25 Random Things The Times and Time Mag Don't Agree On

Today's NY Times has a cute feature on the Facebook meme where "friends" ask each other to share 25 random details of their lives and then pass it along to 25 more people, like a chain letter. The Times says the list "seems to be a creative way to indulge in social networking without coming off as needy or shamelessly self-absorbed." They then reveal items posted by people they spoke to for the article (in a way that makes them more engaging than the lists themselves) that are among the nearly five million notes on people’s profiles have been created in the last week. Meanwhile at Time Magazine today, columnist Claire Suddath rips the lists a new one, saying she's "finally found something more stupid than Twitter." She says the lists of mundane details about people's lives have taught her that, "Most people aren't funny, they aren't insightful, and they share way too much." We're guessing that at some point she's noted this sentiment in her Facebook status.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Billy Parker in Arts & Entertainment on February 5, 2009 6:18 PM

Comments [rss]

jamesdamian

This is why Time magazine is outdated and sucks.

The Edge

Twitter is just a big mess.

Blech.

nice job

Why is this new? Did they really just discover these things?

This just reminds me of those myspace (or even livejournal—anyone remember that place?) chain bulletins where you would answer trivial questions about yourself. Those things were always stupid and useless and usually only filled out by teenagers.

zodak

exactly, all these n00bs are acting like they discovered fire. these stupid lists are old & myspace people have just recycled these things when they opened a facebook account.

facebook is just a free version of aol for people who don't know how to use the internet.

don't know how to use friendfeed or twitter? use status updates.

don't know how to use blogger? use notes

don't know how to use flickr? use facebook pictures

don't know how to use youtube? use facebook videos

don't know how to use delicious, reddit or digg? use facebook links.

don't know how to use going or evite? use facebook events

don't know how to use meetup or yahoogroups? use facebook groups.

don't know how to buy software in a store? install an app.

dwarbi

zodak, while I agree with you that many of those products are superior to their Facebook counterparts, you're missing the point. Facebook enables you to manage all that in one place.

JMH

I have to agree with dwarbi - there's something to be said for one-stop shopping.

tingo

Why can't we just let people have a little chance to express themselves to their friends online without psychoanalyzing it and saying it's a commentary on our vain society?

If you don't like it, go to a cafe. You probably won't talk to anyone there, either.

matty

she sounds like a cunt. personally i am amazed she gets paid to be one.

GOP

Claire Suddath's piece wasn't funny, wasn't insightful, and shared way too much about herself. I actually like reading the lists my friends make. She needs new friends.

Kevin Walsh

Well I agree with her about twitter. If they'd change the verb from 'tweet' I'd take it seriously.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=53133375212&ref=mf

jaycjay

Any time I see someone writing a response to someone seeming to get apoplectic over something in a published piece or whatever, I always want to ask "How do you know she even really feels that way, and isn't just writing something so she could get paid?"

I'd complain a lot more, about every little thing I could think of, if I could get paid when I did it. And she got paid for her rant. Unlike you. And me.

Gena

Any time I see someone get so apoplectic over something like this, or Twitter or whatever, I always want to ask "Did someone force you at gunpoint to start a Facebook account? Are you under contractual obligation to add everyone who makes a friending request?" No one needs to be on Facebook, so if Suddath is tired of suffering fools she can either delete her profile or lock it down and only add people she knows. Problem solved. All this "I can't believe I have to deal with these boring, annoying attention whores" stuff is kind of unnecessary.