Obviously, I am ambivalent about the Web 2.0. The web is so many great things, but I often get soured by loud trolls and preening Twits. I’m not alone. Look at Trent Reznor’s take on Social Media and read the comments that follow. I liked that one chick’s comment so much that I modified it and tweeted it without crediting her- she being the victim of a 140 character limit and a ethically lax retweeter.
Maybe my opinion is jaundiced by the fact that I have a public job and am exposed to an unhealthy level of vitriol, but is the world really a better place now that every ego has a storefront, and every negative part of you can have a screen name ? Weren’t we more civil when our critiques of each other involved eye contact? Maybe my rationality can’t escape the gravity of my experience on this one.
Much has been written about the effect anonymity has on the level of discourse, but one of the funniest examples of the devolution of discourse cause by the anonymous, reflexive, no-barrier-to-publish internet is this brilliant bit of genius. Thanks to the P1 who posted it in the comments section.
Speaking of comments sections.. So far D magazine has not reestablished theirs. I know the editors miss feeling the stage under their feet, but I think they made the right call for now. Look at the DMN comments. Still amazes me what snarling dogs we are under our thin veneers. Sure, you can simply tune them out. But snark (and meanness) is mental porn. It’s fun to make it, and damn hard to look away once you glance at it.
About Facebook and Twitter
Truly, everyone is now able to star in their own reality show. Social Media rests firmly on the twin pillars of narcissism and voyeurism. We conduct our own show and follow the shows of others. That can be initially satisfying, because everyone has some small desire of being famous, admired, listened to, or important. The problem with the current ease of having your own reality show is that everyone else has their own show too, and Other People are just damn annoying. Didn’t Jesus say that? To browse Twitter and Facebook can feel like watching an interminable parade of the self-consciously cute.
BUT… all this Twitter Tweeting and Facebooking has one powerful and dominating ingredient that, in the end, is its redemption. Connection. This is what fills the gaps between narcissism and voyeurism. In a world in which we pray that we always get voicemail, and dread visiting each other without alcohol, connecting in the once-removed world of broadband is perfect. I’ve never been more semi-connected with old friends and falsely intimate with new ones. And I can do it all while poorly dressed. Brilliant.
I have been goofing around with Twitter lately. Follow me if you would like, but I am no good at it. So far, I’m kinda stumbling around in the dark, making peace with annoying jargon, and marveling at the irony that a 140 character limit should force conciseness, not inanity. As I said on the air the other day, Twitter initially seems to be a well-lubricated chute for torrents of brain vomit. To some people, anything and everything is worth publishing. And now here I am, adding to the mess.
Twittilating.
This essay was originally unpublished on Slate.com.
Is it ironic, or just funny, that at one time, those with home computers were considered social misfits who lacked the skills and/or desire to communicate with others, and now the home PC is getting closer and closer to being a primary source of interpersonal communication?
On a completely unrelated note, I get to share this picture, which enables me to mock a total stranger for not realizing how ridiculous he looks. But really, I just posted it because it’s funny and I LOLed when I saw it:
http://failblog.org/2009/07/24/hat-fail/
That made my day. Thanks middletree.
Dear Sweet Gordon-
Did the Unabomber have it right, minus the bombing part?
Too many words.
Twitter was the last straw for me. I deleted my facebook and myspace pages and I am DONE with social networking over the world wide web. Besides, the internet is just a fad that will die soon enough. As a matter of fact, it’s already dead. You only think it’s alive cause that’s what the damn hippies want you to belive.
I swear the people who publish this just do it to incite trolling which makes it funnier than the actual material to me:
http://www.collegehumor.com/user:731262
Seriously Gordon, why are you whining? Millions of people whom I consider idiots spew nonsense in all manner of medium 24 hours a day. It doesn’t affect me. Even if I see it coming from someone I should respect, say our beloved Barry Obama, I just squelch it out. Now I realize that this vitriol isn’t directed at me and I might think differently if it was my art or feelings being excoriated, but after 20+ years in the business I should be able to get over it. Ignore the trolls; they won’t chase you.
Yes they will. Tell em Gordon.
Wow. That guy sure had his hat on backwards so he could see the field. You got him! You posted him without his permission. Look at you!
God, I can just see your teeth hanging over your keyboard. I truly hope that guy beats the living shit out of you WITH your computer. You are the problem. You are exactly the moron referenced by Trent and GK.
Hopefully in 5 years we will look back on these days as the peak of public shit-spouting. This kind of thing is why I prefer the tollway over Central.
LOL! My teeth and keyboard thank you!
This guy with the backwards hat must be near and dear to your heart to strike that much of a nerve. I myself thought it was funny. Please be sure to turn your friends hat back forward while your giving him the old reach around.
Tim McMahon/DMN started monitoring every Comment in the Cowboys blog months ago b/c it was so out of hand. That’s why they went from several hundred comments/day to a handful.
I’ve seen a way to monetize Twitter use. For most ppl it’s just their 15 minutes, as promised by Warhol.
Everyone in my FB friends list are FRIENDS, (except you). I guess that’s pretty good. Stay hard.
Think about how much time we put into WHERE we want to live. I have spent years researching parts of the country, and things like climate and school districts are main factors under the WANT category.
But it’s really about what we want to AVOID. And message boards ruin that. We’re all on the same boat and every – - EVERY – - moron in the world can suddenly add their one cent while not having to put down their Mountain Dew.
It’s ruined print journalism. The DMN is a great paper, but it’s website is primarily blog and opinion pieces. Pieces of crap.
I so don’t care about your day, blogger. I don’t care about the strange truth you saw in your child’s diaper, or about your take on anything. You are the hot dog in the meat world of speech. The Tom Morello.
It would be so great if the internet could be erased, formatted, re-booted and filtered. I’d much rather sign on to Internet B, where you have to register with ID and ISP.
As I was just discussing with a close friend…we had mentioned that our facebook phase has worn out. I log in now once or twice a month, but I lost the new car smell and I have moved on. As with my Myspace page I feel that all of this is a fad. Some people that have no life outside the computer might stay and live their life through it, but I have friends in 3D and I enjoy the social interaction better in real life.
Gordo,
I honestly think you fell threatend by this this seems to be your platform now, trying to get comments dumped on various you were successful on WFAA site. This is what you have been doing on the ticket for umpteen years making, smart ass comments on various news stories. You thought you were original.
Gordo is original. Name one person that does what he does… I don’t hear anyone in town that can come up with the same characters and ability to do the voices. If he does anything that is unoriginal, it is giving up on the characters mid-bit and going right for the same theme: disturbing sexual turns. Big freaking deal. If you don’t like Gordon, why do you listen? Why do you visit his site? Why do you post to his forum? I do it because I like Gordo and find him extremely funny.
Fake Nolan, fake Tiger, fake Jerry, crazy prospector, Gas Cap Louie… do I have to go on? If you don’t think these are golden, you need to see a doctor and have your funny bone checked out. Or get him to remove the very large object that is lodged directly up your feces dispenser.
First sentence frequently describes the egocentricity of radio ‘personalities’
“Obviously, I am …”
Well, as for me, it is not one bit obvious one way or the other!
Obvious is a word that has no use. Like empty calories. If something IS obvious, it needs no mention. If it isn’t obvious, a declaration does not make it so.
I think Gordo has demonstrated he is a very deliberate person and I think the “obviously” refers to the fact that his website has become an on/off again commentary/discussion about unmoderated comments, anonymous publishing, responsibility (and/or lack of) in uses of social media and networking.
Instead of thinking he’s turning his website into a personal JO session, think about the source. I think Gordo is trying to hold up the mirror to us in an attempt to make us better, but maybe I’m just being a retarded optimist.
/VSBB
/babyarm
/sportspanties
I am giggling as I’m twittering because of what you wrote here. Even regular listeners such as me view you as an agitator, an instigator and a pro in the world containing a “unhealthy level of vitriol.” Now we are to believe that you view yourself as a victim in a world where “every negative part of us can have a screen name”? But we have all been your victims for so long. It is the very basis of your humor. Many of us out here see that as your world. Now these new mediums allow us to be as snarky as you have always been. This makes you uncomfortable? “Snark and meanness are mental porn.” And now you behave as if this is all new to you? Excellent BS.
Very well said. I don’t know why but GK has had a hard on to put down comment sections from near to far for months now.
But he can slip in some insane comment on the GOVERNMENT AIRWAVES like ‘put your butt in me’ right before they break for commercial and that is OK according to him????????
Oh how the irony and hilarity piles up. Every time he has posted a “rant” like this I have always bowed up against it (in the comments section like the troll he thinks we all are), but I never put it in such precise and accurate terms as you did.
He can do the drive-by comments when 20 freaking thousand people are listening in the morning, but we can’t have freedom to post a ‘put your butt in me’ style comment on his OWN DAMN WEBSITE with what, 100 active users or something?
Maybe if we exercise more restraint and judgement in the comments section…folks would have less of a legitimate complaint.
And…even if Gordo is a hypocrite, you can’t use his abuse of the radio by being an “instigator” and/or an “agitator” as justification for your right to have a comment section to sling your mental babybatter on the rest of us.
But, while you’re at it, can you save the biscuit for me and MR McDermott? BooBoo, you want in on this?
Hot dog neck and Eric: I disagree. There’s a huge difference between what GK is for (smart-aleck juvenile joking) and what he’s against (flat-out mean-spirited comments). The former is not hateful, and is not anonymous (that is, when Gordo says ‘put your butt in me’, you know it’s him saying it).
The latter, in contrast, is usually put up by someone who is hiding behind a screen name, and that frees them up to tap into that extra vitriol Gordon spoke of. I have no respect for anyone who hides behind the anonymity of the comments section just to tell other people “you suck!” without much of a possibility of ever being confronted.
@middletree – I suspect you and I are both listening to Gordo more than Gordo is listening to Gordo, or listening to us. But you and I are hearing different things. That’s okay. In the last 15 years I have heard him apply about a million drive-by hit and runs on unsuspecting, unaware victims who have no idea who he is or what he is doing. I believe he has enjoyed straddling the offensive-line as often as possible and making people uncomfortable. To many (obviously not to you), he is exactly what he is describing. He was even jailed for a time in GB, WI for his…as you describe…”smart-aleck, juvenile joking.” Yes, the security guy was an ass. Welcome to real life. Some of them are that. GK has presented a pile-o-poo here, but an excellent pile. He sucks sometimes, but he has my email adddress. I suck sometimes too. He just doesn’t send me a notice of it. If Gordo doesn’t want to hear the feedback, then he won’t invite it by publishing. There’s a lot of us wackos out here. He should know.
Much like the Ticket Mouse when Spank drops a book on him, I am dying (of tired head) and am barely about to mutter, “Help me, sweet clean Jeesus….I’m..uhhhh….EEEEEEeeeeeek!”
I hate you Gordon and everything you say and write. I am better than you and always will be.
Signed Anonymous – (Disregard the Saminarlington name I had to give because its not him. He is also an awesome guy excactly like me and your not.)
Dear Gordon,
You are my favorite ticket-guy for a reason. You put into words what my brain is thinking. It’s like we are 2 parts of some greater genius-creature with awesome hair who bites his fingernails. With my brains and your words (and brains) we could rule the world! Stay Hard!
I agree with the comments section on the Dallas morning news.
And yes, there is some narcissism involved by some on Facebook.
On the other hand…I’ve come in contact with several people I hadn’t seen since High school.
That to me was really cool.
BRILLIANT!!!
I have facebook and twitter, so I understand what you are saying, but my solution is simple–ignore the morons. I understand it may not be that black and white, but the majority of these idiots will go away if people would stop giving them validation. I privatized my pages and that’s a great way to pick and choose who sees your pages and who can interact with you.
Idiots have always been in society. They just have an easier platform to spew their crap. The problem is that people can’t resist acknowledging them, therefore it gives them what they want–a response.
These social networks can be fun and, believe it or not, useful if you use them correctly and don’t get caught up in the high school riff raff.
[...] Gordon Keith wrote an interesting post today onTwitter, <b>Facebook</b>, Forums, and you « Gordon Keith.comHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
I have tiredhead from reading this.
Is there a way to Unabomb this comment board? I’m just sayin’…
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/07/24/promo-video-for-2009.html
it’s worth the view
Let me first say this.
1. While some people take a magazine to the bathroom, I take my laptop and sit it on a tv tray.
2. If my poop goes on for long enough then I’ll make it to the comments, with the exception of this site, i reserve an entire poop to read all comments.
Am i the only one who does this?
Sort of. I’ve got a TV and a radio in mine, yet I still take my laptop in there and surf when I’ve gotta drop a Count Dooku.
GK-
Twitter cops, you’ve been warned.
http://makin-it-rain.com/?p=315
Started to read your rant, but there were too many words. I got sleepy head after 3 paragraphs. I require a character limit sir.
/troll off
Brilliant column. Can I be a devil’s advocate and say I would rather have the numnuts spewing their garbage safely from their homes then out in the real world? Human nature has such a negative slant, that’s why the news is negative stories instead of boring positive ones. However to argue against that, I think we all have an invisible electropsychic connection that is easily molded into what it’s collective is exposed to. Idiocracy begets more idiocracy. Intellectual concourse has been replaced with shock. I have been guilty of it too but I use my real name and try to be nice. We have a prez who invites people over for beers and talks about college football. Is our President Barrack Camacho a sign of the times? Let’s close our comps and turn off our tv’s for a week. Imagine the change that would happen in our collective psyche.
What is wrong with this…
https://www.shakeweight.org/
man if the shake weight workout really creates results like that then I should have the sexiest arms of all time
Gordon-
You’re such a hypocrite! Have a look at your own website. The majority of it is just the kind of garbage you are complaining about. Garbage that anybody could pull off the internet if they wanted to waste their time looking. You just make it easy for people by collecting it all in one place. If you really are concerned about “an unhealthy level of vitriol”, that would be a good place to start.
Lastly, a little advice on twitter. You “follow” very few people. Stay on your “friends” page (or whatever it is on your app) and that’s all you’ll have to deal with. Trust me, your name’s being mentioned. You don’t have to go looking. But if you do, don’t be shocked at what you find. I hit “nearby” on my phone app one day and and was astonished with the amount of garbage flying around within a 10km radius of me. Stay out of there. Twitter has it’s positives. You’re just looking in the wrong place.
I would agree that the crazy links I post might be garbage, but they are not vitriolic.
You’re kidding, right?
Bravo and well put – excellent points all in your essay on the state of communication.
And before snarky comments there were “cheers and jeers” in the newspaper to entertain us – albeit not as edited and modified as cheers and jeers – but you get my point.
We are playing out our school yard dilemmas of popular vs unpopular cliques for all to see. Who isn’t snarky and cruel behind someones back than pleasant to their face?
Now we have the ability to always be hiding behind a mask – free to say whatever our little hearts fancy. And we can shout out all of those thoughts and ideas that we were never able to get anyone to listen to before. It isn’t even about starring in our own movie – it is just begging someone to listen to us. To be heard. To be noticed. To have a voice. To have someone care – even if it is in the negative, someone cared about me and what I think. Amazing. Our parents wouldn’t listen to us growing up -they always knew better than us – children should be seen not heard. Our teachers didn’t want to hear us or our opinions. School is a place to be taught – not a place for us to stretch our brains and go against the grain. Then you get married. Your spouse doesn’t want to hear your opposition or your opinion – they want to live in peace. Respect me, prop me up, but don’t disagree. Then in the workplace – your boss doesn’t want to hear your ideas – unless those ideas translate into money ventures and they can take the credit.
I am not knocking you in any way – but you have the powerful forum of broadcaster – someone who is paid to give opinions and people beg to hear and see and read more and more from you. Yes, you have the other side of that – you will garner your share of negative attention. And people will think they know you and know better than you – but every day you have the opportunity to be a voice that is heard.
Most of the poor schmucks on the internet who spout off their virile opinions or time waste of “first!” do that because they know they don’t have a voice. This is it. This is my only time to shine and be the center of attention.
But that is the big picture. If i dial down a bit and see MY sphere of influence – my kids – my true friends – my students – I understand I do have a voice. It isn’t necessary to hide behind a quirky name and state what I want the world to know.
I always love when you share yourself like you did today. You aren’t given credit enough for your job, your hard and fast line you drew a long time ago to keep some semblance of a personal life, your highly intelligent thoughts and your ability to share those with the masses. Great job!
Look closer…
http://www.break.com/index/two-girls-one-cyst.html
That was glorious. The only things my husband has for me to pop are tiny blackheads, not very satisfying like this was. Gross, yet freakishly satisfying. It’s a girl thing.
ohhh myyy god.
All this social commentary gives me tired head. Get back to what made you great gordo….Funny links with pervy sexual innuendo’s (gay and straight).
Mike MR McDermott
I concur…just not with the gay part. That’s all you, buddy.
I swear I will read all your posts regarding twitter, the media, etc., if you would please, PLEASE start posting pictures of hot chicks again.
Gordo, you’re beating me down with your pontifications. It is not as interesting as you think. Ask yourself this buddy: when most of the visitors to this site are asking for the funny video and hot picture links (that an unknown intern is finding and adding for you) what is Gordon Keith contributing to gordonkeith.com?
Keep the commentary to yourself, you arrogant Rick with a P.
This is the thing we run into on the radio show too- people want to universalize their own tastes and refine the product to their own liking.
Think of the radio show or this website as a store with 10 different products. Some people come in the store and only like three of the products we offer (sportstalk, player interviews, and tickers) and they bitch about us carrying the other products like the shtick, characters, and lifestyle talk. Then you have others who like all the joking and prurient ladies day stuff and they get tiredheady and complainy when we talk about steroids,
What neither group considers is that the radio show is deliberate blend and delicate balance. We need all the products and the different consumers of them to survive. We have people inform us all the time that we are not doing enough of what THEY know is best. Yet somehow the Little Ticket endures. And it has endured, not through market research or robotic programming, rather it has endured by show hosts and PDs following their own gut instincts as to what will hit that equilibrium and please the most of the P1s most of the time.
How does this apply to this website? It doesn’t really. This website isn’t a business. It is just something that I put out for free in my spare time and according to my own whims. Some people like it. Some people don’t. There is no customer service department.
Question and Ironic Answer: “what is Gordon Keith contributing to gordonkeith.com? Keep the commentary to yourself”
what i am realizing: no matter what you do or say gordon, someone will be offended, pissed off, calling you out. if you say what is on your mind, your are arrogant and egotistical (cuz, really, you are so full of yourself and vain – you think you are so important that you need to spill your seed all over us on your website or over the air or in print blahblahblah). if you post something intelligent and thought provoking, you aren’t showing enough titties for the day and your wrecking our fantasy world. if you do something charitable – well – how dare you show how rich you are!
people are so insecure in their own skin. always tearing down the guy who dares to speak.
i have had similar conversations in the past about the “no-win” jerks in the world – but then things blow over and i start believing in my fellow man again and then some jackass kicks me in the knee and i hit the sh*t in front of me face first….all the while frantically combing the ground with my hands searching for my rose colored glasses. hurry! i need sanity again – let me see the world as i want to see it and not how it really is!
Don’t let the destroyers win. Keep it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fruHQhNe-UM don’t you know about the bird?!
Gordo,
Does this make your Tron pants go crazy??? –> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6jfm0hq0bk
good lord, at least Gordon’s not Russ Martin.
Hey Gordo,
Thanks for the shout out a couple days ago. See you tomorrow morning…
George Dunham
http://twitter.com/GeorgeDunham