. The second biggest was a mea culpa from Christian Bale regarding his tirade on the set of the latest Terminator movie. In the vernacular of online communication, WTF!?!?!?!?!?!
The U.S. is in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, massive layoffs are being announced every day, we have a new President battling to enact his promise of change, and global warming is on the verge of turning Nova Scotia into a beach resort. And the “biggest” story is about a woman who now has 15 children? Has the world gone mad?
I like getting my news via the internet where I can choose what to read and watch. I like human interest stories. I even like stupid entertainment gossip. But when these are the featured stories that grab the prime spots on a webpage, what does this say about the level of disdain that the media holds for the public? Do they think (and is it true?) that the public is so simpleminded that this meets the requirement of informing us?
Most people are pressed for time and can only read a few things a day. When this tripe is proffered as the “news”, what do they expect? When people only read non-news stories, how can they possibly be expected to know enough to make an intelligent choice on a ballot?
I don’t know about you but I’m switching my homepage today. I don’t know where I’ll end up but it certainly won’t be msnbc.com. I’ll keep you posted on what I find. In the mean time, let me know what you have as a homepage and what you think about this situation.
So That's Life? 
Emoticons in Motion
02/11/2009It’s funny how regular writing for this blog has put me into a reflective mood lately. And concentrating on my surroundings, what I like, and what I don’t like really gets the juices flowing.
As it directly applies to life in the technological world, it turns out that dealing with people online isn’t that much different than IRL (in real life). You still have to treat people with respect and this is even more important when you can’t see their faces to gauge a reaction or if you’re posting a Twitter item with a 140 character limit! When it comes right down to it, you have to be even more circumspect because an electronic message can be instantly forwarded to people you never intended as an audience
Armed with this realization, I decided to put down some thoughts that I could use as a daily guideline for my interactions with people:
Every day, be the best person that you can be for that day.
Devote yourself completely to what you do.
Good luck is made. Bad luck is just everyday life.
Don’t take anyone or anything for granted.
Every day, seek out one person and say or do something kind.
Don’t ever let your family down.
Never be afraid to admit mistakes. Apologize and move on.
Be aware of where you are and how you present yourself.
Try not to dwell on absolutes because they marginalize people.
Humor can make a grim situation easier and a happy occasion memorable.
Except on rare occasions, you are not the most important person in the room.
You don’t have to make a contribution to every conversation.
Speak clearly. It’s your job to make yourself understood.
In much the same way that writing this blog on a regular basis is sometimes difficult, I’ve found that applying these principles in my daily life is easier said than done. When you live in a world where communication is instant and many things are delivered to our door, remembering to utilize our own words often takes a back seat to more pressing issues. Maybe I should add this as my wallpaper or create a random email generator to send me one item each day.
Is anyone out there addressing this issue? If so, please drop a comment on what you are doing.
Posted in Blogroll, commentary, tech | Tagged blogging, discussion, lifestyle, Twitter Commentary | 3 Comments »