Monday, July 25, 2011

FOMS 47: Tart Willpower 0

And I think some of you may have a guess what that means. You heard me. I joined Google+.

For those of you who DON'T know me... I should probably give you some context.


FOMS: Fear of Missing Something. You heard me. I'm a joiner. I can't bear the idea that there is a party and I'm not a part of it. So when I hear about the next best thing... there I am... early to show up.


The TROUBLE with this is there is always aNOTHER next new thing soon, and I haven't had time to master the LAST new thing... so I am signed up, but left in the role of a fumbler who is a member, but not particularly active.

The OTHER TROUBLE with this is... I can't be bothered to read the instructions. I know... It's stupid and I should just do it, but I grew up in an age where part of the JOY of something was figuring the darned thing out, and READING how to do it was CHEATING. (Am I alone here? I might have twisted that around because I really HATE to read the directions)


No clue if this is legit, but funny...
Digression and disclaimer: Directions in picture form for things that need putting together are an exception. Me and IKEA are FINE friends. Or would be, had we had any money to order stuff since IKEA first hit the US... but when I was assembling my baby stuff—I rocked. Much better than the hubby who literally starts at the step where you count the pieces.



So these new things I join... since I can't be bothered to figure them out... need to suck me in deeply enough to explore. Better yet, they need to drive me to PLAY. The places I've PLAYED... I've mastered... I mastered HPANA, including some HTLM so I could attach links and pictures... I ROCK Facebook... (before that, I didn't totally suck at MySpace). Twitter, I haven't quite got... I mean I am there, and do some stuff... but... I haven't gotten the tutorial for dummies on how to HAVE FUN there, so I haven't mastered the other stuff either...

HPANA: Gnargles&Snorkaks
Facebook: Hart Johnson
Twitter: HartJohnson



Know what else I've joined?

Goodreads: And this is nice, but seems I mostly do it to give book reviews... and... erm... I don't go looking for book reviews when I choose my reading... I am quite convinced this is a poverty thing—that I will check up on books to make decisions when I have money to BUY books... And I like the Goodreads reviews better than... say Amazon... for whatever reason, Amazon seems to draw some trolls. There are criticisms that are stupid. “This book cost too much” (hello, not within author's choice if it was traditionally published.)


(Hart Johnson)

LinkedIn: Talk about not having a clue of the function... A whole bunch of people's rolodexes, yeah? But I recently found some discussions under 'writers' and those aren't too bad, there there are two circles and there can be some friction: the self-publishing circle and the traditionally publishing circles get into it now and then. In fact at the Burrow last week I wrote a fairly detailed post on the options inspired by this unfathomable friction and very strange reverse-snobbery (the self-pubbling folks calling the others stupid for 'giving up part of their hard-earned income)...erm... yeah, okay. (If you want my real response, check out that blog)


Half a dozen writing groups... I don't remember who they are. Some of them have bookmarks at home, some at work... I join, and go back once or twice, then forget...

(Hart Johnson)


And for my finale... Google+

So what did I go and do last week? Joined Google+. I hear it's all the rage. I'm sure it must be—people I respect a lot LOVE IT...

But I will leave you with this thought... I must not get it. It currently seems to me a lot like Facebook, except it spams me (a lot) in a way I haven't figured out how to turn off. I LOVE that it is in my google bar. I ADORE that I can edit my comments. But other than that, I haven't found any advantage and find it less user friendly—harder to find the conversations I care about...

Part of this may be that I live in a TMI world and figure everyone needs to hear what I find worth saying... erm... not really, but HONESTLY, I have two FB profiles... one of people I know personally (or at least very well online) and it has my personal stuff including pictures of my childings and mishaps with life generally... Then I have my AUTHOR profile, which is mostly politics and religion free (not that the other has a lot, but around elections I may express an opinion or two) and that has my ad nauseum updates on the writing process which my friends from high school only care about at about a 20% rate, and those have friended both spots.

I saw a tutorial recently... which I left open all day intending to get to, and then got tired and closed all my windows. But it comes back to me being a person who just isn't going to read the instructions...

https://plus.google.com/115121110877145330939/posts/gtz1B32pLvc#109175187243369637583/posts

But in any case, if you'd like to join me in my cluelessness on any of the above (or tell my how to get one of those handy tools that lists the lot of them for my blog) I have listed my name on each in parentheses...

Any of you have favorites of these... Blogging and FB are remaining in top spot, though I reserve my right to learn something that changes my mind...

22 comments:

mooderino said...

Well, no one can accuse you of not being a team player.

mood
Moody Writing
@mooderino
and on Goodreads too!

Old Kitty said...

...and you join these things so NAKEDly too!!! Yay!!!!

Take care
x

Trisha said...

I'm on Google+ too, and so far I don't really get it. Sort of like Twitter... hehe.

Jan Morrison said...

Nah. I have been freakishly wild enough lately. I changed from navigator to google chrome and I loaded open office (got a new netbook and refuse to pay for stooopid microsoft word (costs more than the netbook!). I'm also going to stop using my email account and change over to gmail. In a bit. All of this TAKES SO MUCH TIME. there. I'm going back to read a certain young lady's manuscript now.
bye.
Jan Morrison

Unknown said...

Just added you on twitter and goodreads. :)

VR Barkowski said...

Meet another joiner. Not just social media, either, but writing groups. Everything from the Atlanta Writing Club, to the Historical Novel Society, to MWA, to ITW, to RWA - and those are just the biggies. I'm hopeless. I prefer blogging and FB, but I'm trying to cut back. FB I like because I can get in and out quickly, something I've never achieved on Twitter.

S.P. Sipal said...

I'm messing around with Google+ and still trying to figure it out as well. Can you provide a link to your profile?

Hart Johnson said...

Moody-teehee

Jenny-well yes, it IS all part of the Naked World Domination plan!

Trish-so glad to not be alone on both of these!

Jan-HA! Glad I included the Open version when I sent my book! You are wise to hold off. I wish I had that kind of willpower...

Amy-Excellent!

Hart Johnson said...

VR-Ha! Another one, eh? I don't join anything that costs money. I just can't. But otherwise there would be more... And that is what I like on FB, too. Twitter seems to require chunks of concentrated time. FB, I can participate in a convo that takes all day and not miss anything.

SP-erm... I think so! Let me give it a shot. If I can, I will add it above.

LTM said...

ahhh... so glad you posted this. I have to confess, I'm not getting Google+ either, AND it spams me a lot in ways I haven't learned to turn off... (wait. Didn't you say that? ;o)

Lookin more and more like FB and Blogger for me as well, my friend. (you forgot to mention Tumblr, which just defies all logic to me. what tha-?) <3

Sarah Ahiers said...

i'm pretty much only on FB, and really, maybe just once a day if i can find time.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I joined Google+ and it took me forever to figure out how to comment on my status. I don't read directions, either.

Regina said...

There are so many that it is hard to keep up. I am on some of what you mentioned but I am addicted to Goodreads. I love to read and on there you can do so many fun things and be part of a bunch of things right there at one place.

Hart Johnson said...

Leigh-yeah, I managed to avoice Tumblr--not sure how... I WANT to learn these things... just not badly enough to learn these things... knowwhatImean?

Sarah-good for you for avoiding them... I think. I keep HEARING they are all necessary, but I have no clue if they are...

Diane-glad I'm not the only one! I don't think I even have a status yet...

Hart Johnson said...

Regina-yeah, when I look around there, I have fun, but I keep thinking when I will REALLY dive in is when I have a BOOK... probably that is just me procrastinating...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I am on Goodreads now, but I haven't taken the Google+ plunge.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the Goodreads community. Such a fun place. I'm not sold on Google+ yet. I love Facebook, Twitter and Blogging...not sure I'm ready to totally delve into Google+...we'll see.... :)

Cheeseboy said...

Okay, I just added you as a friend on Goodreads and on Google +.

Here is what I've noticed about Google+: Everyone is joining, but no one is really posting anything. So, I think it is kinda lame so far.

Arlee Bird said...

You sound like me. I haven't joined Goodreads or Google+ yet, but have thought about it. I've joined so many things that I haven't mastered, rarely use, or never go back to. I mean to, but when can find the time to do all this stuff. Besides, I have blogging stuff to do and that takes up enough time.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I haven't even joined Facebook yet, Hart. You are so much more savvy at the whole social networking thing than I.

Hart Johnson said...

Alex, Lynn, Abe, Michael, I got you guys! (on goodreads, anyway)

Lee, I don't spend much time on Goodreads--I generally cluster my visits for a week all at once in a bout 10 minutes, unless I have a book review, and THAT, I look at as paying it forward.

Michael, i can't believe you're not on facebook! Where do your friends live? (meaning all mine seem to connect there--the real life ones, anyway--the writer ones are here, too, but people I really know... FB...)

SweetMarie83 said...

I feel kind of like a stalker now because I have you on Facebook, Twitter and I just sent you invites on Good Reads and LinkedIn...I know diddly about Google+ though and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who just sorta wings it and doesn't take time to read directions!