NJN Network

Web 2.0 Fascism

By Stephen Pate

My dad taught me never to take shit from anyone. Talk about an independent streak. That was a pretty brave thing for him to teach a little crippled boy since everyone has to mange merde most of your life.

That streak of independence, a poor man’s Cool Hand Luke, has stuck with me. Cool Hand Luke combined inebriation with ne pas mange merde. He continued to act inappropriately and generally doomed himself.

Thus my variation on the theme is don’t take shit but keep yourself out of trouble, sort of a high wire act.

I’m been reasonably successful at relationships, jobs, career etc. until the coup de gras at which point I walk away, fight or get even.

As you might gather, I’m not a joiner. I’d rather quit the JW’s, Rotary or any other body into group-think. I’m into free think.

Friends have been importuning me to re-join Facebook. I do miss the fun but I don’t hang around with Fascists. While we think of Mussolini and Hitler as Fascists, the term has become synonymous with  “exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control” (Merriam Webster Online Dictionary)

Facebook is the Web 2.0 version of Fascism. Actually, there is a lot of Fascism on Web 2.0.

Have you read those agreements you sign to get free this or that on the web. They can take your personal information, sell it to anyone or use it anyway they like and you can’t do diddly.

I knew this in the back of my mind and Peter Rukavina’s article reminded me that Facebook was not a nice company.

Then they started hassling me. Wrong move. I don’t menge merde for anyone. First sending messages to all my friends was bad. Then sending to 500 was bad. Like true Fascists, Facebook won’t let you know the limits so you have to guess if you’re going too fast on the 401.

At the last 200 messages was too many. So one day I sent 1,200 and watched them panic. Disabled. Well I’m already disabled so that was no threat! I laugh at your stinkin’ rules.

There is a real Fascist story below that event but I’ll save that for another blog.

So all my 1,200 Facebook friends, RSS this blog or send me your email address.

Mine is stephen_pate@hotmail.com and has been since Hotmail opened. I’ve got tons of gmail accounts but I love Hotmail. So basic – if you’re not in my email list, bingo you’re spam. What could be easier?

Stay free and I will remember you.
You’ll see me hanging around
Singing on a street or in a bar
Laughing with my friends
Keeping free but never far
Always there and always caring
I’ll remember you oh yes I will.
@ copyright 2009 Stephen Pate