Comments on: “Quick Honey, Turn the Lights On!” http://bedeviant.com/dan-bryan-guest-post Faith & Culture Sun, 24 Apr 2011 04:29:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jim http://bedeviant.com/dan-bryan-guest-post/comment-page-1#comment-1057 Jim Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:21:38 +0000 http://www.bedeviant.com/?p=788#comment-1057 we are looking to be simpler and more efficient we are looking to be simpler and more efficient

]]> By: Dan Bryan http://bedeviant.com/dan-bryan-guest-post/comment-page-1#comment-1043 Dan Bryan Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:11:40 +0000 http://www.bedeviant.com/?p=788#comment-1043 interesting thoughts bryne - thanks for taking the time to read and respond. whether the rhetoric is acted upon seems secondary to me - why even say it? i can see where you are heading with the point about social media. that really wasn't on my mind as i wrote though because i saw interviews on the news expressing the same thing. i think you're right on when you say that we are encouraged to have an opinion with tools like FB and twitter and that "merely having an opinion about something makes it valid" - this is right on. one way to think about it is that these platforms and our new desire to communicate as we do will lead to a plethora of unwanted and ill-based opinions on everything.... however, i think another way to look at it is that we should attempt to have opinions and think through more things - and that these platforms are calling us to do so is a great thing for society. if we all do it carelessly and devoid of any intellectual effort it will be meaningless drivel - but as is my experience there is so much to be learned, and a lot of brilliant people that can tell me more in 140 characters than i could in a book. so - to wrap it up, i think that the personal responsibility to consider HOW we are responding and engaging in dialogue (like earth hour) is no different in the realm of social media than it is in every day life. i think that we're seeing this stretched because more and more of society is being set free to engage ideas that they were either too lazy or unaware of before we had these platforms. i see tools like FB and twitter only enhancing this dialogue (and for some making it possible for the first time). you make an excellent call though for 'think before you tweet.' interesting thoughts bryne – thanks for taking the time to read and respond. whether the rhetoric is acted upon seems secondary to me – why even say it?

i can see where you are heading with the point about social media. that really wasn't on my mind as i wrote though because i saw interviews on the news expressing the same thing. i think you're right on when you say that we are encouraged to have an opinion with tools like FB and twitter and that "merely having an opinion about something makes it valid" – this is right on.

one way to think about it is that these platforms and our new desire to communicate as we do will lead to a plethora of unwanted and ill-based opinions on everything….

however, i think another way to look at it is that we should attempt to have opinions and think through more things – and that these platforms are calling us to do so is a great thing for society. if we all do it carelessly and devoid of any intellectual effort it will be meaningless drivel – but as is my experience there is so much to be learned, and a lot of brilliant people that can tell me more in 140 characters than i could in a book.

so – to wrap it up, i think that the personal responsibility to consider HOW we are responding and engaging in dialogue (like earth hour) is no different in the realm of social media than it is in every day life. i think that we're seeing this stretched because more and more of society is being set free to engage ideas that they were either too lazy or unaware of before we had these platforms. i see tools like FB and twitter only enhancing this dialogue (and for some making it possible for the first time).

you make an excellent call though for 'think before you tweet.'

]]> By: Bryne Lewis Allport http://bedeviant.com/dan-bryan-guest-post/comment-page-1#comment-1035 Bryne Lewis Allport Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:20:47 +0000 http://www.bedeviant.com/?p=788#comment-1035 dan, thanks for you post. i wonder if the majority of people who talk like that back up their rhetoric with action. having said that, it's worth considering how platforms like facebook and twitter may negatively impact substantive dialogue. first, these platforms constantly solicit us to express our opinions... quizzes, 20 things memes, whatever. in some way, they suggest that we should have an opinion about everything and that merely having an opinion about something makes it valid. second, the kind of expression fostered on FB and twitter is that of display and presentation. i paint myself like a fill in the numbers portrait. the point is to profile myself to you in the clearest, most abbreviated terms possible, not to call myself into question or engage you in dialogue. given these provisos, it seems that platforms like FB and twitter are likely to lead to an elevation in rhetoric of the kind you describe. dan, thanks for you post. i wonder if the majority of people who talk like that back up their rhetoric with action. having said that, it's worth considering how platforms like facebook and twitter may negatively impact substantive dialogue.

first, these platforms constantly solicit us to express our opinions… quizzes, 20 things memes, whatever. in some way, they suggest that we should have an opinion about everything and that merely having an opinion about something makes it valid. second, the kind of expression fostered on FB and twitter is that of display and presentation. i paint myself like a fill in the numbers portrait. the point is to profile myself to you in the clearest, most abbreviated terms possible, not to call myself into question or engage you in dialogue. given these provisos, it seems that platforms like FB and twitter are likely to lead to an elevation in rhetoric of the kind you describe.

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