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The Trouble with Friendslists
One of the best things about LJ, and the Internet in general, is it's easy to find out about things other people with your interests are interested in, and so discover new things.
One of the pitfalls of LJ and the Internet is it's easier to find out about things other people with your interests are interested in, and so people often don't stray outside already shared interests.
It's seductively easy to just see things from your point of view and others nearby on the Internet and avoid people who you'd disagree with. To get exposed to new things that are already almost like things you already like, rather than things that're new. But I have to wonder. How much of that is different than real life? Most people only generally interact with people they know well. And most people tend to know well their friends, who usually share at least some of their interests, since that's how they met and why they became friends. And it's as easy to find completely new things online, it's just a click away, even if it's outside your normal threads.
Maybe it's not so much a problem new to the Internet as one that the net makes more visible, and enhances, which seems to be the general effect the interne's had on many things, good and bad.
[meta: mindscribbles]
One of the pitfalls of LJ and the Internet is it's easier to find out about things other people with your interests are interested in, and so people often don't stray outside already shared interests.
It's seductively easy to just see things from your point of view and others nearby on the Internet and avoid people who you'd disagree with. To get exposed to new things that are already almost like things you already like, rather than things that're new. But I have to wonder. How much of that is different than real life? Most people only generally interact with people they know well. And most people tend to know well their friends, who usually share at least some of their interests, since that's how they met and why they became friends. And it's as easy to find completely new things online, it's just a click away, even if it's outside your normal threads.
Maybe it's not so much a problem new to the Internet as one that the net makes more visible, and enhances, which seems to be the general effect the interne's had on many things, good and bad.
[meta: mindscribbles]
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