STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

it is out of hand. for example, I was on facebook recently and was startled to receive an IM from an old co-worker.  I was just poking my head in at work and not wanting to get into an IM conversation with someone I haven't spoken to in five years.  happened again tonight with another old coworker (same place of employment too... hmmm...) anyway - I like to control my communication technology - I'll IM, text, or pick up a call only if I'm in the mood. I have no qualms with shutting off my phone either.

I still don't get the broadcast of only random "what I am doing right now" messages. is this the new "me generation?"

there's probably an old post somewhere where I go on about how the reduction in person to person interaction among younger people will have a negative impact on our society. they are missing out on developing good people skills by not interacting in person -- there's so much more to communication than the written word...

ok, on that note, it's time for me to stop communicating via technology and go to bed!

I agree with D
Don't know about work use for Twitter, as Kitty say, but I really don't feel the need to let everybody know what I am doing. Sometimes I just want to be left alone (I even turn off my cell phone in that case).
As for facebook -an old colleague of mine, which I never really liked, asked me to add her to my page. Why? I don't want to be unpolite, but really, I have nothing to say to this person...

Kitty wrote:

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It's basically just to keep everyone you know constantly updated on what you're doing, thinking, etc.

We actually use it at work during events to send up to the minute announcements. So, I guess it's a way to be constantly in the know without having to read very much at all.

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this is interesting. I'd like to know more about how this works. I'm assuming you have all the people involved in the project's emails entered? does this form a group? do you identify a group, and how has your employer approached that? are there invitations to other coworkers newly involved in projects to join the group (assuming there's a group)?

I have only looked at twitter once, because Lisa Loeb the singer sent a myspace bulletin advertising her twitter address.  I checked it, thought it was kinda cool for fans to get an insight about what a celebrity is up to (supposedly) but I wasn't compelled to check it again.

I thought it was weird.  Thinking so made me feel unhip.  Then I decided that maybe unhip is the new hip...for genXers anyway.

oh blink it is!

http://www.theage.com.au/news/people/its-hip-to-be-square/2008/07/21/1216492365455.html

I'm reminded of what Lynnie said on the career thread -

lynnie wrote:

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I think we are
of a generation that achieves for the accolades as opposed to any sort of internal gratification. I think it's really noticeable in how many people want to be famous for a minute. We want to be seen and heard.
Maybe it's just the rapid spread of information and our generation all
feels a bit lost and overwhelmed. Like if we don't post a million
pictures of ourselves on the internet (facebook, myspace, blogs, etc),
no one will see us. I hope that made a bit of sense.

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That describes the Twitter phenom to a tee. It smacks of that particular combo of Millennial generation, competitive reality TV and social media that makes people feel entitled to some iota of celebrity. They think their adoring fans need to know whether they're having an awesome Manhattan while watching the sunset or watching their laundry tumble dry.

I'm sure some business value will evolve over time, but I don't even use IM in business settings. I had a client once who insisted I use IM, but I always set it to 'away from my desk.'

The Facebook thing is annoying too, because now bratty snots under 30 - and those who wish they were - say things like "Does anyone even use MySpace anymore?!?"

And yes, I'm a grumpy old fart.