I have often been asked about my feelings on the highly confrontational tone of many of the conversations taking place on the clipmarks site. I'd like to share my thoughts on that and would love to hear your thoughts too.
What most excites me about the social aspect of Clipmarks is that i believe we are migrating a timeless tradition that has previously occurred offline onto the web. In so doing, i am hopeful that we can leverage the amazing ability of the web to connect people from all over the world to take human interaction where it has never been able to go before.
My entire life i have witnessed people reacting to news (defined as anything that's happening) by mumbling things to themsleves or those around them. Let me share just a few examples...
- As a kid, i watched my grandparents watch the news every morning and literally bicker at the tv. They would also use powerful body language to convey their disgust with what was being reported.
- I've seen people sitting in airports mumble aloud about money they have lost while watching the CNBC stock ticker go by.
- I've seen people on trains talk back to the newspaper as they take in the worlds politics, business, gossip, whatever.
- I've watched people in a bar yell (happily and angrily) at the television as they watch sporting events. "trade that bum" "ref, you suck" "why is he leaving him in the game!!"
- And i've watched as my parents drove somewhere, all the while talking back to the radio talk show host who couldn't hear them, telling them and/or their guest how stupid they are.
The reason i say this is because i love the idea of people being able to change their minds. How great that we have the ability to educate and, therefore, influence each others' thoughts. Problem is, when you really think about it, we have so few people to actually interact with. So few opportunities to genuinely have our minds changed. This leaves us fixed in our beliefs and far too confident in our opinions. We're right, they're wrong. You can see and hear it everyday about almost everything.
Now apply this to Clipmarks. Rather than mumbling to yourself, bickering at the tv, talking to a radio that can't hear you or disagreeing with a newspaper reporter who isn't listening to you, why not clip and comment on the things you find on the web that will provoke a response (any kind of response...anger, hope, laughter, confusion, doubt, excitment, awe...) and share them with others. Even better, why not be able to read responses from other people...people from all different parts of the world with all sorts of opinions and perspectives. I find that experience to be enjoyable, complete and significantly more meaningful than simply taking in the world's news by myself. I have learned a lot, been forced to think things through before i come to an opinion and already feel like i have a better understanding of people in general.
Sure, sometimes the conversations get a bit heated...and no doubt, i have been offended by the way people have spoken to each other at times...but that to me is a very minor sacrifice for the ability to participate in such an open forum. Maybe i'm drinking the Clip-Aid, but i really believe that collectively we have the power to change the world for the better by opening each other's minds to new ways of thinking and seeing...and hey, that sure beats Fox News or CNN doing it!!!
I've learned a lot about a lot of things thru ClipMarks. Opinions define us!
Posted by: skwirlinator | March 24, 2006 at 02:20 AM