I am a Internet addict. I can admit it. The break in Fiji actually meant that there was at least one day where I didn’t check emails, or the blog, or twitter, or facebook. But then when I got a chance I had a quick sneaky at one of them, just to see what was happening. See what I mean? I am, completely addicted to the constant connections being made with people, the sharing, the communicating, the humour I get from all the sources.
I love my blog for the creative outlet it is for me. The remembering & documentation of this time that I can look back on. The venting, the desperate calls and answers for help on parenting that I get. I love twitter for the quick shout outs, the (virtual) conversations I can have with people when I am stuck home with 2 kids who are driving me mad. Makes me feel not so alone that there is someone else out there having “that” day too. I actually get VERY excited when what I have to say is EXACTLY 140 characters – a Twish, or twosh or something. I have been a fan of Facebook since I joined up in 2007. Goodness me for over 3 years now I have been checking in a few times a day to see what people are doing, photos and have a good sticky beak at people’s lives.
With all the communicating that I do on a daily basis I still can’t work out how it all works. I will think I have done a really funny status update and I get nothing. Not a like, or comment. Then I will write something mundane and the peeeps respond in a BIG way. Same with the blog – I think I do some great writing – a provocative piece and all I will get is a call from my Mum telling me that she thinks I share to much, that people don’t want to read this all. the. time. With twitter I will specifically ask a question and get nothing but a reply from a automatic twitterer called @8ball telling me “don’t count on it”, then other times – actual @redbootsbeth replies from ACTUAL people. There is no rhyme or reason to it. And I am very much enjoying the process of trying to work it all out.
I feel I am giver on Facebook. I know some people have a check in and move on, but not me! No, no, I am committed to the art form of Facebook. I understand in order to take I must give. And so I give the people funny status updates – the blog feeds through, the constant comments – I am a GIVER am I not?! Then there are the people who have a good look and give you nothing. You occasionally see that they are online through the chat feature but other than that you wouldn’t know – no comments, no updates, nada. But when you actually see them in (god forbid) real life they are completely up to date on what is happening in your life and you actually have nothing to talk about because it’s all been covered. You know these people – in fact are you one of these people? But not me. I am a sharer. A Facebook sharer.
Then there are the people who love to tell you what they are doing. All the time. The boasters, if you will. I LOVE those people. I love them for the (incidental) sheer comedy value that they bring. They attract likes – so many likes from people. In fact the serial likers come out EVERY time they post that they are about to eat organic vegetables from their organic vegetable garden that they have made into an (organic) gourmet chutney. And then the comments come – so many comments – so much praise for how amazing they are. Their work goes a little like this:
Amazing Alison just went to the toilet.
Maternal Melanie I don’t know how you do it Alison, honestly with all those kids AND work? Teach us! LOL!
Caring Claire I remember being able to do that. I just can’t seem to get round to it these days with the kids though! LOL!
Sensible Susan it’s good to see you can make time for yourself still. Good on you. You deserve it.
Suck up Sally You are my hero Alison.
And so on and so forth. You get it. They will then either be an active participant in the comments replying It’s nothing! LOL! Or they will be a stand back and let the peeps really tell me how amazing I am. It’s just like grown up high school! Either way, I LIKE these people very much. In fact I will admit that at times I like to dabble in a little boasting. It is part of our family tradition in fact. Whenever we are somewhere special, doing something out of the ordinary it is imperative that we text another sibling or my Mum to tell them so. One of my all times favourites was from my brother telling me he had just done a poo in Tiffany’s in New York – actually was this a boast? (I also assume it was in the bathroom as his wife came back from that trip with one hell of a Tiffany diamond and I would assume that a poo incident in shop would have sent him out the door). He went on and on this trip – just had the Gordon Ramsey degustation, just had drinks in the Rainbow room blah blah blah. I get the boast. I dabble in the boast myself. I practice the boast – in fact I celebrate the boast! I just laugh at the boaster that cannot help themselves and the inevitable comments of praise that follow. It’s predicable. It’s comedy.
I also just like a bit of honesty in Facebook. The “I am having a really shit day” status update. The honest, real bits of life that come in between the boasting bits. Perhaps it’s because I am the queen of putting it all out there wart’s and all. And I like to make myself feel a little better knowing that someone else’s kid threw their cooked dinner on the floor. And that it made them feel like shit. I like to open conversations that you wouldn’t normally have with people – with people that you never thought would have really good advice.
See? The internet is teaching me so much. About people. About human kind. Best I go get on twitter and say so now…but first can I get a like? Come on just a little LIKE? No, thought not…
LIKE
Ha, you know me, I have to actually physically restrain myself from commenting upon, liking or any other form of interaction of the internet kind {except twitter – I’m crap with that – although I make an effort for red sparkly shoes!}.
Since I’ve been blogging I’ve learnt to never have any expectations of what will set off comments. You can guarantee that as soon as you sit back waiting for the lively commentary to roll in you’ll sooner see a tumbleweed slowly moving across the screen…
Hmmmm, wish I could think of something clever to say, instead I will just be a suck-up! Love your blog and general read your posts as soon as I see there is a new one, giggled my way through this one and loved the poo updates from your brother.
PS – You can actual add reaction buttons on blogspot now!
Beth Hi!
Just stumbled across ‘babymac’, I too must admit to being an internet or more specifically a blogging addict. I love it! I love connecting and ‘meeting’ so many like minded and talented women.
Looking forward to reading more from you 🙂
LIKE!
I love me some facebook – still haven’t managed to love twitter.
I’m a big fan of the boast. Especially lately – the whole ‘just had a shower’ boast. Or ‘just had five hours sleep’ boast.
I also do a fair bit of ‘today sucked’ and variations of.
The feedback from fb has been so amazingly supportive while going through being a new mum. It’s like a great big hug.