Hello fellow Hubskinites,
As some have you may have noticed, my activity on Hubski has been scarce the past few months. There are two reasons for this.
1) Life is hectic and reading through all the articles I'd like to read I find posted here, ingesting them, and formulating through-provoking/insightful responses takes a lot of time.
2) I can't shake the notion that having great discussion here is like preaching to the choir. While Hubski is great, it removes the great thinkers from the rest of the community (a la Atlas Shrugged or Bioshock). I've since been posting thoughtful questions on Facebook to stir the pot a bit a get people thinking. I find it to be that many of the people on Facebook are too concerned with which celebrity would be their significant other, which flavor of yogurt matches their personality, or the 21 ways why something trivial is the best thing ever. I think that if we'd like to make the biggest impact on the world, we need to bring the conversation to those who need it – not just feed our own egos. If you'd like to find me on Facebook, my name is Robert Jerome Castillo. You'll find me there asking people questions which would hopefully increase awareness, mindfulness, understanding, and compassion.
Peace and love, BLOB_CASTLE
My roommates and I started the Church of Jerome jokingly. We have about 5 members. It's essentially Hinduism, but "Jerome" instead of "Brahman."
I have heard that starting a church is the fastest way to a million! good luck to you :D Could you also post your thoughts here on Hubski (not only on Facebook). I am interested in them and the questions that might pop up from them. I am starting to get a feeling that Hubski is a great way for me to learn and express my thoughts!
Best wishes in your quest to make Facebook a more thoughtful place. I think that's like going to a racetrack and asking people to not drive so fast. The infrastructure promotes triviality. If you're able to find others that are interested in having more substantive conversations, by all means send them our way. Good to see ya pal! Enjoy tax exemption!
Is the point of Hubski to make the world a better place, or just each of our personal worlds a better place? And if the latter, and if it's effective at that, doesn't the former follow? I come here because I have a hard time finding good discussion elsewhere on the net. Don't generally think it's a bad thing to seek out people with like-minded interests and engage them. Isn't that how you build social bonds? Context is important. Facebook has been in the past not much more than a way to stalk old flames and advertise only the attractive parts of your life. These days, it's increasingly just another avenue for more traditional advertisement, and unimaginative advertisement at that. So going there to ask the Big Questions might backfire- people don't expect it or care for it within that context. The trick is to find the right venue for your message and then utilize it. So what better venue for your interests and preferred format than Hubski?
For me, Hubski is a paradox. I originally came here because it was advertised as a "better reddit". Yet, in terms of what I use(d) reddit for, hubski fails completely. The news here is pretty slow, the comments section is a lot smaller, and there's a smaller amount of content as well as a smaller range of content. Yet, I keep coming here. Mainly because I like the discussion focused center, yet I don't quite relate to anyone here. I don't know if that's just because hubski is the place I'm looking for and I just don't contribute or what. This place is cool though, which is why I stick around.I come here because I have a hard time finding good discussion elsewhere on the net. Don't generally think it's a bad thing to seek out people with like-minded interests and engage them. Isn't that how you build social bonds?
Seems like the problem is in the advertising. I, too, came here from Reddit, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes to recognize that calling Hubski a "better Reddit" is like calling a motorcycle a "better dog." In short, apples and oranges. Or I don't know, apples and fishsticks. I'm of the opinion that- not to beat a dead horse (too many metaphors/analogies?)- Hubski has more in common with Facebook than it does Reddit. Mainly due to the fact that Hubski bases its interactions just as much on interpersonal development as it does on content-sharing. Reddit, that's a place to post a picture, throw a sloppy jab in the comments section, and then never talk to any of those users ever again. It's a place to waste time. In regards to the content- speed of filtration, range of issues- ain't nothin' wrong with that. After all, stuff filters down through Reddit so quickly that there's no time to separate the wheat from the chaff. You're as likely to see sensationalist nonsense, or worse, misinformation on the front page as you are to see real breaking news. And there's such a confirmation bias within the community that you'll only see certain issues arise, and only from very particular viewpoints. Yeah, the range of content here is narrower, but it's also generally deeper. Difference between a wide creek and a deep well. Really though, I am on a role with the metaphors. If you discard the Reddit comparison, Hubski is very much enjoyable on its own merits. And no need to relate if you don't feel like it. It's enough to just engage.
When flying, you see squares representing fields. When driving, you see blurs of green and yellow representing corn stalks. It's only when walking that you can appreciate the details of a specific thing or event. Such is the beauty of Hubski.The news here is pretty slow, the comments section is a lot smaller, and there's a smaller amount of content as well as a smaller range of content.
That's definitely true. There's a lot less, but it's typically a lot higher quality. What I meant by that particular line though, is that Hubski doesn't really match interests. There's a particular crowd here, and topics they aren't interested in will never get active nor posted about. It's kind of like the intellectual version of crushee. Specific group of people, specific topics, but in what they do they do to the extreme. For Hubski that generally means in depth discussion of whatever topic comes up (seems to mostly be some tech stuff, philosophy, music, and society). For crushee, that means cat gifs :\.
Will Hubski become what Reddit is now, in your opinion?
No it wasn't a dig at your confidence, it was a sincere question. That sort of thing doesn't get conveyed well in text. How does a keen understanding of your knowledge and its limitations prevent this from being Reddit? What about all of those who say history tends to repeat itself? (Again, sincere question aimed for discussion and understanding)
It doesn't. Not the question you asked. You asked: That's not a lack of conveyance, that's you changing the subject. You've done this to me before. Are you asking for an elaboration on your original question, which was: If so, this is a useful place to start.How does a keen understanding of your knowledge and its limitations prevent this from being Reddit?
You seem so certain of yourself. Why is that?
Will Hubski become what Reddit is now, in your opinion?
Well I apologize for any miscommunication my friend.
Hm, this line of pics is making me suspicious that I just don't make cute newborns. Our older daughter hit one year and she metamorphosed into a gerber-worthy kid. But before that, she was- and this is more by my wife's cold reckoning than mine- pretty busted. She still refuses to put newborn pics up in the house. I take the blame- my mom said that when I was a baby I looked like "a rat."
The irony is that I made fun of the triviality of FB in this thread and here we all are posting photos of our kids... :)
I definitely agree that Hubski is a good think. But I don't think it should be an exclusive place for great discussion about important topics. While I agree with your picture of Facebook, I don't believe it's static. Why not make Facebook a place of discussion? Yes, another forum would probably open for people to talk about trivial things, but it'd change things - shake the status quo if you will. And at least people will see the questions raised and realize there's more beyond the surface.I come here because I have a hard time finding good discussion elsewhere on the net. Don't generally think it's a bad thing to seek out people with like-minded interests and engage them. Isn't that how you build social bonds?
Good on you, man. Far be it from me to dissuade you from attempting to engage people in all settings- it's always worth something. My point was less that it's not worth trying, per se, and more that people are primed in certain settings to accept some interactions and reject others. And the more they follow the rule-sets of those environments, the more strongly those rules are enforced. I worry that Facebook has too established a social infrastructure at this point to really shift the parameters that dramatically. That said, again- just because something seems improbable doesn't mean you ought not try.
Ah yes, starting your own church. I hope that the "Church of Jerome" and "The Cult Formerly Known as Prince" can coexist peacefully. It's good to see you making a post here, and I love that Hubski is a place where there is enough of a community that people make these kinds of posts. I hope that as you keep asking questions on Facebook it actually makes people think.
Cool, I have a couple friends who post pseudo-profound status updates on a regular basis and on many levels it's worse than the posts that are pictures of weed and cats. I try to participate and sometimes stimulate discussion on my own but it can be so frustrating. Maybe I just need better friends. Expect an invite from Tory P-Lopez soon (anyone else who wants to add me is welcome to do so).
Sounds good man. I'm interested in stimulating thought through sincere honest questions and statements.