Being Social as a Blogger with BlogCatalog

When I first started blogging, I knew that the #1 thing I needed to do was learn how to network.  Its vital, when doing anything online, to be part of some form of community.  Through doing all of that, I quickly learned some shocking truths.

A large percentage of blogs all about “Making Money Blogging.”  Its truly astounding how man ‘experts’ there are with ‘expert advice’ on how to blog ‘correctly.’  The first community I joined, ended up failing for many reasons, but the fact that it was inundated with those types of bloggers who were not talking, but spamming their blogs, didn’t help it survive.

(poem) - Facebook's Evils

There are worse things in life
Than Facebook in the morning
There is always real life
Outside the door, moaning

Avoid it all costs
For it will devour your soul
Unless Facebook gets it first
Since you serve it up in a bowl

Feeding the beast
On a regular basis
Yet complaining about it
Enters you into a form of stasis.

I’ve watched
Day after day
As people go on
Facebook and say:

“Facebook sucks
Facebook is bad
I give my life to Facebook
Because the owner is a cad”

If you don’t like something
Then walk away
One of the best protests of all
Is letting silence rule the day

Yet alas
The ignorance persists
They go online and tell all about
There mate’s infidelic twists

Can you do me two favors though
While you are there
Shut the f- up
About the appointment for your hair

And swing on by the blog’s Page
And give it a quick Like
So you can follow all the rantings
That you know you like.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

The Death of the Social Pariah

One of the worst things about human behavior is childishness.  I can understand it when you are a child, but sometimes, its like people never truly do.  If you make an adult decision, then stand by it.  Don’t get all petty later.

One of the biggest issues with this problem is the fact that kids become adults far too quickly.  Girls are pushing out children at an alarmingly early age.  And its very obvious to point out, they just aren’t ready for the responsibility.

Secrets in the Modern Age

Watching the season finale of Doctor Who, and the episode about the Fifth Doctor, I was struck with a statement someone said.  It was about how there were surprises back then, shocks that no one saw coming, and how impossible that is to pull off in today’s age.

It is really driven home by how much we already know of the upcoming season of Doctor Who.  There is supposed to be all this secrecy about who John Hurt’s Doctor really is, but people have picked apart a pair of interviews, and spread it around the internet.  It’s a shame too, as I would have been wonderfully surprised by it.

I still remember watching Doctor Who when I was a child, and seeing him regenerate for the first time, I was shocked.  When Aldric died I was absolutely flabbergasted, and that single moment taught me so much about life and death and so many other things.  If I’d have known about it ahead of time...I know it would have been completely different.

Here’s something that’s hard to imagine, but try.  Star Wars Episode I.  I know, I already hear the groans, but imagine this for a moment.  Watching it for the first time, and not knowing that Maul had a double bladed lightsaber.  Just imagine that.  People in the audience would have leaned forward thinking, “Oh man, this shit just got real.”

Most movie trailers have a snippet of the last scene in it.  It might not reveal much, but if you know what to look for, then yeah, its pretty telling.  Promethius would have been a ton better of a movie if we hadn’t known about the Alien tie in.  We would have sat there thinking, “Oh wow, that looks familiar,” until it was revealed.

Surprises do still happen.  The Red Wedding hit people that watch A Game of Thrones on HBO quite hard, even though the book the event took place in was published thirteen years ago.  The Walking Dead tries pretty hard to keep a lid on things with their surprises, and succeeds in most cases.

I think back to the older days of TV.  The ending to the Rosanne show was pretty unique and a wonderful surprise.  Bob Newhart had a great surprise ending to his last TV series.  If I remember correctly, in both instances they actually filmed a false scene to throw people off.

In today’s age secrets dissolve quickly, as social media has made gossip and sharing something world wide almost instantaneous.  The only real surprises seem to happen in books and video games now-a-days.  Which is a shame, as both of which are technically niche audiences.  Certain movies in the past would have been far better without spoilers in the trailers.  TV shows and movies have so many people working on the set, its impossible to truly keep a lid on anything.

Honestly, I never saw The Sixth Sense, but the ending was pretty easy to figure out with the trailers and all.  What was the last TV show or movie that surprised you?  I’m curious as to what you think about today’s technology and how hard it is to keep secrets from people who want to learn everything about a production.  So please comment below!

(poem) - Change Brings Out The Stupid

Change is a comin’
And their ain’t no goin’ back
Something on the ‘net is changin’
And the netizens are ready to attack.

They will yell and scream
The will complain to no end
About whatever doom
The minor change is trying to impend



Some changes
I never even know exist
Until someone starts to complain
Yelling for a cease and desist

The funny thing is
That every single time
People get butthurt over change
They just fall back into line

If you read Facebook
It seems that Zuckerberg can do no rights
But the truth is
Facebook is one of the most used sites

There are tons of people
That slam Walmart
Yet tons of people shop there
Rampaging with their pushcart

Why do people complain
Then not take action at all?
Complain about how much they hate parties
But still go to the ball?

Rage on the internet
Flows like sand in the desert
Its everywhere you look
Because everyone seems to be an expert

Normally changes have a reason
And normally they are perfectly valid
Yet people rebel against change
Using vocabulary most acrid



There is no shortage
Of how Not to do a thing
And the list grows ever day
When someone tries to make a change

I often wonder
How much of it is just trolls
Goading the sheeple
Into a blundering steamroll

The anonymity of the internet
Is a double edged sword
One can say whatever they want
And never get gored

Yet that means stupidity
Can propagate with complete impunity
While reason gets drowned out
By straight up insanity

Will reason ever come back
To the online community
Was it ever even there
Was there ever any unity?

If you don’t like Facebook
Why are you on there?
Leave those of us alone
Who don’t mind Zuckerberg’s flair.

I guess in the end
Civility is gone
When change happens they will complain
You can’t fix moron.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!