Appetizers
I follow a pattern when someone introduces me to something new. I have a tendency to act like NO ONE else knows anything about it and that it’s my duty to spread the word.
A perfect example is StumbleUpon. I think it’s a great way to discover anything you want to know about. I mostly “stumble” humorous stuff and I’m not usually disappointed with what I come across. The first night I used it, I was up into the wee hours of the morning reading reviews, looking at profiles, rating stuff, and just…. exploring. It was addictive and I couldn’t get over how cool it was. Surely no one else knew about this. None of my friends were talking about it and I didn’t see too many SU buttons anywhere. Yes, once again the responsibility fell on Jill to introduce light where there was darkness. I was on a mission…
Enter reality.
I’ve learned the hardest part of being a Savior to the ignorant is realizing you actually aren’t. THAT sucks. Of course people know about StumbleUpon! Some people have been a part of that community since its inception. Did you know there are people that are already “over” it?
I was the same way with “Pulp Fiction”. I saw it for the first time in 2004 and I thought it was the best movie ever. I was certain the people around me didn’t know of its greatness. I thought perhaps it had been long forgotten, that somehow it slipped through the cracks into oblivion. I even went so far as to smugly recommend it to friends. Oh, if only I had known.
So it turns out I was late to the party… again.
For once, just once, I’d like to be on the other side of things. I’d like to be part of a movement before it happens. I’d like to hop on the gravy train BEFORE it leaves the station.
This is one of those times where I wish life was something like “The Matrix” (minus the machines taking over the world of course). How cool would it be to actually hook yourself up to the internet and download information straight to your brain? You’d know everything! And not only that, you could pick out the stuff you WANTED to know and leave the rest. It would be an information buffet. It would completely change the importance of school, degrees, and the way we learn! Everyone would just instantly… know. If we could somehow implement this, I’d never be the last to know about something; no longer would I think I’m doing someone a favor when I introduce them to something “new”. Yes! I would finally be “hip” and “cool” and “in the loop”.
So can we do this? Is this possible? Where are the lobbyists and what are they doing? We need them on this.
*****
THING OF THE DAY:
From “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”:
Ron Burgundy: I don’t know how to put this but I’m kind of a big deal.
Veronica Corningstone: Really.
Ron Burgundy: People know me.
Veronica Corningstone: Well, I’m very happy for you.
Ron Burgundy: I’m very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.
8 Responses for "Appetizers"
You could always start yor very own social network using Ning, you have to see it to believe it. It basically allows you to pick a topic on which you have some knowledge (for example the difference between Rugby and North American football) and create a social network around it where people can join, create a profile page, get involved in discussions, post photos, videos etc and generally chill with like minded souls.
And the great thing, even though there are 155,000 Ning networks it’s still realtively unkown so you might even be ahead of the pack… check out my http://skins4.ning.com to see what it is.
Carl
Well, I haven’t heard of it!! And you have inspired me to see what the buzz is about! Are you ready to freak your freak? I’ve never seen Pulp Fiction either! HA! I just blew your mind! And it’s all true.
Ron Burgundy: [to dog] You’re so wise. You’re like a miniature Buddha, covered in hair.
Carl - Hey thanks for the site! I had a poke around and it looks awesome. I smell my next obsession!
Lizzy - Hahaha.. yeah definitely check out SU, although it can be addictive at first. I had to slow down!
And *GASP* you’ve never seen Pulp Fiction??!! lmao… you’re right my mind IS blown, it’s sitting on the floor next to me! See, and I would recommend it, but then I’d fall into old habits…lol.
Ron Burgundy: I love Scotch. Scotchy, scotch scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly.
OMG! We’re you in my brain or something?? This is SOOOOO what I experience too! I’m ALWAYS the last to know about cool or hip stuff (well, maybe not now because I just found out you are the last to know…
I’m JUST like you trying to be the Savior and telling everyone about it, then they look at me like, “Where the hell have you been? Oklahoma?” Just so you know… I AM the last person to find out about “StubleUpon” so you’ve at least saved me. So, thank you! LOL!!!
Okay, just realized the typo there. Should be “StumbleUpon.” AND I wanted to say that your blog looks AWESOME! You go, girl!! Is anyone saying that anymore? I’m so out of it…
Information buffet… downloading what we need to know, choosing what knowledge we store…
hmmm… I’m not sure if we would appreciate life as we do so now. We would miss out on many of those little things we enjoy now.
well Jill, at times, I feel that I have discovered things a bit late too… and there are things I hear about but never make use of until one fine day and then go crazy about it. Life is beautiful, isnt it???
Thanks for this nice post.
Random Chick - LOL! Thanks! It’s even worse when people already know about something and you’re smug when you tell them. And thanks for the compliments on the blog. I am trying.
Arv - Thanks for stopping by. I was the same way with MySpace. People were always talking about it and I thought it was the dumbest thing ever, until I was talked into trying it and let’s just say… I was obsessed for a bit.
I’m always late to the party, too. I gave up on del.icio.us, am barely making use of Technorati, have never visited StumbleUpon or that Digg thing, and I HATE Facebook, even though I have one.
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