I am not technophobic.
Despite my arrival into the age bracket that tradtionally shuns, disparages and/or naysays contemporary living, often lapsing into one version, or another, of what basically boils down to the iconic "back in my day", I have always been fairly comfortable with whatever advances technology makes at any given time.
To wit, when they first came along, my VCR did not blink 12:00. I made effortless, even enthusiastic transitions from eight tracks to cassettes to CD's to Mp3.
Likewise from Beta to VHS to Laser Disc to DVD.
I've resisted BluRay thus far, but not as a generational protest, more an expression of consumer opinion that for whatever minute difference there might be from one set of pixels to another set of pixels with these average viewer's eyes, there's not much sense in spending a lot of money to, essentially, buy new copies of the movies I already own.
I did that when I moved from Beta to VHS to Laser Disc to DVD.
I love "Wrath of Khan" as much as the next guy, but there comes a time you have to draw a line.
So, I'm not going to gladly suffer any fools who want to label me as being out of step with the times.
I think today's happenings are totally groovy.
That said, it occurs that not everything that glitters, or downloads, is genuine fourteen karat.
Or fourteen gigs as the case may be.
I caught an article on line that caused me to access that part of my RAM where I store my suspicions.
Here's a link. Take a look and then we'll chat.
For those of you born after 1995, that means we'll reboot the conversation.
http://mashable.com/2012/11/24/apps-roundup-11-24/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box8805
While this article isn't particulary unique, it does underscore a perspective I have long possessed but only occasionally voiced, both out of respect for contemporary points of view and in order to insure my continued membership in the "he's getting older but at least he knows the difference between megabyte and megatron" club.
Here's the thing about the thing, though.
If you go back and look again, you'll see that the lion's share of the new apps being hyped here are really nothing more, or less, than variations on the basic social networking paradigm, in the versions illustrated here, pretty much short shot comment sites. And no matter what you call it, it all pretty much posts the same.
A tweet by any other name, as it were.
Okay. Here's the down low on my problem with the glut of upload.
Seriously, kids, how many different methods of communication do we require in order to, essentially, do little more than share with others what we are doing at any given moment of the day?
And, more to the point, besides your wife, husband, kids, BFF and/or mistress (in case you're a general or director of any large Federal agency), who cares that you are now at "Ernie's Beach Towel Town" or about to watch "Real Housewives of Suburban Waukeegan" or can't stop laughing because your cat missed the litter box and hilariously shit in your Cheerios?
One sure risk in dissing the download crowd is being labeled as a mega-malcontent and having to live with the whispers, snickers and assorted OMG's, IKR's and WTF's that inevitably start flying around behind your back the moment you post your position.
And, depending on your age, of course, you can pretty much bet that any pilloring of participation in the exchange of mindless minutae will result in your being ostracized by those whose day simply doesn't seem worth living unless they can post their beach towel and/or real housewife and/or cat shit status.
But, at the risk of having my bleak picture tagged while bracing for the flood of unfriending sure to follow, I can't help but wonder...
Where are we going to find the space to fill and, as a result, live our lives to the fullest when our lives are so full of other people's lives?
Where's the app for that?
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