Random thoughts from Mike & Skip ~ two seventy year olds

Mike Mullowney Hi Doc !! Fact or or old age!                        Subject: Facebook?? Got to looking at this new FaceBook structure and after seeing a few, and listening to their introduction, etc., it appears to serve a different purpose than a social and spot for your family and friends. To me, it now appears to become an unwelcome intruder and collector. Only to make us the victim of more unwanted a ads, spam, garbage that is unwanted.  Offering too much information to total strangers.  Where or what did I miss in my interruption? Is this a compromise that Facebook and the FCC is pushing? What about the effect and affect regarding younger children and predators! How can your family be protect from weirdo's ? Have I become over cautious or has age and old fashion thoughts taken a toll. Keep the Faith and God Bless

Gordon Chapman Truly, I have been mulling over this email and don't know how to respond.  At one level, I'm not too disturbed about the additional advertising, spam, etc for three reasons:  First, I'm a capitalist and realize that people and firms are motivated to develop social media to make money not to serve the greater good.  And I happen to agree with that motivation.  Lots of great things have happened as a result of this motivation.  I am currently reading the biography on Steve Jobs. This guy was motivated by money.  Second reason, I use g-mail which really filters out the spam and unwanted mail.  But again you get a lot of sidebar advertisement if you use g-mail.  I simply choose to ignore it.  Third, I realize that as a user of this media that I have a responsibility to police my actions and those of my children.  You cannot legislate social norms and actions contrary to what you may think of me as a liberal.  You cannot legislate face book protocol any more than you can legislate children playing in the street.  Parents have a responsibility to monitor the actions of their children. Frankly, I don't know if I would let my children use face book until they could demonstrate that they were responsible enough to do so, including recognizing and responding to unwanted advances.  And I would let them know that I would be monitoring their pages for bad language, etc. I generally don't hold to conspiracy theories.  For one thing it gives too much credit to thought by agencies that are too stupid to have a thought.   I doubt that the FCC has really given this much thought. So maybe the problem is they haven't given it much thought or that it is incapable of thought.  However, as a liberal, I realize that business's and governmental agencies have a tendency to abuse power, selling privacy, using insider information, etc.  So I lean a bit to the regulation side.  But then how do you as a practical matter regulate? Now the level that disturbs me.  Our social mores have changed and not in a good way to my way of thinking.  The language and actions of our grand children disturb me.  Much of this change is the result of the very social media that we are discussing ~ mainly email and face book type social media.  They don't know how to communicate on a one to one basis and they have no concern about the affects their communications and actions have on others.  And on the other hand they have no concept relative to how truly vulnerable they are in terms of their exposure to outside parties.  I constantly remind my daughters and their children about how potential employers routinely monitor face book pages on potential employees.  Yet it seems to have no effect. Don't get me started on civility and lack of thought let alone parental involvement. So my thoughts are very mixed.  It's a lot like swimming in the "big hole" on the Rosebud River that we kids used to swim in.  You did so at your own risk, i.e. lots of undercurrents and swift water going against logs.  But we did so.  And, I am sure if our parents knew what we were doing they would have had a fit.  But I think we still would have done it.  But at least we knew what the dangers were.  Now a days I'm not sure the kids know all the dangers that are lurking (no pun intended) in their envirnon- ment.  It's a different world we live in, Mike.  By the way my parents had no qualms about becoming involved in my life and social interactions. :-) Sorry for such a long winded response.  I really feel powerless.  My emotions are so mixed on this topic. hang and rattle, skip

Mike Mullowney   Lots of good comments and definitely food for thought! You are lot better at putting thoughts together than me! Where I get upset is all the garbage the kids get exposed to.  Media and marketing + legal have removed the standard WE inherited from our folks and extended families.  Education is trying to be all things to all students by putting ALL students in the same slots. i.e.  last year after the semester was over 72% of the kids in 7-12 were on the honor roll.  One year it was about 80%. Never really thought or considered you as much a liberal-   Not so sure they have a title for us guys! You GO by the Book - Give every one a very fair shake, Never put on the poor me or pitty potty Ask and accept no more than you earn Share what you have ( even a good fishing hole)  A little stiff necked when your OLD Standards are ignored or infringed upon. Damn respected as the family Godfather And probably as frustrated as 80%of the population that know things can be better,  or like you and I may ask, -  Can we go back to a life that is better as we remember, easier to understand, full of opportunities based on our own merits and rewarded for what we did, and every one paid their fair share or contributed to the causes of their own selection.  A life where the STANDARDS and Rules are not changing every time there is a full moon.   It's been fun and a good way to re-evaluate You are the Accounting Professor where the number HAVE to go in the right columns. I'm an old coach and we should run the play by the diagram. In either one, if there is a breakdown, we cannot shift the consequences.  There is no one to blame. Politics -Media- etc., has polluted that standard . No need to comment-  just thoughts I have.  You bring a lot to the table as always. Take care ol Friend!!

Gordon Chapman
I've been known to hid the where-abouts of a fishing hole or two. :-) Unfortunately,  Mike, I'm afraid we can't go back.  The genie is out of the bottle. ;~) Reproduced with Mike's permission and a few edits.  1/27/2012