February 23, 2011....that was the last post I made on here. Sure doesn't seem like more than 2 years has gone by but apparently it has. I've noticed that blogger has a lot of changes as well (that I will take the time to learn later) so I need to get reaquainted with this site if I plan to continue my blogging (which I do). For those of you who have never read a blog written by me you could either be in for a nice surprise or find that my blogging style isn't for you. At one time when I was actively writing a blog every couple of days I had regular readers from 22 different countries (some I had never heard of). Anyways....none of that matters right now. What matters is that right now life is good and it's just getting better as the days go by.
This isn't news to any of my family or friends reading this but after years of saying I was planning on moving back to Austin I finally made the leap and moved in January of this year. I was at a stalemate in Brownwood and I was beginning to move backwards instead of forward in life. I hit a wall with school and couldn't find the focus to push my way through so I decided to take a break in November of 2012. The good news is that I will be starting classes again in July and my projected graduation (finally) will be late 2014.
Anyways, back to my news about the move. In January some friends of mine that lived in Austin had a room for rent and pretty much without thinking it over I took it and here I am...living in Austin. I've had times when I thought staying in Brownwood until I finished college would be easier (less distractions). But after 5 months of dropping out of classes and feeling "stuck" I decided that it was time for a change. I wasn't expecting a move to Austin to be the change I needed (at least not at that time). I only planned to take off from school and get a job so I could work long enough to make enough to get my car fixed and be able to afford dental insurance (because the VA doesn't provide me with free dental). Well, the rut that I was in while in school followed me even after I decided to take the break and I couldn't conjure up the motivation to look for work in a town I didn't want to live in anymore. Brownwood didn't have anything for me (besides family) and for years my heart had been set on coming back to Austin. I hadn't planned on moving until mid-summer of this year however; during a phone conversation with a friend they told me they had a room available and well, 2 weeks later I was moved to Austin.
Sidenote: When I start a story my mind wanders and I stray from my initial topic at times so if it reads like I'm jumping around from one subject into another well, it's because I am. I write how I talk and think. Unless it's an essay or research paper for school usually I type exactly what is on my brain at the time.
So, here I am, living in Austin and loving it. January through the end of April had it's ups and downs but that was because I was trying to adjust to so many changes that were made so quickly. I had spent the previous 5 years living alone in my own apartment and I spent quite a lot of that time alone (except for when my GREAT friends forced me to be sociable, which I thank them for). Most of my social interactions came in the form of online chat, the MMO's I played, or my X-Box 360. I was a recluse. Well, when I moved to Austin my room was in a 3 bedroom/2 and a half bathroom apartment that I shared with a couple and their two girls. If you know me you know how much I like my privacy and also how difficult change is for me. The move to Austin was a really big change but learning how to live with two young girls and a couple was even tougher. I went from living alone to having 4 other roommates (not including Abby, Lola, and their dog Bailey). Needless to say it felt crowded and I wasn't used to that. BUT, that was nothing compared to how crowded things would get from February till May 1st when I moved into my current apartment. Long story short: the people I moved in with let 2 of their friends sleep on the couches in the living room (from February until I moved out) and with their friends constantly being there we would have up to 10 people at the apartment on a nightly basis with at least 6 there constantly. There was no privacy at that point and finally I just had to move out because the lifestyle my roommates lived didn't fit in well with mine.
Fast forward to today (because this post is already long and I will make more posts soon to fill in all of the details I have accidentally left out of this story) and I am working Expo at a fun place to work (not just because of the girls either). I now feel like I have my privacy back because I live with only one other roommate and I have the master bedroom and bath in this 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment I'm in. Things at work are going great. After almost 3 months I'm finally being accepted into the "TP Family" and am no longer looked at as "the new guy". In 2 months I will resume my classes at Colorado Technical University Online and sometime between now and graduation I plan to find work in the IT field so I can get the hands on experience I need to get a job in computer networking once I finish school.
Another sidenote: I tend to abruptly end blogs without completely finishing my story or the point I was trying to make when I feel the post has become too long. Luckily though; there is a "reply" button you can use to ask any questions about details I may have left out and I love getting feedback from my readers. Some of you actually take the time to read the entire novel I have posted and I thank you for that.
Life is good. I really cannot complain because I am surrounded by so much opportunity and growth that all of the goals I set out to accomplish and dreams I have can be realized now. I live in one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. I am going back to school in a couple of months and the VA is still going to pay for my schooling and pay me to go to school. I have a job (when I know a lot of people that don't) that I enjoy (most of the time) and opportunities to work with other companies outside of the restaurant industry ALL around me. While the A/C in my car doesn't work and only a couple of windows can be rolled down at least it still runs and it gets me where I need to go. I may be sleeping on the ground right now but at least I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and my privacy back. I've gone from being a "pessimist" to an "optimist" and I tend to find something positive to focus on no matter how negative a situation may be. I'm happy. I haven't been able to say that (and mean it) for a LONG time. Do I have everything I want? No. Do I have everything I need? Yes. The old me would have focused on the things I wanted yet don't have and then spent time being depressed about not having those things. The new me appreciates everything I do have and while there are things I want as long as I have what I need then I can find ways to be happy.
I'm sorry it has been so long since my last blog post. I'm sorry that this post was SO long (not really sorry...I didn't force you to read the entire thing :p). I look forward to getting back some of my old readers and to picking up some new ones. Not all of my posts will be novels....just most of them. It's good to be happy again. It's good to have the desire again to type in my blog. Everything is just good. I truly am "Happy Happy Happy!".
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Losing Focus
So, I know everyone expected my first blog in almost 2 months to be positive and I was expecting it to be. But today I got my grade back for my most recent assignment in Introduction to Programming Logic and it dropped my grade in that class from a 99 to an 81. It shocked me because I thought I was starting to understand what the teacher was teaching. I had a 4.0 GPA up until this last grade and now I'm worried about losing focus and motivation because of one bad grade. School is everything to me right now but I'm so scared of this Computer Programming class that my brain has shut off and won't allow anything that has to do with programming to enter it. How do I fix this?
This is supposed to be an intro class but because our semesters are only 5 and a half weeks long we have a lot of information to cover. Because of this they try to shove it inside our brains quickly and don't give us much time to actually learn it. For people like me, people who have never done any computer programming in their life this stuff is hard. My instructor is teaching the class as if we already understand the logic behind programming. It's just stressing me out that's all. There are 4 weeks left in the semester and it looks like I'll be spending most of my days researching and teaching myself how to program because I'm not learning a thing in this class. I've watched the live chat session archives over and over again trying to pick up on my instructor's hints but I guess I'm just oblivious to them.
All I'm looking for is a little positive support and a push in the right direction so I can get my grades back on track. I won't allow myself to give up don't worry. I'm just worried that's all but with a little motivation, focus, and support I can get this back on track. It's not the end of the world. I can come back from this.
This is supposed to be an intro class but because our semesters are only 5 and a half weeks long we have a lot of information to cover. Because of this they try to shove it inside our brains quickly and don't give us much time to actually learn it. For people like me, people who have never done any computer programming in their life this stuff is hard. My instructor is teaching the class as if we already understand the logic behind programming. It's just stressing me out that's all. There are 4 weeks left in the semester and it looks like I'll be spending most of my days researching and teaching myself how to program because I'm not learning a thing in this class. I've watched the live chat session archives over and over again trying to pick up on my instructor's hints but I guess I'm just oblivious to them.
All I'm looking for is a little positive support and a push in the right direction so I can get my grades back on track. I won't allow myself to give up don't worry. I'm just worried that's all but with a little motivation, focus, and support I can get this back on track. It's not the end of the world. I can come back from this.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Last day of 2010
Well, it's the last day of 2010 and I figured I'd be cliche and type up a blog about it. I still haven't decided whether I'm going to include New Years resolutions or not. I don't know whether I will include what I liked and didn't like about 2010. It feels weird that's all I know. Sitting here in the same spot I sat exactly one year ago probably doing the exact same thing. It doesn't feel like 2010 will be over in less than 6 hours. Last year on this day I was unemployed and I had a roommate and the same can be said for this year but my roommate is different. However instead of waiting until the New Year to start college I decided to finish 2010 on a positive note so that I could say 2010 wasn't a complete waste. So the first 10 months of this year were a complete waste but it's not how you start a race it's how you finish it right? Well I'm finishing this race enrolled full time in college, having it paid for by Vocational Rehabilitation, with a 4.0 GPA and a hell of a lot happier than I was last year.
I guess I will include resolutions because there are a few things I'd like to accomplish this year. Having goals isn't a bad thing so yeah, I'll give you guys my resolutions for this year. My first resolution will have me working hard all year long to accomplish it. I want to finish this next year with a 4.0 GPA just like I finished this year with one. I don't think it's a goal I can't accomplish which is why I'm making it one of my resolutions. My second resolution is to be smart with my money this year. I'm getting extra money while I go to college through a monthly allowance and grants and I could use that money to get out of debt instead of wasting it. If I keep living off my disability check like I have been for the past year and a half then all of that extra money could have me out of debt before I graduate easily. My third resolution is to just get a car. I don't care if it's the greatest thing in the world I'm just tired of my family taking me places or friends driving me around when I have to go into town. I want to be able to get up and go anywhere I'd like when I get the urge instead of having to wait for a ride somewhere. Last resolution is probably the most common resolution in the world....I want to lose 30 pounds by this summer. I'm 30 years old so I'm recognizing the fact that I need to get back into shape now because I'm getting older and I need to prevent bad health not wait until I'm unhealthy and then do something.
Yes I recognize that my paragraph length, sentence structure, and line spacing isn't correct in this. I haven't even started English Composition 1 and I'm already critiquing my own writing. You watch though. Over the next 6 weeks my blog structure will get better and better because I'll have to start typing that way ALL the time for class. I'm also planning to get a digital camera so I can take pics that help illustrate my points in my blog. Maybe include videos and stuff *shrug*. But they'll get better because I want my writing to evolve and not stay the same forever. I figure I don't really have many hobbies but if I had to list them writing would be on that list. I love having the freedom to say whatever I want and only the people that want to listen to what I have to say read it. But I do need to change up my blog style a bit because no matter how old we are we will ALWAYS enjoy reading things that have pictures included.
I guess I'm going to end this blog with a Happy New Years and all that good stuff. I wish I was out with some of you guys but maybe next year. My goal....to make sure the blog I type on the last day of next year is full of nothing but positive. HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!! *blows horn*
I guess I will include resolutions because there are a few things I'd like to accomplish this year. Having goals isn't a bad thing so yeah, I'll give you guys my resolutions for this year. My first resolution will have me working hard all year long to accomplish it. I want to finish this next year with a 4.0 GPA just like I finished this year with one. I don't think it's a goal I can't accomplish which is why I'm making it one of my resolutions. My second resolution is to be smart with my money this year. I'm getting extra money while I go to college through a monthly allowance and grants and I could use that money to get out of debt instead of wasting it. If I keep living off my disability check like I have been for the past year and a half then all of that extra money could have me out of debt before I graduate easily. My third resolution is to just get a car. I don't care if it's the greatest thing in the world I'm just tired of my family taking me places or friends driving me around when I have to go into town. I want to be able to get up and go anywhere I'd like when I get the urge instead of having to wait for a ride somewhere. Last resolution is probably the most common resolution in the world....I want to lose 30 pounds by this summer. I'm 30 years old so I'm recognizing the fact that I need to get back into shape now because I'm getting older and I need to prevent bad health not wait until I'm unhealthy and then do something.
Yes I recognize that my paragraph length, sentence structure, and line spacing isn't correct in this. I haven't even started English Composition 1 and I'm already critiquing my own writing. You watch though. Over the next 6 weeks my blog structure will get better and better because I'll have to start typing that way ALL the time for class. I'm also planning to get a digital camera so I can take pics that help illustrate my points in my blog. Maybe include videos and stuff *shrug*. But they'll get better because I want my writing to evolve and not stay the same forever. I figure I don't really have many hobbies but if I had to list them writing would be on that list. I love having the freedom to say whatever I want and only the people that want to listen to what I have to say read it. But I do need to change up my blog style a bit because no matter how old we are we will ALWAYS enjoy reading things that have pictures included.
I guess I'm going to end this blog with a Happy New Years and all that good stuff. I wish I was out with some of you guys but maybe next year. My goal....to make sure the blog I type on the last day of next year is full of nothing but positive. HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!! *blows horn*
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas Eve
Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I was going to write a Christmas themed blog on Christmas day but I'll be in Lubbock so I scratched that idea and decided to do a Christmas Eve blog. To be honest I have absolutely nothing to write about the actual holiday of Christmas. Over the years it's lost it's meaning to me. I hear that once you have a family and kids you get some of the feelings you felt when you were a kid back but it will never be the same. This Christmas is gonna be weird with the dang temperatures still hitting in the 80s. I mean, come on! This is December! It's supposed to be freezing outside and yet it's shorts wearing weather. That's a big reason I don't feel very Christmasy (yep, I made up Christmasy). Maybe we'll get lucky and this rain will turn into ice or snow tomorrow...at least THEN it will feel like winter.
Over the years Christmas has become more about being around family than it has giving or getting gifts. My pockets aren't exactly overflowing with money I can spend to buy presents for family. I'm going to college though and I plan to graduate in around 3 years and then I'll finally (crosses fingers) find a job that will allow me to spoil my nieces and nephew on their birthdays and Christmas. Since I'm being honest I still always feel awkward around my family when we are opening gifts. I don't feel like I deserve any since I haven't really given anything in years. Nobody holds up a gift and says "hey look what Jason got me!" so it always feels weird. I know they understand my situation but it doesn't help with how I feel when nobody is opening anything from me.
The good news is that I'm spending time with family rather than alone like I was kind expecting. We weren't supposed to be doing anything for Christmas this year because everyone got together on Thanksgiving. My sister and them alternate holidays they spend with our family and with the family of their significant others. But apparently they are going to find time for us so we'll be leaving to go to Lubbock tomorrow somewhere between 10 and 12. It's a 5 hour drive though so thank God I have 4 Rolling Stones magazines and my Ipod I can bring with me. I'm mostly happy I get to see my nieces. Kambri finally feels comfortable around me and Kourtney knows me as Uncle Jason without having to be told who I am (of course she's known me as that for a while). I just haven't spent much time with my nieces so any chance I get to spend with them I'm going to take advantage of. I enjoy being an uncle but I kinda look forward to being a father one day.
I've yet to see a Christmas tree, many Christmas lights, or any presents. But that all changes tomorrow and I'm kinda looking forward to it. Even if I only get in the spirit for one day rather than an entire month like most people do I will still be happy. This year, I don't care whether I do or don't get anything from anyone. This year isn't about getting or giving gifts it's just about taking advantage of the time I have to spend with family. People say 30 isn't old but it's definitely got me thinking about how fast time flies and how little time I may have left to spend with all of my family. Turning 30 might have been the greatest thing to ever happen to me because it changed my entire mindset and life. I'm more family oriented now. I am taking advantage of every opportunity to succeed in life that I can find. I'm no longer wasting my life doing nothing. So even though I have no gifts to bring I'm bringing my family a new me...a new Jason. I will finally be someone they are proud of and I will live up to the potential I know I have so that my family can stop worrying about me. That's my gift to them....you don't have to worry about me anymore! I'm doing great! But I love my family just because they care. So Merry Christmas everyone! Don't forget to watch A Christmas Story at least once before the marathon is over!
Over the years Christmas has become more about being around family than it has giving or getting gifts. My pockets aren't exactly overflowing with money I can spend to buy presents for family. I'm going to college though and I plan to graduate in around 3 years and then I'll finally (crosses fingers) find a job that will allow me to spoil my nieces and nephew on their birthdays and Christmas. Since I'm being honest I still always feel awkward around my family when we are opening gifts. I don't feel like I deserve any since I haven't really given anything in years. Nobody holds up a gift and says "hey look what Jason got me!" so it always feels weird. I know they understand my situation but it doesn't help with how I feel when nobody is opening anything from me.
The good news is that I'm spending time with family rather than alone like I was kind expecting. We weren't supposed to be doing anything for Christmas this year because everyone got together on Thanksgiving. My sister and them alternate holidays they spend with our family and with the family of their significant others. But apparently they are going to find time for us so we'll be leaving to go to Lubbock tomorrow somewhere between 10 and 12. It's a 5 hour drive though so thank God I have 4 Rolling Stones magazines and my Ipod I can bring with me. I'm mostly happy I get to see my nieces. Kambri finally feels comfortable around me and Kourtney knows me as Uncle Jason without having to be told who I am (of course she's known me as that for a while). I just haven't spent much time with my nieces so any chance I get to spend with them I'm going to take advantage of. I enjoy being an uncle but I kinda look forward to being a father one day.
I've yet to see a Christmas tree, many Christmas lights, or any presents. But that all changes tomorrow and I'm kinda looking forward to it. Even if I only get in the spirit for one day rather than an entire month like most people do I will still be happy. This year, I don't care whether I do or don't get anything from anyone. This year isn't about getting or giving gifts it's just about taking advantage of the time I have to spend with family. People say 30 isn't old but it's definitely got me thinking about how fast time flies and how little time I may have left to spend with all of my family. Turning 30 might have been the greatest thing to ever happen to me because it changed my entire mindset and life. I'm more family oriented now. I am taking advantage of every opportunity to succeed in life that I can find. I'm no longer wasting my life doing nothing. So even though I have no gifts to bring I'm bringing my family a new me...a new Jason. I will finally be someone they are proud of and I will live up to the potential I know I have so that my family can stop worrying about me. That's my gift to them....you don't have to worry about me anymore! I'm doing great! But I love my family just because they care. So Merry Christmas everyone! Don't forget to watch A Christmas Story at least once before the marathon is over!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
First semester is over!
With my first semester at Colorado Technical University Online coming to a close I just felt like I'd reflect back on my time so far and how different it is being a college student at 30 as well as being an online student. When I first started the University 101 class I laughed when I found out I'd be learning how to be a better student in this class. I honestly thought this class was going to be a waste of time and did not want to take it. However I decided to just suck it up and take the class seriously and I'm extremely glad I did. Throughout the 5 and a half week semester we worked on doing a self assessment as well as a career assessment. Each week we added a new thing to assess and by the end of the semester I had a Success Strategy Plan that is pretty solid and will help me throughout not only my time at CTU but in life as well. Finishing the class with a 98 will be a great start towards my goal of graduating in one of the three honors categories. Plus, I figured that if the government is going to pay for my school, give me my disability check, and a monthly allowance as well that I should show them how grateful I am for what they are doing for me by actually being a good student. It's not like I have anything else to do since I do not have to work for the next 3 years so why not put some effort into graduating with honors?
Being a college student at 30 really isn't that bad. It's a lot easier for me than it would be for most 30 year old people because I'm single with no children. I do not have to work because I'm basically getting paid to go to school so I can focus all of my attention on school rather than trying to balance school with work and family life as well. I do wish I wouldn't have waited so long to finally be serious about getting my degree and bettering myself. Had I been serious my first time around when I went to Devry University back in 2005 I'd have been done with school in 2008 and right now I wouldn't be typing up this blog I'd hopefully already be a couple years into my career. But as the saying goes, "better late than never" right? The good news is that I decided to take advantage of my veteran benefits before they ran out.
As far as being an online college student rather than an on campus student well, all I can say is I love it. I don't want to sound all cliche like the commercials on TV but it is nice being able to roll out of bed and my classroom be less than a foot away. It is nice not having to sit in a typical classroom setting with the distraction of other students sitting all around me. Now I don't have a social disorder I just didn't enjoy the classroom setting at all. I actually had to pay attention and take notes and focus. In my online classes each live chat is archived so that I can go back and listen to it over again. There is no need to take notes anymore when the teacher's PowerPoint presentation is available to download and view. We've got "Learning Labs" that are an extension of what the teacher is teaching and help you with a variety of different subjects. We also have Challenge Exams that you can take to test your knowledge of any subject. Free online tutors, access to live IM chatting with Tech Support, Academics, the Library, and your teachers and students are other bonuses of going to school online. I love this type of college setting! I have no doubt that I'll be successful this time around because behind my computer is where I feel the most comfortable in the world so taking college while sitting behind it is just great. Within a few years I would guess that 75% of each major university will give students the option of taking some or all of their classes online. It's just how the future seems to be going.
Being a college student at 30 really isn't that bad. It's a lot easier for me than it would be for most 30 year old people because I'm single with no children. I do not have to work because I'm basically getting paid to go to school so I can focus all of my attention on school rather than trying to balance school with work and family life as well. I do wish I wouldn't have waited so long to finally be serious about getting my degree and bettering myself. Had I been serious my first time around when I went to Devry University back in 2005 I'd have been done with school in 2008 and right now I wouldn't be typing up this blog I'd hopefully already be a couple years into my career. But as the saying goes, "better late than never" right? The good news is that I decided to take advantage of my veteran benefits before they ran out.
As far as being an online college student rather than an on campus student well, all I can say is I love it. I don't want to sound all cliche like the commercials on TV but it is nice being able to roll out of bed and my classroom be less than a foot away. It is nice not having to sit in a typical classroom setting with the distraction of other students sitting all around me. Now I don't have a social disorder I just didn't enjoy the classroom setting at all. I actually had to pay attention and take notes and focus. In my online classes each live chat is archived so that I can go back and listen to it over again. There is no need to take notes anymore when the teacher's PowerPoint presentation is available to download and view. We've got "Learning Labs" that are an extension of what the teacher is teaching and help you with a variety of different subjects. We also have Challenge Exams that you can take to test your knowledge of any subject. Free online tutors, access to live IM chatting with Tech Support, Academics, the Library, and your teachers and students are other bonuses of going to school online. I love this type of college setting! I have no doubt that I'll be successful this time around because behind my computer is where I feel the most comfortable in the world so taking college while sitting behind it is just great. Within a few years I would guess that 75% of each major university will give students the option of taking some or all of their classes online. It's just how the future seems to be going.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Social Networking sites: The good and the bad
So last night I see this status message on Facebook by a friend saying "Cliff Lee is returning to the Rangers! WS here we come!" Well after finding out my friend got this info from Twitter (although I'm not sure what Twitter source he was using) I went looking for it. I didn't find anything saying he was returning to the Rangers but because the person who had that status message is such a huge Rangers fan I assumed he was telling the truth. Well around 4 hours later we hear on ESPN that Cliff Lee is going back to the Phillies and then of course they are talking about it on Mike and Mike as well as ESPN First Take. So Cliff Lee is going to the Phillies and not the Rangers...it shocked the hell out of me because I didn't think the Phillies were even in the running for him. But after this happened it got me to thinking: "How trustworthy is the news you read on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace?"
I think Twitter is the most untrustworthy social networking site to use if you're looking for up to date news on your favorite people. Not only that but how confident are we in knowing that it's the actual celebrity, sports star, politician, or news program that is doing the tweeting? This is the biggest reason why I won't join Twitter or even pay any attention to it because I know a lot of these people pay someone to update their Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace accounts for them. And a lot of the time the people updating these sites are inputting news that may not even have to do with the actual person. Most of the stuff posted on Twitter is just random garbage quotes that mean absolutely nothing to the person who owns the Twitter account. It also bugs the crap out of me when I'm watching a program and they quote statements that celebrities and the like post to Twitter knowing good and well that it's usually a publicist that is making these statements not the actual person. However these broadcasters take everything that is said on Twitter as fact and to me that makes them pretty naive if they believe everything they read on that site.
I'm pretty sure Classmates.com is the first social networking site of it's kind that was created and it started back in 1995. However we're not going to talk about Classmates.com because it was pretty much forgotten about once Myspace and Facebook came around. There are a ton of social networking sites to use out there including dating sites and blog sites but for the sake of this post we'll stick with the big 3 of Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook. The rest of the sites are pretty unimportant and insignificant compared to these 3 so there is no use in really talking about them. I will say this though, they each add something new to the whole "social networking" craze that's been booming for the past 6 to 7 years but none of them have done it quite like the "big 3" have.
Myspace was founded back in 2003 but I did not get sucked into it until 2004 but even then it was still in it's infancy. It didn't hit it's peak in popularity until 2006 when it was recognized as the most popular social networking site on the internet. Back then you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing something about Myspace. Myspace used to be great but after they started catering more towards the music industry, movie industry, and celebrities it dropped off tremendously. A few years ago pretty much everyone used Myspace. At one point there were more than 300,000,000 profiles on it and I'm sure there are even more now. The thing that made Myspace so great was how easy it was to customize it. The different layouts you could use made it worth having a profile on. I would spend hours a day sometimes just customizing it and making it look better than everyone else. The blog feature built in was pretty nice too which is one reason why I kept going back to Myspace. But it started to get complicated and when all the adults started switching to Facebook I refused to give in. I had been using Myspace pretty much since the beginning and I wasn't ready to put as much time and effort into Facebook as I did Myspace. However eventually I had to open a Facebook account because everyone stopped using Myspace and well, that site just got lame and now mostly teenagers use it.
Now there is Facebook which in my opinion took all the positive features (minus the customizing of the profile) from Myspace and just added to it and made it a lot more simple to use. I'm so glad they don't have a "top friends" option because that always made the rest of your friends jealous or feel unimportant. Worst feature ever if you ask me so thank God for it not being on Facebook. I also love Facebook because ever since I started using it I've gotten back into contact with people I hadn't spoken to in 10 or more years. I love the "like" feature as well. Almost EVERY website you go to now is connected to Facebook in some way so you can "like" pretty much anything from anywhere and it saves it to your Facebook. The only drawback to Facebook from my point of view is all the dang applications and games you can add to it. Not to mention all the "requests" and "invites" you get from people to play these games. It doesn't bother me all that much because I'm a gamer but I refuse to let myself get sucked into any Facebook games because they can be so time consuming and addicting that you forget about everything else. A lot of the games require you to have friends help you do things on them. Castle Age was like that and I had to add almost 100 extra people that played that game to my Facebook so they could help me advance in the game. I quit playing all Facebook games after that because I just don't like having people on my friends list if I don't actually know them or really talk to them. Granted forcing you to team up with people in order to advance in games is a great way to make new friends I'd just rather skip all of that and only add people I actually know in real life.
Alright, and now to the thing that may rub people the wrong way, but don't get upset because I'm guilty of doing this exact same thing. My question is, "when did everyone all of a sudden start feeling like their life was so important that they felt the need to tell everyone everything they are doing at the moment or will be doing in the future?" We've got people tweeting and updating their status messages on Facebook and Myspace every hour now days (I'm guilty of updating my status at least a few times a day). Yes it makes for great social interaction and gives you an insight into the lives of the people you either friend or follow on Twitter but at the same time it can be hella annoying. I'm not griping or bitching by any means because like I said, I'm guilty of doing this myself. The biggest issue I have with this is that most of the time the updates are pointless (mine included). Seriously, does anyone REALLY care that one of your plants died yesterday? Or that you were up until 3 in the morning doing homework or studying for a test? Is there really a need to update your status message to "Goodnight Facebook, hope everyone has sweet dreams!". I understand that doing these things may make you feel important because you know people are reading it but the stuff we are actually saying is pretty unimportant to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on changing my Facebook habits just because of what I've said in this post. And I'm not bashing anyone for doing these things because I do them too. I just don't understand why we all believe that even the most tedious things are worth posting as our status on any of these sites that's all.
All in all I think the evolution of social networking has been a great thing for the world. The benefits of using these sites far outweigh the negative aspects simply because they allow us to stay in contact with family and friends we may not otherwise socialize with had it not been for these sites. So regardless of all the garbage that is posted to Twitter, the overload of music and corporate profiles on Myspace, and the thousands of games and gifts you get sent on Facebook....I would have to say I enjoy this whole social networking thing. I've been swept away in the craze just like everyone else however I refuse to use Twitter. I've cut back the amount of time I'm on Myspace to maybe once a week. I am guilty of checking and updating my Facebook more than a few times a day though and I do not see that slowing down any time soon.
I think I've managed to use the words Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook more than any other person ever has before. *sigh*
I think Twitter is the most untrustworthy social networking site to use if you're looking for up to date news on your favorite people. Not only that but how confident are we in knowing that it's the actual celebrity, sports star, politician, or news program that is doing the tweeting? This is the biggest reason why I won't join Twitter or even pay any attention to it because I know a lot of these people pay someone to update their Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace accounts for them. And a lot of the time the people updating these sites are inputting news that may not even have to do with the actual person. Most of the stuff posted on Twitter is just random garbage quotes that mean absolutely nothing to the person who owns the Twitter account. It also bugs the crap out of me when I'm watching a program and they quote statements that celebrities and the like post to Twitter knowing good and well that it's usually a publicist that is making these statements not the actual person. However these broadcasters take everything that is said on Twitter as fact and to me that makes them pretty naive if they believe everything they read on that site.
I'm pretty sure Classmates.com is the first social networking site of it's kind that was created and it started back in 1995. However we're not going to talk about Classmates.com because it was pretty much forgotten about once Myspace and Facebook came around. There are a ton of social networking sites to use out there including dating sites and blog sites but for the sake of this post we'll stick with the big 3 of Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook. The rest of the sites are pretty unimportant and insignificant compared to these 3 so there is no use in really talking about them. I will say this though, they each add something new to the whole "social networking" craze that's been booming for the past 6 to 7 years but none of them have done it quite like the "big 3" have.
Myspace was founded back in 2003 but I did not get sucked into it until 2004 but even then it was still in it's infancy. It didn't hit it's peak in popularity until 2006 when it was recognized as the most popular social networking site on the internet. Back then you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing something about Myspace. Myspace used to be great but after they started catering more towards the music industry, movie industry, and celebrities it dropped off tremendously. A few years ago pretty much everyone used Myspace. At one point there were more than 300,000,000 profiles on it and I'm sure there are even more now. The thing that made Myspace so great was how easy it was to customize it. The different layouts you could use made it worth having a profile on. I would spend hours a day sometimes just customizing it and making it look better than everyone else. The blog feature built in was pretty nice too which is one reason why I kept going back to Myspace. But it started to get complicated and when all the adults started switching to Facebook I refused to give in. I had been using Myspace pretty much since the beginning and I wasn't ready to put as much time and effort into Facebook as I did Myspace. However eventually I had to open a Facebook account because everyone stopped using Myspace and well, that site just got lame and now mostly teenagers use it.
Now there is Facebook which in my opinion took all the positive features (minus the customizing of the profile) from Myspace and just added to it and made it a lot more simple to use. I'm so glad they don't have a "top friends" option because that always made the rest of your friends jealous or feel unimportant. Worst feature ever if you ask me so thank God for it not being on Facebook. I also love Facebook because ever since I started using it I've gotten back into contact with people I hadn't spoken to in 10 or more years. I love the "like" feature as well. Almost EVERY website you go to now is connected to Facebook in some way so you can "like" pretty much anything from anywhere and it saves it to your Facebook. The only drawback to Facebook from my point of view is all the dang applications and games you can add to it. Not to mention all the "requests" and "invites" you get from people to play these games. It doesn't bother me all that much because I'm a gamer but I refuse to let myself get sucked into any Facebook games because they can be so time consuming and addicting that you forget about everything else. A lot of the games require you to have friends help you do things on them. Castle Age was like that and I had to add almost 100 extra people that played that game to my Facebook so they could help me advance in the game. I quit playing all Facebook games after that because I just don't like having people on my friends list if I don't actually know them or really talk to them. Granted forcing you to team up with people in order to advance in games is a great way to make new friends I'd just rather skip all of that and only add people I actually know in real life.
Alright, and now to the thing that may rub people the wrong way, but don't get upset because I'm guilty of doing this exact same thing. My question is, "when did everyone all of a sudden start feeling like their life was so important that they felt the need to tell everyone everything they are doing at the moment or will be doing in the future?" We've got people tweeting and updating their status messages on Facebook and Myspace every hour now days (I'm guilty of updating my status at least a few times a day). Yes it makes for great social interaction and gives you an insight into the lives of the people you either friend or follow on Twitter but at the same time it can be hella annoying. I'm not griping or bitching by any means because like I said, I'm guilty of doing this myself. The biggest issue I have with this is that most of the time the updates are pointless (mine included). Seriously, does anyone REALLY care that one of your plants died yesterday? Or that you were up until 3 in the morning doing homework or studying for a test? Is there really a need to update your status message to "Goodnight Facebook, hope everyone has sweet dreams!". I understand that doing these things may make you feel important because you know people are reading it but the stuff we are actually saying is pretty unimportant to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on changing my Facebook habits just because of what I've said in this post. And I'm not bashing anyone for doing these things because I do them too. I just don't understand why we all believe that even the most tedious things are worth posting as our status on any of these sites that's all.
All in all I think the evolution of social networking has been a great thing for the world. The benefits of using these sites far outweigh the negative aspects simply because they allow us to stay in contact with family and friends we may not otherwise socialize with had it not been for these sites. So regardless of all the garbage that is posted to Twitter, the overload of music and corporate profiles on Myspace, and the thousands of games and gifts you get sent on Facebook....I would have to say I enjoy this whole social networking thing. I've been swept away in the craze just like everyone else however I refuse to use Twitter. I've cut back the amount of time I'm on Myspace to maybe once a week. I am guilty of checking and updating my Facebook more than a few times a day though and I do not see that slowing down any time soon.
I think I've managed to use the words Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook more than any other person ever has before. *sigh*
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Quick update
I know I haven't posted anything in well, a while and I'm way over due. But with school forcing me to "assess" myself and write all these papers and do powerpoint presentations over them the last thing I've felt like doing was coming here just to talk about myself some more. Yes, I'm being selfish and I'm sorry because a lot of you actually enjoy reading my posts and for those of you I'm sorry. Hopefully I'll get the writing bug again soon and I can start adding more entries. I'm not gone though! Just been focused on learning how to become a good college student that's all. If all goes as planned I'll have more to say within the next day or so. Anyways that's my update! Be on the look out for one of my signature book long entries soon.
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