resist, resist!

[arethinn]

I must be what passes for a Luddite among my extremely geeky peer group:

1. I do not do MySpace.

2. I do not do Facebook.

3. I only use IM for talking to enotsola.

4. The big shocker: I do not have a cell phone or equivalent. (This always seems to throw customer-service types for a loop. They stutter amusingly for a moment while they skip to the next personal-information question.)

Comments

[digitalsidhe.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty damn close:

1. I do not do MySpace. In fact, I rarely even so much as even look at a MySpace page, because they often make me wish I had a spoon around that I could stab out my eyes with. I recently tweaked my Firefox userContent.css file to alert me when a hyperlink leads to a myspace.com URL, just so I can avoid them more easily.


2. Okay, I have a Facebook account. I occasionally fiddle with it a little, but I'm by no means a serious aficionado.


3. I only use IM at work, for talking with co-workers.


4. I do not have a cell phone, and never have. I had a pager for a while, as required by my sysadmin job.

On the other hand, as someone who runs his own web, email, and DNS server out of his own home, I don't think anyone can quite call me a Luddite.

(While we're at it, the word "Luddite" should properly be reserved for people who are actively hostile to technology, and especially to technology in general — not simply people who don't feel the need to personally buy in to a particular technology, work-style, or gadget.)

[starlightforest.livejournal.com]

they often make me wish I had a spoon around that I could stab out my eyes with.

It's dull, you twit! It'll hurt more!

While we're at it, the word "Luddite" should properly be reserved for people who are actively hostile to technology

I am actively hostile towards these things. For a cell phone, I hate the idea that someone might be able to get a hold of me at any time, out of my control, and demand an immediate reply. Also, like you, most MySpace pages make me want to stab my eyes out with a spoon, so again, active hostility.

That said, I was being a little tongue in cheek with the word.

[digitalsidhe.livejournal.com]

It's dull, you twit! It'll hurt more!

That's the point. Especially since it would still hurt less than looking at the MySpace page.

I am actively hostile towards these things.

Oh, okay then. Cool. I've just heard the term used too many times by people who simply mean "Not a serious geek; not making maximum use of technology."

See, those folks need to quit diluting the term, so that when you use it properly, I'll understand you the way you mean it!

[starlightforest.livejournal.com]

"It's dull, you twit! It'll hurt more!"

That's the point. Especially since it would still hurt less than looking at the MySpace page.

Erm, it was a quote?

[digitalsidhe.livejournal.com]

Oh. Erm, I don't recognize it? :)

[starlightforest.livejournal.com]

Sherriff of Nottingham in Prince of Thieves. I forget the context.