That sounds like the bbs, and following multiple topics at once here. I always feel like I’m just about to understand what makes humans tick…
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Why businesses are on FB at all foxes me. Yes, low cost of setup. But they’re on a platform they cannot control.
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OTOH, it’s really about bolstering our mental immune systems. Free mental vaccines courtesy of boing boing.
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Hear, hear! I think that is definitely one of the winning formulas of the Civ series, which I have enjoyed for many years now.
There are other components involved in it for me, though. I think I was addicted to starting new games of Civ, because I enjoyed experiencing the randomly generated maps that would shape the development of my civilization. Would we be a people rich in bananas, or would we have to eek out an existence in the desert? How far from the ocean would we be? What if we were sandwiched between the vikings and the Russians?
Once the game got going, I would fall into the just one more turn mentality to accomplish whatever goals were coming down the pipeline, as you referred to - until that compulsion yielded to my desire to start another game.
I don’t play Civ anymore, or at least I haven’t in a while. It is a big time sink of endless “what ifs” for me.
And then there are those of us who left Facebook years ago.
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Not only businesses force me into FB! Artists too! The Emily Hesse video referred to in the Nina Paley post is unwatchable without a FB signin. So I guess I will never see it.
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It seems incredibly hypocritical for Boing Boing to present articles critical of these techniques. Boing Boing frequently uses clickbaity and misleading headlines to sell outrage. There’s no doubt in my mind that they use inflammatory language and hyperbole to attract eyeballs, just like Slate, etc. It’s intensified over the last few years.
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While I’ve never had a FB account, I can also say that my life doesn’t seem to have been adversely affected by not being able to engage with said companies.
I mean, maybe things would be so much better for me If I bought more stuff, but I tend to doubt it.
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I make it a personal policy to stay away from Facebook, Fecesbook, and all other “social” media. It’s a great way to preserve one’s sanity and save great amounts of time for productive endeavors.
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Exactly: it’s not a demand, it’s a signifier.
In my small town, most of the businesses have only FB pages, making it difficult to figure out business hours, services, etc., without being an FB member. And even in my town of 4,000, the local phone book is outdated and poorly kept up in general. So it’s not really about buying things, but accessing info about services. Though of course, you and all FB-abstainers are vastly more savvy than those of us who’ve finally given in.
(see also: ‘I don’t even HAVE a TV!!’)
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Well, the town I live in is about 1/4 that size, so it’s not too hard to keep up with local businesses without FB.
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Sorry first for the snarkiness of my initial response. Truly. I spent way too much time with annoying people yesterday and it sort of bubbled over.
It used to be that way here. Unfortunately we’re an island with reasonably easy access to one of the most expensive real estate markets in NA, and we’ve been innundated with city people who work away and bring their hyperconnected lifestyles here. Hence the whinging about cell service (lack thereof) and the recent phenomenon of all community evenets being broadcast seemingly only on the community FB page.
This is all a large part of why I was so bitchy yesterday. Sorry!
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You’re absolutely right. I was on facebook when it first started and realized it was not good for me. It really does push people towards a keeping up with the joneses mentality. I recently rejoined facebook because my kid started preschool and the parents communicate via a private group, so it was either stick to my principles and have my kid suffer or give in for the sake of my kid. I gave in and have realized how much I lost out on during the 3 years of stay at home parenthood that preceded joining facebook. There were apparently so many things going on around me that I had no idea about. It’s just a shame that you have to sell your soul to the devil in order to participate in society these days…
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Tower Defense (the Steam game, now avail. in a multiplayer variety…alien insects, you make the map on square tiles, nice 3D) was really good that way too; instead of vain traffic goals you had the AI to help out. With vain traffic goals.
…okay, maybe it was called that.
Time to set up the neighbor kid as an ISP, wireless provider, TOR node and Hard Mode Puerto Rico Champion.
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