Enter the Blogsphere

Image via Wikipedia

So I’ve finally done it. I’ve joined the blogging community.

Those of you that know me and in particular my personal views on most things ‘web2.0′, will know that starting up a blog was as likely a move as my saying ” damn, I really need to by an iPhone today*”; which is to say, those individuals that I am referring to will be some what surprised at this move.

Despite my outward dislike of all thing web2.0, this is not quite an impulsive move on my part, I’ve spent the last 18 months contemplating a blog of my own, secretly considering it more of a test bed for future writings, editorial content and perhaps the occasional bit of public speaking, rather than a blog. I may be fooling myself here, but time will tell.

It’s not that I dislike web2.0 in general, I actually love some bits a great deal, I’m just a little old school, and prefer the simplicity of some of the older technologies.

Little things about ‘web2.0′ annoy me; the way that peole use walls to have conversations, in a way that is half e-mail and half IM/chat room; The way that myspace has ( stylistically speaking ) become the new geocities, including all the annoying animate gif files and garish colour schemes; the way that some facebook pages take ages to load because people install every application that they see, like they’re playing some deranged game of hungry hippos.

Web1.0 never annoyed me, it was just slower. people were nicer there.

Web 1 was like living in a beautiful country village, where you knew everyone, and those occasional strangers that you would meet while walking the lanes would stop and say hello. Web2.0 has been like moving to the big city, lots of bright lights and wonderful things to see, but nobody smiles outside of their little groups, and strangers are often chased away. gangs inhabit forums, moderators and admins have become bullies, people take their gift of anonymity and use it to start fights.

So if you find me reminiscing from time-to-time, it’s just because I miss the old days, where the internet didn’t have communities, it was the community.

Be excellent to each other.

N

* to prevent my first flame-war, I don’t hate the iPhone, I just feel its not for me.

~ by Niall Giggins on 28 July 2008.