|
Viewing 1 - 9 out of 13 Blogs.
Page:
1 |
|
I found myself writing a series of scraps to someone - a stranger - on this network a few minutes ago. Well, the gentleman should be a stranger except that I saw my photograph as one of his seven friends on the profile... Actually, he was Mary_Aranxia's friend, chosen because he was over 40 and it is my policy to try to befriend everyone here in that age group.
I started this practice of befriending every person over 40 here during the first wave of my life here on Frooler in April. I noticed very quickly that there were relatively few people here in that age range and so I wanted to do something to keep them engaged and feeling special. I befriended them, created communities with them in mind and spent most of my time chatting with them... To no avail though. They have largely abandoned this space along with the other persons of a much more recent generation.... Sadly, my return in December was to the realisation that Frooler is dying.
Throughout, though, even during my first stint here I have wondered what it took to attract people to sites like this. Why is Orkut so popular? Why hi5? Facebook? I have always thought that it has something to do with the communities; people gathering around common interests that does it... Now, I'm not so sure because that hasn't really worked in Orkut - if the amount of spam that I receive from them is any indication. I also don't believe it because of the amount of work that I have put into my communities without commensurate success. Perhaps I'm not doing it well enough, though I do think that mine give more information and offer more forums than most I've seen either here or on Orkut.
Thekiller_666 and I chatted two evenings ago about some of these issues and I hope that he will use some of his energy to advocate for some of the changes that I think are in order to save this network... I don't.
Tags: Death Of A Social Network Multiple Personalities
No spoilers here... I will not give the plot away but suffice to say that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has surpassed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as my favourite in the series... I commend J.K. Rowling because she managed to surpass my expectations - I admit that they weren't much though because I didn't see her being able to carry the burden of the expectations of millions of fans... I was definitely wrong... Nice way to cap off a very eventful week... I don't believe that I have visited here since my Dad went into hospital to have a stent inserted - well he came out yesterday... better than before... thank God... Please keep those prayers going up for him because he has to go back in two weeks time... Take care of yourselves loved ones... -CS
I just passed by my Mary_Aranxia profile for the first time in about three or four days and saw some interesting scraps there... Despite the fact that it is well documented here that I am winding up my involvement on this network people still continue to extend their hands in friendship to me. I can't tell you how grateful I am and how much I will miss you all... I know this because the fact that I still pass by here every morning, if for even only 10 minutes, has told me something... But what has been happening with me? I have had a week that few would believe - Lifetime movie quality week... On Monday, I had to leave work early - even after leaving my desk twice during the day - because I had to help my parents entertain some relatives from England who were visiting Jamaica for the first time in their lives... Fortunately, the effort was worth it and they say that although my family and I exhausted them, the day was far beyond their expectations... I am confident that their holiday will go well since they have now moved into one of the grand All-Inclusive hotels in Ocho Rios on Jamaica's famed North Coast... Tuesday is a complete blur. I remember working extra hard to make up for Monday and getting home after 7 o'clock I remember working on two proposals that have to get out this week... which means today folks... but not finishing one of them because a colleague wouldn't pick up his phone to tell me one little detail about his class... I even broke my policy of not asking students for such information but still got nowhere... No point in having technology if you don't use it folks... In any event Wednesday and yesterday were spent at the hospital with my Dad who had to have a stent inserted into a valve in his heart... I haven't been this physically tired in years... Not since I did my geology field trips as an undergrad student... I haven't walked this much since then either... and today promises to be more of the same... and I can look forward to more of the same in two weeks time when he has to have a second one inserted... Why not do everything now, you ask? Because at 82 and being a man beloved by everyone who meets him, including the doctors and nurses at the hospital, it's better to err on the side of caution in caring for my father... Don't get me wrong here, I wasn't complaining about being tired from running around the hospital looking after my Daddy; I was complaining that there are only seven days in the week... Peace... -CS
Just as bad as being disappointed is causing disappointment. Surely one can't take this lightly - the knowledge that one is causing someone else psychic pain... and yet one does it daily... I know for instance that I am causing my friends -both here on Frooler and in my real life here in Jamaica - pain by my lack of communication in recent weeks... The truth is that I find it difficult to sustain intense personal relationships and so I will never be the person to exchange daily e-mail, scraps or messages with anyone... I may start off strongly but I burn out quickly... It's sad but true and I suppose I should warn anyone who is looking for that kind of relationship that (s)he would be wasting time expecting it from me... Yet I do yearn for a close relationship even as I repel it actively... I am not sure why this is so and although I recognise that it is important I find the prospect of finding out too tedious to contemplate at the moment... I suspect, however, that the mechanics of it arises though in the dissonance between one's expectations of self and one's response to the expectations of the rest of the world... I could point to examples of this in my own life and even in my dealings with you all here on Frooler... but then that might not be such a good idea... Be at peace my friends and do not fret about chatting with me personally... My greatest gift to you is the profile and the communities that I give the attention that I would give to you... If I responded to my fellow human beings as one has grown to expect from "polite" society... -CS
It's funny how if one puts on another hat things can change in an instant... I have been severely stressed for the past few days and so unable to function here effectively... Yet, I wrote in my Mary_Aranxia blog that I needed some time to regroup... and now Cinnamon is feeling much better... I suppose D.H. Lawrence was right after all... one does shed one's sicknesses in books... It's a funny old world isn't it? Find peace... -CS
|
|
Miss
Posted On 06/07/2007 23:46:27
|
I'm going to have to give this a miss tonight... Sorry...I'm FAR too tired... Just so you know though, the Lisa Hanna thing won't leave the headlines... -Cinnamon
Kudos to Lisa Hanna, Miss World 1993, for standing up to be counted as one of the candidates for the next general election in Jamaica. Shame on those who have rejected Ms. Hanna because "she doesn't come from the area"... The truth is that the VAST majority (Senator Floyd Morris said 80%) of MPs don't come from their constituencies but worse, I would wager that 99% don't go back until the next election period after winning their seats. So as Jamaica prepares for another general election let us all plan to stand up to be counted as best we can... "Exercise your franchise for national fitness!" the saying goes... Some, like Ms. Hanna, have recognised and responded positively to the reality that if they don't stand up to offer themselves for leadership of our nation then the vacuum will be filled by persons who are completely unsuitable for the task... But what of others? Are you on the voters list? Have you been aquainting yourself with the issues of national importance so that you can ask probing questions of the candidates and make an informed choice on the day? Will you be ready to do your part to build Jamaica? Pray for peace... -Cinnamon
|
|
Passion
Posted On 06/05/2007 23:16:07
|
If you're doing the work that you enjoy for a living then you are one of the most fortunate people on earth. Most people do things that pay the bills. Sadly, comparatively few do work for which they wouldn't actually need to be paid in order to still want to come out to do it... Of course, not NEEDING to be paid to do something and not needing to be paid to do something are two entirely different situations... On the one hand, are the people who have the luxury of independent means and who find themselves on the Boards of charity organisations that sponsor museums while on the other are persons who are the artists whose work are being showcased in these museums... Unfortunately, I fall into niether category; but when one realises suddenly that one can name as many Directors as actors then one knows that one has a vocation... to make movies... -Cinnamon
|
|
Growth
Posted On 06/04/2007 06:55:59
|
So it's Monday and it's time to get up and get ready for work... The fact that I'm thinking about the hours sent in the office on Saturday tell me something... It's time to look for something new... I can remember the time when I was eager to get into the office - I did 18 hour days from Monday to Sunday simply because I saw myself as contributing to building the nation...  I honestly can't tell you when I last felt like that... Of course, a little burnout isn't necessarily a bad thing... if one can beat it... and more crucial is why this has happened to me and what I'm going to do about it... I can speculate about the whys but the what am I going to do about it is the challenge for me... Social scientists have pointed out that good managers encourage by various means including giving opportunities for growth and autonomous expression, giving credit where it is due and facilitating interesting and challenging work... To be fair, I am aware that my two bosses do what they can but the truth is that a human resource of this little island is being wasted where she is and none of us really seems to be able to stop the slide... Of course it's really up to me - it's my responsibility to do so for the sake of everyone... for the nation that I love so much, for me, for the University, its staff and students and for the young person whose growth depends upon me moving on to even greater things... Go in peace today.... -Cinnamon
Page:
1 |
|
|
