The World According to Glissando

Tag: blogging

  • Social media: don’t put up with tepid content anymore

    A short while ago elsewhere, I wrote that audio podcasts are nothing more than talk show radio; a new high tech name for something that’s been around a long time. It has occurred to me that social media is much like the television broadcasting networks of yesterday. Today there are maybe 10 major social media platforms dominated by maybe 5 mega-sized owners. So, let’s say I have 10 “channels” to choose from.

    Here’s the point. I only watched the offerings I liked on broadcast television and if there was nothing on I liked, I wouldn’t settle for the least objectionable show, I would simply turn the television off and find something else better to do. Well, I’ve come to the same conclusion regarding social media. If there are 2 social media “channels” of the 10 I like, that’s what I will “watch”. However, if none of them are offering anything I like, I will not settle anymore for the least objectionable social media platform, I will simply shut them off.

    Facebook, for example, used to be about connecting with friends and sharing thoughts as the primary focus. Well, that’s long gone. To get a few, very few, posts by friends, I get an avalanche of unrequested and mostly unwanted posts from the manipulated digital abyss and endless advertising, often by lousy companies.   

    There is much more to all of this. All I am saying for now is, if you don’t like what you see, turn it off. Not forever, but until you get something you like. If enough people do it, the people controlling the “channels” with change the content on their platforms, just like broadcast networks a long time ago. Why? Because it hurts their almighty bottom line.

    The inspiration to write this post came from another friend’s recent post. It doesn’t matter who it was, what matters is that they were trying to create something of interest for their friends to participate in because they were bloody tired of the endless tsunami of advertising.  

  • ClimateX

    Climate change. It was a big issue for a long time. A media darling, too. Then, just like that, it was a nothing burger. Yes, I know it is real. I agree with the objectives of the message. At the end of the day though, it was just not important enough in the world of reality. The reality? Money, power and jobs is what matters the most to people in the developed world (the rest of the world, too, but, that’s for another time).

    It was a moment of considerable inconvenience that threatened profits for wealthy owners, big companies and shareholders. As for the jobs part, that’s you and me. Since money is, unfortunately, the top tier of our want lists, we will take the jobs and money over whatever the speculative problems might be for the future generations to come. No need to be embarrassed. This is reality.

    We’re beyond the expiry date for stabilizing the planet’s climate now. Yes, we should still continue to work to try and make the major changes needed in powering our industrial platform. Truth is, it’s going to take a long time. Not even government is enlightened enough because they too, need the cash.  

    So don’t give up. Keep trying. In the meantime, there are other factors that could mitigate the current conundrum. We might make a breakthrough technological discovery that could rescue us. Or, since the world and universe is much greater than anything humans could ever contrive (personally, I would put God at the top of this list), maybe it will bring back an ice age sooner than expected, in which case, we may want that global heating back. On this matter I grade us “A” for effort and “F” for effectiveness.