Social Networking Sites

Today's a funny kind of a day a day cos I woke up with a bit of an idea for this blog entry which I can assure you doesn't happen every day of the week.
Social Networking sites.
I think most of you know a bit about them and maybe you have accounts too but what do you think about them as places? Do you feel they offer you anything different than otherwise is available?
I ask because I have been asked several times by no doubt well meaning people if I belonged to certain sites or if I'd join them with those individuals as part of some group or other.

Now my experiences of sites my well be different than yours but I got burnt out by some forums by the internal politicking and also by the way some of those people carried over their squabbles from a Forum to these Social Networks even to the point of stalking them.
Call me naive perhaps but I thought the idea of a social network site was to have fun with your friends, share interests and maybe play a game together rather than returning to the school playground with the bullies.

I briefly joined one site together with my best online buddy and it was at the time quite an interesting place in that people wrote about their experiences, loves and likes in the idea that by doing this people could use this to help guide them though their own decisions. At the time a lot of deep friendships were made but then we noticed several disturbing developments.
One of the first was there seemed to be a ever increasing number of people joining up with strong sexual interests who wouldn't stop hitting on you with lewd suggestions and posting avatars with sexually graphic images.
We also noticed some seemed to wanted to base their own lives entirely around your thoughts and life which was in someways ways worse than have a copycat sister or brother even calling you a 'Guru'.
These were followed in short order by those of extreme political and religious points of view starting scraps and beating the c*** out of each other.
Then they decided to go 'mainstream' advertising in the mass media which brought in more 'odd balls'.
Most worrying was the toleration of overt paedophile groups that supported sex with children writing pieces supporting the same. As a person who worked in child protection for a period it made me sick to stomach seeing that stuff and no amount of reporting to the moderators ever really got rid of it. And for good measure at the same time they allowed children to sign up! Ouch!!!
This site was hosted and registered in the States which has very strict guidelines about sites that allow minors. Needless to say we left.

My Buddy tried Facebook but got fed up with people who couldn't handle status reports with more depth than "Bought a new handbag and going partying tonite . Whoo-woo" and unwanted male attention. Around this time she asked me to join I said what's it all about there and it was obvious she wasn't getting much from the social aspect with all it's shallowness from hundreds of so called friends. She kept the account their for the games but that wasn't much use for me cos because of my disability I can't use joysticks or mice for long which you need for gaming. Not being able to game hacks me off big time so don't even start me!
Also I was aware some folk from one Forum were regularly patrolling the place looking for folk to pick a fight with or gain friend status and then publish personal details elsewhere in their attempts to carry on Forum squabbles and unfortunately they had several issues with me even if I had none with them personally.
My Space was very similar.

We did join Tinier Me a gaming site primarily as it least it knew what it's focus was and anyway my Buddy loved dressing my character up as a Maid!
I recently joined Last FM because like Tinier Me it knows what it is - it's a music sharing site - where you share play lists, access virtual radio stations, can send friends tracks to listen to and generally widen you music tastes.
There's no silly scraps continuing on from elsewhere or unwanted attention so I enjoy getting a buzz sharing something I'm passionate about.

It might be me I don't know but when you belong to forums around specific interests like say Anime that offer PM and email links, follow the blogs of friends, can have accounts at games sites what am I missing?
You comments as ever are appreciated.

Linzi

It's been a rough ol' two weeks for me emotionally as no doubt several of you will have gathered and I'm slowly trying to get back to normal.

I don't make any apologies for posting something that takes me back to my childhood cos with events my mind has been thinking about the past, the people in them and what they meant to me.

Linzi pictured from a crummy old photo I took has been a part of my life for decades a gift from a dear friend that I treasure. I treasure both Linzi as a doll, one of several I still own, and love as much as the memory of the person who brought her into my life.

Linzi is very girlish in her lace, ribbons and nicely finished hems in a relatively unfussy way that also is a part of my own self image (it may not be the most practicable in sub zero temperatures though!) and helped me though some difficult times with childhood scrapes.

Do any of you have similar objects in your lives that hold a lot of emotions?

My Love and other random things

Slowly getting back into the swing of things here post Funeral.
I got a couple more Wings cd's that I had been looking for a while namely Wings Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway (the latter being the home of 'My Love' one of Sir Paul's most romantic tunes from candybay (tm) in their original 1987 issues.
I did get from Paul McCartney.com the Mp3 download of Band on the Run 2010 re-master as it was the cheapest place for it plus it had a PDF format booklet and this new issue does sound superb. As much as like my original 1985 Japanese pressed disc and own the 10 Track US version done by the specialist re-issue label DCC in 1993 that commands very high prices, the new one bests that.
The DCC was very good but over-eggs the bass on a few tracks.

Last FM: I has an account should the skeletons and the angelic ones wish to 'friend' me. It's a nice way of sharing your tastes in music and also allows you to hears stuff you don't own for free so helping to expand your knowledge and appreciation of music.

Remembrance Day Edition

November 11th sees Remembrance Day where people in Canada, The UK and many other parts of the Commonwealth mark the end of First World War and many pay their respects for all who have died or been injuries in the service of their Country. In the United States this day is also celebrated as part of Veteran's Day.Many of us wear our lapel poppies be they plastic as in Canada or paper based as in the UK and the States as an outward symbol of our respect for the fallen.

Lieutenant Commander John McCrea of the Canadian Army who this famous poem whilst in Flanders during the second battle of Ypres.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

I like many others will be taking time out to reflect upon the human suffering War in all it's forms brings and to show my respects to those who help defend our Country.

Cat in the Hat Monday!

Yay! Ma' man the Cat in the Hat himself, Jay Kay has finally released the much anticipated new studio album after a five year hiatus.
Processing the most Stevie Wonder like voice that doesn't belong to that particular genius I've been a fan since 1993 and the Emergency On Planet Earth album.
Having amassed a fleet of supercars to turn Jeremy Clarkson green, it seems Jay Kay’s not short of a bob or two. Still, seventeen years since the acid-jazz of their debut, Jamiroquai are back to deliver a gleaming lesson in shimmering, chart-friendly funk and to prove it’s all about the music, not the money, man. And yet, from the 70s disco-plundering whirl of ‘She’s a Fast Persuader’ to the infectious groove of ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, Rock Dust Light Star is brimming with hits in the waiting. Party on, dudes!