I think, if anything, the BS term of the year would have to be “community.” In the era of social networking and social media, everything is all about community. We have to have twittering plants, twittering babies, and even blogs for our kids who aren’t even old enough to speak, let alone write. But does any of this promote an actual “community?” Well, that really depends on how you define community.
For example, head into the Twit forums and criticize Leo Laporte. Surely you know Leo Laporte. He’s the tech guy who used to be at the top of the tech podcasting heap on iTunes who’s now relegated to lists that include “Classic” podcasts. Whereas he used to put time and effort into his podcasts, he can’t be bothered now because he has an office in Petaluma where he streams video of him shooting the shit with his “friends” on Stickcam. Yep, Leo’s a real trooper, so go ahead and tell him his shows are losing what made them great a few years ago (namely, the attention he used to put into them). Or, if you really want to be bold, suggest how he could do better.
You will undoubtedly and immediately be pounced upon as if you were promoting Hitler in a Jewish forum. You see, your criticism is not welcome in that forum. Laporte himself has said he’s tired of the criticism, and insists that despite the donations and sponsors, he’s doing Twit for free (an obvious and blatant lie) and his “community members” jump right in to back him up, never questioning the stupidity of the claims. Your criticism ruins the “community,” because in the web 2.0 world, a community is no place for disagreement or criticism of any kind.
Then of course there are morons like Robert Scoble and Shel Israel. Go ahead and follow them on Twitter. You’ll really enjoy it if you like milquetoast non-interesting blather from two dopes whose biggest claim to fame is that they showed up to their co-written book’s launch naked. No, I won’t share that picture; no one should have to look at that. Their book, Naked Conversations, was designed to get businesses to open up and be more transparent. You were told to accept criticism from your customers and learn from it. So what do they do if they see a tweet or post they don’t like? Why, they block you, of course because your negativity is hurting their community and upsetting the folks who do what you’re supposed to do in the web 2.0 world: kiss arse.
Let’s face one fact about this whole Web 2.0 thing. It isn’t about community, it’s about communalism. It’s the idea that I can build an army of like-minded people who don’t dare think for themselves. It’s a power-hungry group of kids who were never popular in school trying to make up for it by showing you how powerful they are now. Folks like Leo Laporte and Robert Scoble have rings that must be kissed, lest you not be allowed into their club. There is no community of equals, only a community of like-minded automatons that are there to validate everything you do and say and promote your words to the unwashed masses.
That’s what Web 2.0 is as of 2008, and what it’s likely to be in 2009. The so-called “thought leaders” who don’t allow actual thought unless it’s in lockstep with theirs, and the mindless drones who follow them in the hopes that riding those coattails long enough will get them the fame they so desire. Maybe, with some luck, that shell will be cracked and original thinkers will emerge from this cesspool of unoriginal milquetoast garbage, but I think true thinkers are just going to avoid the space entirely so as not to have to be stifled by the Laportes and Scobles of the world.
Recent Comments