Have You Readit on Reddit?

Image via CrunchBase

The social network Reddit appeared in one of my computer newsletters. I had heard the name, but have never bothered checking it out before. My curiosity got the best of me, so I went to the site. The first post to catch my attention was "Homosexuals will not go to heaven". Oh, I thought, it is going to be one of those sites. Being inquisitive, I clicked on the link which transferred my browser to this picture.

 

So I thought, "Okay, this isfar from the bashing I was anticipating." After giving a sigh of relief, I started reading the comments. Often, I find the comments to any type of post as good as or better than the post itself. This is one comment that made me laugh out loud.

"Ya who cares about sexual orientation, if those stairs are what you have to walk up, no American will go to heaven."

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Strange Maybe - Unique No

No one responded via e-mail about my new beyond this world business venture, but there have been a number of questioning people in my every day life. Just let me say, I thought I had hit on something totally unique. A week after the launch, there was an article in one of the technology newsletters I receive. The article is here. I am crushed. When you finally decide the time is ripe, remember there are guardian angels waiting for you here.

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I stumbled upon this article yesterday. At the time, when I saw the title, I thought here we go again, some moron posted some rant about their boss on FB, not remembering the boss was on the friends list.  How Facebook Ruined My Career is a pretty attractive title for getting your curiosity piqued. If the article is not there when you click on the title, the reporter was writing from experience. 

This got me to thinking about how dumb people can be to post things on their Facebook account when they KNOW who they have approved as friends. Bloggers at least have the rock to crawl under that we have no control over who reads our posts if we go public. I honestly try to control the mental flow that pours onto these web pages, but you know what? I have held it in all too long; at my age, it is time to throw caution to the wind. 

This blog is one thing, but what is posted here goes into my Facebook, Twitter, and Plaxo accounts automatically. All by my choice, but when someone sends me an e-mail quoting my crank of the day, I wonder "how did they know?" Duh! They read it on one of those accounts. These posts do not go out to the twenty-four other social or professional accounts people have requested that I "connect" with them. I connected with them and they have ignored me ever since. What is up with that?

Yet, the other side of this public emotional exfoliation, when I read the article referenced, I was horrified to learn that some places of employment can actually control your private, non-working hours. They can monitor your accounts and some IT companies can claim ownership of all of your intellectual properties 24/7. Alternatively, I read in the last few days that the State of New Jersey, my birthplace, has made it illegal for companies to monitor employees' private Internet usage. GO NJ!

My last observation for today is formed in a question that passes through my mind every so often. Now that we have so many "Social Networks", do we really keep in touch with that many people? It was a thrill to find some of my first cousins on Facebook, but I still don't hear from them. When I send a note, they respond to the point, no details. If we communicate in 140 characters or less are we really communicating? Anyone miss a good long chat?

 

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School is OUT! But the losses continue

School is OUT! But the losses continue

The semester is over. Yahoo!! Yesterday when I entered the grades into the computer system, marked my last day for this semester. My only summer obligation is to be on the committee for Masters Thesis defenses on June 14th. Other than this, I am free until September.

I am publicly stating my goals for the summer to try to keep me accountable for accomplishing them. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, because we are usually on vacation at that time, so who in their right mind wants to resolve anything while having fun?

Here are some of my goals:

• Move our second website to a new provider (boring)
• Rewrite my children’s ABC book (exhilarating)
• Rewrite my book on our travels since leaving CA (demanding)
• Re-title all of my photos that have 200099392.jpg on them to make them more identifiable (mind numbing)
• Visit every museum in Budapest and write a summary of it, whether or not it is appealing to me (challenging)
• Read two novels a week (easy to do)
• Blog, blog, blog (loving)
• Prepare three new classes for the fall (invigorating)

Summer is so anticipatory in April, but when it actually rolls around, I miss my students. One class has been with me for four semesters; it is emotional saying good-bye to them. They become part of my extended family, having spent hours with many of them outside of the classroom as within. Many contact me over the summer months to meet for a coffee or beer; contact with them will not be totally absent. I always want to do the group hug thing, but Hungarians are not huggers. Darn them!

Yesterday, John and Mike left for the States. John was the former Fulbright Scholar who returned for a Hospice Conference. He has made inroads with the Ministry of Health by showing them money saving options for in-patient care. His partner Mike is a pleasure to share time with. We will miss them both.

In another ten days, Beth the Nursing Professor and her husband Bob will be returning to the States also. They have been exceptional company and mentally stimulating.

Our adopted nephew will be leaving in August for a year in the States. As happy as we are for him, he is closer to us than my own nephews. It will be a major void in our life not having him around. He is such a high-quality human being; he deserves the honor and scholarship he received. I will be at a loss without his assistance at the university next year. He has been indispensable with the new students, getting them oriented to university life.

In August, we will have to start our cycle all over again with meeting new Fulbright Scholars and creating a social network all over again. And life goes on.

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