Came across this blog and thought I would share.
Are we becoming too social? De-sensitized to life outside of social networking, computers, and the iPhone.
Is life getting in the way of living?
Written by Aubrey Sabala
www.aubreysabala.com
The Internets is killing your game. Behold, the following romantic scenarios:
Dating, five years ago
Boy meets girl. Boy waits the requisite 3 days to call girl (which even though the girl knows, still drives her nuts) and a date ensues. They discuss work, what they did that week, and what they’re up to the following weekend while on said date. Date ends (however it ends) and, should there have been a spark, the relationship progresses as it should; either they continue to talk, hang out, and eventually date, or perhaps it wasn’t a love connection and they remove themselves from each other’s lives. (Perhaps) Happily Ever After, (Perhaps) Not, but no harm, no foul. The End.
Now, fast forward to today.
Boy meets girl. Actually, he doesn’t really meet her; instead, he finds her on Facebook or follows her on Twitter or favorites her photos on Flickr. By the time he meets her in person, there’s no need for extensive emails back and forth since he already knows she loves sushi and hates pizza, so choosing a restaurant close to her house (he also knows this from her Brightkite check-ins) is easy. Dinner conversation is strained – who needs to talk anyway? Twitter already told him that she had a crappy day at work and she’s well aware of his weekend plans to go surfing, so instead they fill the time by chugging their microbrews and end up going back to her house because really, it’s easier to make out than it is to have a non-electronic conversation. Texting and direct Twitter messaging ensue if they’re interested; eventually, the outcome is the same – they date if there’s a connection beyond the fact that they’re both avid Mac users and Digg fans, but if not, c’est la vie. That is, until she sees via Twitter that he’s flirting with some other girl and he gets her Dodgeball check-ins to discover that she’s at the movies with that guy he never liked anyway. Then he de-friends her on Dodgeball, and in retaliation she blocks him from Twitter and what once could have faded out gracefully ends in a electronically communicated clusterfuck for the ages, Facebook broken heart and all.
I exaggerate – only slightly – but does anybody besides me realize that we’re entering into precarious, uncharted territory that abolishes anonymity even if you do your best to control what YOU put out into the ether of the Internets? You may not be broadcasting your actions, but your friend’s Qik cam may be outing your secret rendezvous with your ex. That bit o’ gossip you IMd your friend in confidence is fast-tracking it way to three other pals, because – let’s face it – nothing but face-to-face communication (and sometimes not even that) is considered sacred. We’re turning into a Don’t Ask, Just Tell society that’s affecting both our friendships and our romantic relationships at a startling pace. And I, for one, am sick of the unintentional pain that is being caused by it all.
That doesn’t even factor in the paranoia – why is your crush dedicating “Total Eclipse of the Heart” to that girl on Facebook? What does that cryptic Twitter mean – your two friends seem to be @-ing each other a ton…is something going on? It’s so easy to jump to conclusions when nobody TALKS TO EACH OTHER ANYMORE and the de facto standard has become ungrounded assumptions. True, the rise of electronic communication has increased productivity and international business and all that nonsense, but it’s also put a HUGE crimp in our game. I’m not suggesting we return to the days of dance cards or even do something so inane as following a set of Rules, but there’s something to be said for the phrase “Less is more.” A little mystery goes a long way, and I, for one, think that the best accoutrement to my Poppy Jasper is some witty banter and sparkling conversation – with our iPhones turned OFF.
Wordpress finally releases their native iPhone app to the iTunes app store today. FINALLY!
I’ve been wanting to see this little gem since the launch of the new platform.
So far it seems pretty intuitive and cool. This post, in fact, is being written and posted from the iPhone. We’ll see how it looks.
For anyone with the iPhone who hosts a site using Wordpress, this appears to be a “must have”, if for no other reason than editing previous posts. Typing out long-winded and wonderous ideas on the iPhone can be a bit tedious!
Recently, my beloved iPhone started acting up. After almost a full year (purchased June 30th, 2007, and yes I remember the exact date), and I haven’t had a single problem. Honestly, “acting up” isn’t a fair assessment. I had one small section of the touchscreen that didn’t want to work all of the time… and it was extremely annoying!
It just recently started happening and I really can’t pinpoint a single instance that would have caused the problem (that would have been my fault). The only recent incident that could have caused it was when I got caught in heavy rain, hail, and lightening storm last weekend while playing golf. The phone was safely secured in a dry cubby hole of the golf cart, but it could have gotten a little wet while I was running for cover with the phone and my wallet… once we were close enough to make a dash for the clubhouse. But certainly not wet enough to cause hardware failures (IMHO).
Anyways, today I scheduled a visit to the local Apple Store and, specifically, the genius bar, so they could take a look at the phone and let me know if it was hosed and I have to tough it out until the new version comes out on July 11th, or if by some miraculous intervention… the iPhone Gods would shine down and offer up a brand new device to one of its devoted power users. Fortunately, the “powers that be” sent some Karma my way, and a brand new device was issued right on the spot… no questions asked.
This is why I LOVE Apple. Their tech support is great. The “geniuses” don’t treat you like you are an idiot (even if you are). They genuinely want to help and no matter your skill level when it comes to computers, they do what it takes to help you walk out of the store happy, or at least satisfied.
Of course, I can’t completely disolve Microsoft and Windows from my day to day life, but I’m doing everything I can to make it so I’m much more independent from them. There is very little I can do on a Windows machine that I can’t do on my Mac. My iPhone IS my life. I keep everything in it. All of my contacts… emails… text messages… web sites… pictures… videos… podcasts… blogs… etc. They are all available to me 24/7. There are other devices out there that can offer that to me… but the iPhone is the first and the standard that all other manufacturers try to imitate.
So, as of today… with only 16 days until the release of the new iPhone, I have a brand new first generation model… and I couldn’t be happier. It works just as good, or better than my old phone. The camera lens isn’t scratched up, therefore providing exceptional pics.
The touchscreen is pristine (even though I only had one tiny little scratch on my old one).
I just restored it from the backup on my iMac at home and it’s pretty much exactly like the one I left in the apple store for recycling, or reconditioning, or whatever they plan to do with it. It’s like nothing ever happened. All of my contacts, emails, text messages, pictures, web apps, etc. are all there just as they were on my previous phone. It’s sooooooo F’n awesome! I can sleep well tonight.
Anyway, that’s all I have to say. Apple rocks. the iPhone rocks. The geniuses rock. I’m happy. What more can I ask for?
Now, go get an Apple device and join the revolution!
