Collected Thoughts 09-28-09

• Andrew and JJ want on The Tonight Show. Why not? Make it so! (Also, just close the window once iPetitions asks for $. You don't have to donate to sign.)

• Rock Insider takes a break. I feel ya, Jax.
  

• Twitter and Facebook are corrupted with self-promotion. This is the fate of all social networking entities by virtue of what they are, but there is still a kind of tipping-point where promotion of one's self in a personal way is eclipsed by promotion of one's ambitions, and I declare that point to have been reached by two of the savvier social networking entitites.
  
  I used to use Myspace to interact with bands and Facebook to interact with friends. Slowly I gave way on Facebook as Myspace became more and more unviewable. I still won't become "fans" of bands on Facebook, save for a choice few. In general, I only accept friend requests from people I either know personally or actively follow online. Yet my Facebook experience is still polluted with excessive invites to shows, blog links, announcements... the kinds of things that are supposed to be trapped and contained in spammy email lists.
  
  Even worse, Twitters from the same friends are often word-for-word replicas of the Facebook feed posts. To boot, like any rational user of the internet, I already get linked to these things on my RSS feed -- the point of which so I can stay on-top of things without being prodded or harassed. This promotional redundancy doesn't serve to connect with those networked; on the contrary, it distances the two people with an obvious wall of artifice. I now scan and ignore 80% of my Facebook and Twitter feeds where I used to give every update serious, meaningful attention.
  
  I enjoy online social networking most when it is personal. Facebook and Twitter posts are most effective when they offer unique content. From a user's perspective the point of X-Person's Twitter is to give the user instant access to the thoughts of the person they follow as that person has the thought. Twitter and Facebook should be broadcasts, not ad listings.
  
  Of course the occasional "Please read this link" is fine. (I've done it.) It should only be 1 out of every 20 Tweets. It's hard. Everyone wants their internet presence to grow and there's barely any room for anyone to do so. Ultimately, how I envision social networking is probably not how the market will shape it. But Twitter and Facebook, which already have difficult economic models, are being killed by spam.
  
  So, what's the next networking fad? I'm ready for it. The old hats have holes in them.

• Dungeons and Dragons camp!

• Letters of Note

• DIY Penis Enlargement Goes Bad (Safe for work, but fellas, read at your own peril.

• Memories...

• Loved The Colts' vicious victory over the Super Bowl also-ran Arizona Cardinals. That was as dominating of a performance as any team has given all year. Manning had four TDs, Bethea intercepted Warner in the end zone, four QB sacks for the Colts' D, and best of all, Pierre Garcon and Donald Brown proved themselves to be very real weapons in the Colts' offense. The schedule is challenging, but not too tough, until Pats at home and at Baltimore in weeks 10 and 11.
  
  Indy is now 3-0 with the Jags and Texans next in the division at 1-2. Excellent position.
  

• Other football thoughts...
  
  • LOL STEELERS! They lost to the Bengals, who are now a fluke play away from being 3-0.
  • I don't care what anyone says, I still love Brett Favre. Did you see him win that game yesterday? How can you not love player that does that, showing just as much emotion as the fans?
  • The Jets are for real. Sanchez for rookie of the year. I love him.
  • I need 71 points out of Romo and Roy Williams to night. In essence, I need Romo to hit Williams for four 60 yard touchdowns. Yeesh.