My Creative Space

Like others of my generation who didn't grow up with the Internet, I have mixed-feelings about Myspace, Facebook, and other social networking sites and applications. I like the fact that I can log in and get a general feeling of what someone's been up to. I like the fact that there is an open channel between me and and many friends, and that I can initiate contact whenever I wish, and also to meet any number of new friends.

However, whatever people post is relatively one-sided, in that they put up only what they want others to know. Plus, it's one size fits all. Whoever logs in and is your "friend" will see the exact same profile of you. Everyone is so unique, and I want to communicate with them individually and intimately; I like email and phone calls because they are direct, and I never have the same phone call twice. Well, maybe that's why I don't shine in parties or in groups, because the way I talk and what we talk about, is so specialized depending on who I'm talking to, and based on how they are feeling and what they have been up to. Maybe I am too passive. But I enjoy being supportive and tuning in to what people are saying.

Conversation is a two-way street. I don't feel like you can speak to every person with one profile that's the same format as everyone's else's. Or like in a big, generic letter -- for example, those "family update" letters that people send out over the holidays. Why even bother to update us with boring, businesslike news of kids playing little league or winning honors in that letter, when you haven't kept in touch with us over the whole year?! l

In any case, social networking sites are cool because they provide an "always on" connection, a sort of bulletin board that people can communicate over time and not both have to present at the same time. Another downside - and this has been said before -- is the these sites do isolate people. We could be spending time talking in person rather than each typing alone (in varying states of ugly home clothing or undress) in our own dwellings. Social networking sites can PREVENT social contact in that one doesn't have to actually pick up the phone and call someone, or make another kind of effort, because you can just check their Myspace page!

Plus, can someone really be your friend if you only talk to them through the computer?

Another frustration I have is the rigid format of the profile page. For all the creativity one can have in designing the colors and fonts of one page, the content of the pages themselves are not really that creative. Even applications on Facebook are designed by someone else. This concept of social networking is still so new, that we only have a few large, dominating patriarchal institutional websites, that don't really allow that much in the way of easy customization. We have this whole world community of people joined by these sites, who still use tools and formats that someone else made. It just shows how the power of the creativity of all individuals really hasn't been put to use by our society. Speaking of not getting sucked into the internet world -- what if we looked beyond the Internetosphere into the rest of the world. Education- religion- government- jails- the justice system -- even marriage and home life -- they can all harness the power of everyone's ideas, and really, seriously USE them to make things better, instead of trying to make everyone fit and conform *into* the institutions. As people we are only still waking to the idea of harmonious, peaceful community in which people's differences are seen as strengths. And now is really the moment for that to take place.

In any case. Back from my existential rant. I guess that is what blogs and websites are for - for the full range of artistic expression -- a totally malleable internet experience. But designing websites is still pretty DIY (do-it-yourself), and, since one has to learn on the fly, it can be difficult and not for the faint-hearted. Therefore, I still think that social networking sites could be a lot more creative and flexible in their page formats, and nicer to look at. Why is my Myspace view still so ugly even though everyone else can now see my new edited layout? And Blogger is simple and fun - why can't Myspace be as fast and easy, with page layouts featuring elements that you can just drag around real-time, however you want? Or, imagine if Apple made a social networking site that had cool applications that were easy, colorful, and "phun" like on the iPhone. Add some apps here, put Yelp/ restaurant reviews on my homepage, a notepad, a GPS, . What if we could all use a scratch pad- a touch pad to draw on, near the mousepad- and have a box on our profile that automatically updates with whatever we have just drawn?

I have a hard time with American culture in general, in that it is a consumer culture where who you are is usually based on what you wear and what movies, TV shows, and , to a degree, books you have read and schools you have attended. These are such passive things. Maybe it is because we are all a little afraid to show people who we really are. We are all so scared of self-promotion or being made fun of. Livejournal has the write idea (sorry) in that it emphasizes people's creative work. But let's take this a little further and think about it.. Could Facebook have tabs for each person's hobbies, where you can, for instance, if you love to cook and eat, you could post your writing and photos of things you've cooked today. Or If someone is a great swimmer, why can't there be an application on their Myspace page that is easy to update, and allows them to post awards and honors they have won, meets they've been in, where they are now, etc? Even Myspace could benefit from more visual graphics, such as bands on tour can post a map of where they are now.

I think a new social networking site should be built- or one of the biggies be customized-- with options to add the following:

-"Identity box" where you can type all of the social sites you belong to, so people can connect with you in each way
-Blog
-Journal
-Poetry and other writing page
-Section for photos of art you have done
-Live drawing and painting applications
-Chalkboard for your friends to leave comments and share their artwork
-Twitter or similar application- live box where you and others can type one line about what you're up to...constantly
-Loopt or similar application...see where your friends are on the map at any given time
-A simulated magnetic poetry application (put words together)
-Live digital space for people to make music together via their computers
-Space to list hobbies
-Recent travels and day trips taken section, with place for writing and photos
-Clippings section, where you can post cool sites, images, scans, etc. that you have found recently

And, as a last rant, for God's sake, so many people use Myspace, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Can these sites PLEASE be faster? I mean, so many people use them, their owners should be able to afford a few more servers! And while we're at it, make those ads smaller too, please!

I'll leave you with a quote by Marianne Williamson about self-expression and claiming one's power.
"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the World.
There is nothing enlightening about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel unsure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine,
we consciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."

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