Online Communication

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Bloganuary writing prompt
In what ways do you communicate online?
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The simple answer is that I don’t. Outside of this blog, that is.

I stopped using facebook. I stopped using twitter. I’ve been trying to find an app to replace them both but nothing really gets there. Threads is okay, even though it’s another evil zuckerberg product. Mastodon is okay. So is bluesky. Unfortunately few if anyone from my actual social network is on any of those social networks so I end up just responding to guitar and photography (and sometimes political) posts from other people and it’s like I am talking to the void… which I sort of am.

At work there is Google’s chat and Google Meet and Zoom and other things like that, but that is work communication, not online communication. It’s the same but very different, you know? Within the family we use FaceTime and I love every call, as well as group texts. Again though, that’s sort of different. I think it is at least. 

This little blog gets a pretty healthy amount of engagement. Not compared to real blogs, but for a 52 year old introverted doofus in Massachusetts, it feels pretty engaged. At the same time, none of my actual social network, apart from one or two people, follows this at all so there isn’t any real world tie in. Mostly, at least. I had a few real world friends and family members following when I first started posting publicly back in 2008, but I doubt any of them are still coming around. 

It’s kinda sad, really, you know, when you stop and look at it objectively the way this daily writing prompt is forcing me to do. I often think about stopping all together, which given that I post about 6-8 times a day doesn’t quite seem possible. Still, it is like shouting at the void… but maybe deep down I enjoy shouting at the void? I don’t know.

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Published by robertjames1971

I'm wicked tall.

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9 thoughts on “Online Communication”

  2. Don’t stop writing in your blog, I find your thoughts, are very practical, and for instance, have induced me to engage in this conversation. I believe that most of the internet material is designed to promote, goods and services, which is not necessarily bad, we all need to make a living, but it can be overwhelming.

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  3. I’ve had the same thoughts about stopping, but when I thought about it further, I figured I don’t have to respond to all the prompts and I can answer anyway I want – often in a completely different direction.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. This is pretty much it for me. I left fb long ago and never used any of the others till a friend (met here, then IRL) moved to tumblr. One or twice a week I check her posts and sometimes comment, but I don’t podt there.

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  6. I’m really in very much the same spot that you are. Unfortunately, I feel like I can’t give up Facebook. I use Instagram and Threads, but not very much.

    I also try to use these different platforms for plugging my blog. And like yours, mine really doesn’t have any real world connections. This is basically almost a separate identity that I have for my blogging.

    Liked by 3 people

  8. I guess I’ve always been skeptical of online interaction on sites like FB. For some reason people lose self control
    sitting at a keyboard. I communicate on WhatsApp and FaceTime with my family.

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