securing the common

  The other day a friend posed a question on Facebook. He was curious about whether people were interacting less on the platform. I believe they are and that is what my reply was. I do think it is the result of a few things, one of which is the Facebook police. Yes there are those folks that post things that are a bit over the top, things that hurt others feelings. Opinions can be strong and cut deep. Those same people however also may enjoy posting family photo's and sharing the things that amuse them. I know that I like doing that. It is strangely satisfying to get "likes" on your postings isn't it? Yes, you like that too and it's alright to admit to it. Remaining genuine while doing so can be the challenge. It's a double edged sword really, being genuine can get you blocked from posting as quickly as inciting division. It is far easier to get folks upset than it is to please them. Well I think the truth is people are far quicker to react to those things that upset them. We do tend to scroll on by the amusing posts without clicking the like button or leaving a comment. Irritants, like an itch, need to be scratched! I'm as guilty of that as anyone else, I make no pretense about that. 

  I do think he was correct though, people aren't posting and commenting as much as they did in the past. Besides the Facebook police some of that stems from getting to know each other as well. The cyber world is a much larger arena than most of us have ever dealt with. I can't say with certainty but that's my feeling. I was raised in a small town where most everyone knew everyone else. At the least we heard the rumors about those "others." Yes, small town gossip. I suspect the same could be said about those in the city just on a neighborhood level. The neighborhoods in the city being as large as the town I grew up in. Most of us are suspicious of those not from the neighborhood. Those folks are not readily embraced. Some come into the neighborhood with their foreign ideas and upset the proverbial applecart. Same thing happens on Facebook. 

  There is a difference though as people are far quicker to confront one another when out of reach of each other. It's like the things you would say when you were out of earshot of your parents or others that disagreed with you. Those folks wisdom tells you not to confront directly. But on Facebook you can let it fly, let your first thoughts come flying out. That's what prompted the Facebook police however, to act as a buffer. You can be silenced. In a way you could say it is working it has altered the way people interact on that platform. I admit I find myself tempering my words a bit, choosing a more civil way to convey my message. It can sometimes present a challenge but it is possible. And yes there are some I just don't interact with anymore. I put those folks on ignore. In ten years time I have only blocked two people from posting on my "page" if that is the proper term. The reason for doing so is simply because I have nothing more to say to those people. I'm not placing blame anywhere, just stating a fact. 

  I have been on Facebook for over a decade now. That's hard to believe as I remember when there wasn't any Facebook. I still remember dial up internet, limited hours of usage, and AOL chat rooms. I remember the excitement of finding old friends and classmates and connecting once again. Interesting that I have discovered some of those that I didn't interact with all those years ago and now find I still don't. I have also found some I wish I had known back then as well, we would have gotten along famously. I'm thinking about personalities. Our personalities and behaviors are influenced by our environment. It's fascinating when you realize just how different that can be within the same community, town or neighborhood. 

  In the old days each town had a common. The common is the area where the houses were built and the livestock quartered. It could be somewhat sealed off for defense against wild animals or other peoples. But as the town grew the common did not, it remained pretty much the same. Same thing happened on Facebook. Is Facebook attempting to secure the common? Yeah, I guess you could say that. I do not hold it as a restriction of freedom, though many do, it's their town after all. I'm just a visitor.