I love technology. There, I said it. I'm like Wired. I think that technology and science are the one and only way to go. So naturally, you would think (or at least I would think) that this article that espouses how social networking and Web 2.0 can make life bit-rate perfect would be right down my alley. WRONG! I think that social networking is really cool and I think that it has its uses. But who the hell is going to transfer money from their bank account to a supermarket to help a homeless person?
Call me heartless (I actually am heartless but that shouldn't surprise you by now) but the author of that article is full of sh*t. You see, the publisher of the article, CNET, is headquartered in San Francisco. Now, San Francisco is the mecca for the counter-culture and GLBT community but it's also a mecca for something else. You wonder where Guliani sent all the homeless in New York? Well, just train your eyes on the city by the bay.
San Francisco is very tolerant of the homeless. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about them. Anyway, basically what I'm saying is that the CNET article is trying to appeal to the Snob Hill (reference to Nob Hill) techie elitists. So I guess that I would fall more in line with this guy's views of social networkings' potential. But only to an extent. I'm sorry but anyone who disses Wikipedia (praise be to it!) is a heretic. Oh... I guess I'm in the other camp now...
Sunday, December 2, 2007
What can social networking do for you?
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5 comments:
There was a very funny South Park episode that I don't know if you saw, that the homeless came to South Park and infested, looking for change. South Park: Night Of The Living Homeless.
I agree with your comment: "But who the hell is going to transfer money from there bank account to a supermarket to help a homeless person?" Not I. I would rather hand it to them where I can be sure that they are receiving it, and the money is getting distributed as should be. I don't want to know what they will use the money for, but can only hope that it goes to a good cause.
Tim,
I really admire how you took an article trying to sound perhaps self-righteous and found a flaw in their argument.
In other news: in regards to mike's comment about whether I'd rather hand a homeless person money or donate some to a grocery store in the same effort.
I'd do neither of those, I'd rather physically hand food to a homeless person. I've done that a few times and once they were very appreciative and another time the guy didn't want it and kept asking for money despite the fact he had been asking for money for a hamburger. clearly hamburger is code for crack.
Yea, that episode was great. I loved the "subtle" references to Day of the Dead and then the great tune. It's funny cause it's true...
Sarah, hamburger is to crack as:
(a) broccoli is to crystal?
(b) milk is to vodka?
(c) penicillin is to LSD?
(d) a rubber duckie is to heroin?
... I am so going to hell.
Tim, to answer your analogy, "yes, basically"
additionally, i'd also rather hand them food than anything else without having to deal WITHOUT the bureaucratic system...
I agree with all of you. It is really difficult to think that people would be willing to help someone they have never met before or transfer money out of their bank accounts to help a homeless person. But, as joe pointed out in my blog, there are all kinds of people, some that are possibly more generous than I am who would be willing to follow these services.
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