I'll join a facebook group, that'll show em.

Last week when browsing the driftnet full of nonsense that is social networking I saw that one of my 'social network friends' had joined a group entitled "the volcanic ash cloud did more to stop immigration that the last 13 years of government". This is a loose title as I believe it's now been taken down.

Now, is it just me or is that a little racist? Is it right to point that out to this person? The potential ramifications of accusing someone of being out of order in such a public arena could be quite upsetting. Especially with social networking, calling someone out for being potentially racist in front of the nearest and dearest is edgy to say the least.

I was a little put off that someone I knew would think that such a group would be a ok thing to join. But maybe that’s purely a political difference between us and there's nothing wrong with this whatsoever. I find the general 'group' thing on social networks a very mixed bag. My gut feeling is that most of the groups, say 99.99% of them are fluff. It's a way of imprinting yourself, your personality and quirks on your profiles. A hundred little labels that say, "This is part of me".

Some people are certainly habitual 'joiners' and seek to pass on this cool new thing they've joined to all and sundry. My biggest question about the whole thing is the value people attribute to there groups. Do people join them more to show empathy with a cause (more on that later) or because they believe joining a group can make a difference.

To suggest one scenario: A man or woman walks up to you and tells you that have a facebook group that has ten million members. This group is called 'you name here needs to wear more red' Would that group make a difference, can it? Fairly lame example for my argument to be fair but does any group no matter what size have any power to make a difference? Do the people joining the groups believe in the cause of was it a case of just not reading and clicking ok? If there is any power here, what limit is there on what’s achievable.

Is this the ultimate in modern apathy, does one join a protest group to for better about themselves. It's an empty gesture, but could it temper a need to do something that might otherwise grow into actual useful action.

More pointless freewheeling rambling, but it was in my head.

So what do I put here?

Do I rant at the world? I certainly have enough of that to go around.
Do I pass comment on films and music I'm currently absorbing? I get through a fair bit and I consider myself fairly well versed on such matters.
Do I write in normal prose or do I wax poetic?

I'm undecided right now, I feel like I lost a little something from my life last night and although it's a silly thing it still wrenches my stomach. So given this turn of events I guess not the besrt time to start pouring out my thoughts, lest I could be labeled as an 'emo'.

I'd like to use this blog to get stuff that fills up my head out and down, even if its just for my presonal benefit. Wether it be rants on morality, religion or musings on some random thing I saw on any given day. There will be presonal lists thats are just for me. I've always wanted to get note of lists of things I have done / seen in a year. It's a male thing the list making and it hits me bigtime.

I can be a grump, I can be humourous. I seem to have some serious failings with typing however. My tendancy to edit and reedit often leaves unreadable rubbish. but this is for me so I can tweak it to my hearts content I guess. An outlet for some of my idiocy would certainly help me I believe.

Any way rambling aside, time to leave this 'thing' for a day or so while I reconcile some things.