February 1, 2011

"On Twitter, folks have started using the Slate-created hashtag #sadbook to tweet about how Facebook makes them sad."

And what am I supposed to tweet if that makes me sad?

22 comments:

Unknown said...

If Slate is reduced to using the daughter of the hated Dubya (the one, IIRC, they couldn't wait to denounce for cadging drinks while still underage), they really are desperate to make their point.

Anonymous said...

What's really sad is that Facebook owns all your data. You don't own any of it.

rhhardin said...

Melancholy and sadness are the start of doubt, as it is; doubt is the beginning of despair; despair is the cruel beginning of the differing degrees of wickedness. To convince yourself of this, read the Confessions of a child of the century. The slope downhill is fatal once one is committed to it. It is certain to lead to wickedness. Beware of the slope. Rip out evil by the root. Do not indulge the cult of adjectives such as indescribable, inenarrable, rutilant, incomparable, colossal, which shamelessly lie to the nouns they distort: they are pursued by lewdness.

- Lautreamont

Henry said...

What kind of sad person uses Twitter to emote about Facebook?

I'm going to invent a new social media application that has a word count of one that these sad people can use when they get sad with Twitter. I'm going to call it "Twuh".

PaulV said...

I am happy today. NYTimes has article boosting the Drill, Baby, Drill theme.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/in-an-oil-price-gap-the-scent-of-tar-sands/?ref=science

Oil in TX is now $10/barrel cheaper than oil in Europe. New supply from the Canadian sands is reason. I am happy to support those who think that NYTimes can be useful. If Canadian Oil can save us money why can't we benefit from producing our own. Improve national security and taking candy from middle east dictators are good ideas.

Ann Althouse said...

"If Slate is reduced to using the daughter of the hated Dubya (the one, IIRC, they couldn't wait to denounce for cadging drinks while still underage), they really are desperate to make their point."

Thanks for letting me know that I failed to link to the specific post.

Somehow I don't care what Barbara Bush Jr. thinks about same-sex marriage.

Freeman Hunt said...

I am glad to know of this hashtag. I find Facebook to be, perhaps, the most depressing site on the Internet.

Freeman Hunt said...

Oh nevermind. I don't find it depressing for the same stupid reason Slate does.

Unknown said...

Glad to be of service.

PS If Facebook makes people sad, maybe it's time they all chugged on over to Namby-Pamby Land...

Of course, it could also mean it's losing it's novelty and people are getting tired of it.

Look at what's happened to MySpace.

Calypso Facto said...

And what am I supposed to tweet if that makes me sad?

You could make Bitter@Twitter your Facebook status?

Paddy O said...

I think Facebook is fine. The trouble is that people are sad. Facebook gives a forum for people to express themselves in some sort of seemingly managed way, as though every person were their own publicist.

But the strange thing is that by managing our persona we really display what we think is important, what we value, how we want to deal with the world. And we do this much more boldly than in regular interactions. So, what we do on Facebook tells a whole lot about who we are, what we value, and what we think others should value.

Some of those things are sad.

Paddy O said...

Somehow I don't care what Barbara Bush Jr. thinks about same-sex marriage.

Well, sure, who does? But have we heard from Andy Williams yet on the topic? Or about his thoughts on Facebook?

Freeman Hunt said...

If seeing happy or exciting things about people on Facebook makes you sad, you need to pull yourself together.

Seeing adults clinging to teenagerhood and the dearth of critical thinking in the world, those are the depressing things made visible on Facebook.

Awesome said...

Here's a new tag:

#Slate's XXFactor blog is a depressing whine fest by women who seem to have too much time on their hands

Maybe too long for a Twitter tag, but if you use it you don't have lots of room left in your tweet to whine

Wince said...

"And what am I supposed to tweet if that makes me sad?"

Your twat?

Low tech and doesn't even require Internet connection.

Been working for millions of people for millions of years.

Christy said...

The linked article resonated with me. I'm sorry to say, sad to report, that my 20s were spent making sure I had the best and most adventurous stories to tell at work the next morning. Is the need to present the cheeriest face on facebook, or IRL unusual? For me, a happy bookworm, this was a good. I needed the incentive to go out and have a richer, fuller life.

These days I'm happy to simply cultivate my garden.

Unknown said...

Dont worry. Facebook is for young people , Twitter for egomaniacs and fourth age people

coketown said...

I didn't know you tweeted.

Freeman Hunt said...

My Facebook friends ("friends"?) who post the most often are all middle aged. The most depressing posts, however, are from people my age.

Freeman Hunt said...

Facebook is, I think, exactly as young and hip as a scrapbooking convention.

Paddy O said...

"Facebook is, I think, exactly as young and hip as a scrapbooking convention."

Ha! And true.

Probably some of my favorite friends on Facebook are my 80+ year old relatives and "friends".

Known Unknown said...

Guess who just bought sadbook.com?