[lit-ideas] Re: The Medium is the Message
- From: Ursula Stange <ursula@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:09:18 -0400
Isn't a rebellion just an unsuccessful revolution?
Sent from my kitchen...
On 2011-10-25, at 7:12 PM, Andy <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I don't see myself doing Facebook anytime soon. I've traveled vicariously
> around the world, inside the atom, around the universe, and through history,
> so why not Facebook. Actually, I heard a discussion on whether Facebook was
> the reason for the Arab Spring, since the organizing was done on Facebook,
> and the inteviewee's conclusion was that no, revolutions happened long before
> technology. The plotting had to have been more exciting then though, with
> secret meetings at somebody's house and the rest of it. On the other hand,
> Facebook did make the planning available to a lot more people, who then
> overwhelmed the status quo. According to Barbara Tuchman, all the rebellions
> in the Middle Ages failed, and there were a lot of them. No FB at the time.
> Rebellions are different from revolutions though.
>
> Andy
>
> From: Mike Geary <jejunejesuit.geary2@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 5:06 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The Medium is the Message
>
> Andy would do well to acquaint herself with Facebook before criticizing it.
> I find it a very interesting venue. How interesting it is depends mostly on
> your friends and their network of friends. Depending on them the experience
> It can be very political, very personal, very philosophical, very
> inconsequential -- all depends. Several liberal friends post articles that I
> find useful and informative that I probably would not have come across
> otherwise. Several conservative friends (yes, I have some) post hate-Obama
> diatribes to which I love responding with snarky remarks. Circles of friends
> -- what you make of it is up to you. Facebook has something like 3 billion
> subscribers (I'm glad they're not all my friends) -- the experience can be
> as varied as 3 billion people can be. Depends on you and your circle of
> friends. It can be a post card, or it can be 95 thesis nailed to the
> cathedral door. In fact, I think if Andy would get passed her fear of the
> future, she would enjoy Facebook. Many Lit-Iders are on Facebook including
> Robert Paul, Bev Hogan, Marlena Boggs (Eternity Time), Julie Krueger, Erin
> Holder, Carol Kirschenbaum, Paul Stone, David Ritchie, Tom Hart, Lawrence
> Helm, John McCreery, and moi under the nome de plume Satchmo William
> Tragers. There are others, I'm sure, that I'm not aware of or am forgetting.
> Try it and see if you like it. There are no dues.
>
> In regards to Lit-Id, it is what it is. It has gone through several
> permutations over the 15 years I've been here. The split in the congregation
> way back when led to the demise of Phil-Lit and the rise of Lit-Id. It is no
> longer a primarily political band stand, but a much more philosophical one.
> We have Plato played by Walter O., Aristitole played by Robert P. Popper
> played by Donal Mc., Kierkegaard (?) played by Phil E., Grice played by JLS.,
> and Michael Geary played by himself. Economically we have Socialism played
> by Judy E. Capitalism was one championed by Larry K., and Lawrence H., and
> Tom H. But Kramer shut down his shop, Lawrence has fallen in love with his
> cameras and dogs and Tom is somewhere out there, I sure, still beating bushes
> to scare off Commies and Liberals. Surely that is enough of a mix to make a
> stew. I still enjoy Phil-Lit a bunch of bunches. And as always I wish the
> women-folk would unload on men now and then. They seem to me to be too
> polite or is it politic? Whatever, men need to be reminded every now then
> what pricks we be. Else we start talking our selves seriously. There are a
> lot of people who've fallen by the wayside that I miss -- David Savory for
> one. but that's life.
> Amen.
>
>
> Mike Geary
> Still in Memphis goddamnit
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 7:31 AM, Andy <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I understand that Facebook seems to be absorbing a lot of conversational
> energy. Just some thoughts, but first a disclaimer. I don't have a Facebook
> account, have never had one, and don't participate as a 'friend' on any other
> Facebook account, including those of relatives. For what it's worth, my
> understanding of Facebook is that it's all about posting pictures of how much
> fun you're having. It's not about having fun, it's about proving you're
> having fun, especially for the younger crowd. Based on my vicarious
> understanding, I can't imagine having an intelligent conversation on
> Facebook. Certainly I couldn't have one with my relatives (and that's with
> two nephews in med school), or for that matter with most of my flesh and
> blood friends. Lit ideas people who have Facebook accounts are certainly
> excepted, but generally Facebook to me is a pure pomo experience, reality as
> if. Worse, it's a reflection of the general dumbing down of everything, a
> great big huge Twitter with pictures. 'Reality as if' requires no depth of
> understanding, which would make Facebook and Twitter the media for the times.
> A vicarious understanding, yes, but I think unfortunately accurate.
>
> Andy
>
>
>
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