Friday 17 October 2008

Tenuous link ahead

This is post number 401. I looked up 401 on wikipedia, because I had the vague idea that I'd once heard a detective or maybe it was a policeman (fictional, probably Colombo or Beverley Hills Cop, although I'd quite like to talk to a detective. One who carried a magnifying glass, like Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple. Was Sherlock the one who solved the mystery of the theft which turned out to be an orangutan? or was that another detective? Arthur Conan Doyle. He was Sherlock, wasn't he?) say something like "Ok, I'm on the scene. What's the 401". Firstly can anyone confirm from that ramble if I am correct, or if I just made that whole thing up in my head? Secondly, actually - I think I did make that up. But anyway so I looked it up on Wikipedia and there was nothing linking the number 401 to any sort of 'procurement of information' type meaning, so I thought "Ah! 101!" and looked that up instead. Are you with me?

The entry had this quote which I remember (well I remember liking the idea) from George Orwell's 1984. I also learnt today that "Orwell named Room 101 after a conference room at BBC Broadcasting House where he used to sit through tedious meetings". Ha! Imagine that. Anyway, observe:

You asked me once, what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.


Today I'd like to put facebook into Room 101. Actually I wanted to put facebook into Room 101 earlier in the week and ever since I joined it really - because Facebook, as I have discussed before is the DEVIL.

Never is Facebook more of a devil when you know you shouldn't be on it. Never is facebook more of a hinderance when your relationship goes a bit Delhi-belly.

Never has being informed of everyone's movements been so frustrating. Never have I hated more the fact that it's so bloody observant and quick to report back, like a school snitch. Never has the lure of clicking around and being nosey, curiosity killing the cat repeatedly every minute that blue and white logo appears on the screen, been so strong.

Thankfully, I'm doing a good job of resisting the temptation of all that information and knowledge, just a few clicks away. I don't need it for my social arrangements having discovered that people do still talk on the phone, which is a relief.

But right now I just wish it into room 101. The mutual friends staring me in the face, the profile information, the photos, the status updates, the walls, the live feed, the whole lot.

Because never has avoiding it been so hard.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

haha yeah it is police talk. See here

Well done on avoiding Facebook. It can indeed be the devil.

The Unbearable Banishment said...

I’m with you 110% on this! Facebook—hell the entire internet—is nothing but trouble. It’s a test of your will power to not go poking around where you shouldn’t. I have failed time and time again, but I’m hopeful that one day I’ll conquer these harmful impulses.

Anonymous said...

Some married friends of mine recently separated – divorce looms. Their relationship status change, one after the other in quick succession, followed by a status change from the man to something along the lines of free and loving it was, I’m afraid to say, pitiful.

Robbie said...

Plus you don't want this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7676285.stm) to happen.

Mouldy-Old-Tartlet said...

I've been wondering this, and, eek, am probably also going to get struck down by lightning for just asking this, but why dont you just delete your Facebook account?

Time Traveller said...

Or disable it for a while :)

Time Traveller said...

Isn't it 'whats the 411'?

Robbie said...

I thought it was 441?

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

thanks reluctant. me and the devil do not want to dance this week.

unbearable- oh I know, and things will probably only get worse in that respect. the net is taking over. bleugh :(

mjohnson - I'm so anti the whole playing games on facebook shiz...it's such a playground activity.

robbie - hahaha...oh dear...when 'cancel relationship' goes wrong eh?

m.o.t- I suppose I just don't want to deny myself something that on occasion is quite useful and has put me in touch with (ok a load of idiots) but also some friends too.. especially just for the sake of a few difficult weeks.

timetraveller - disable / ignore, I think that's the right idea! And yes, 411! That's the badger!

411 it is. My post has officially no relevance to anything in the first paragraph...gooood.

Robbie said...

So it's 411, at least you have something to write about in 10 posts time.

Semaphore said...

I finally asked my American friend what "the 411" is. Apparently it's like American directory enquiries (I think), so to get the 411 is to the info. Possibly (I was quite drunk at the time).

And yeah, facebook has caused me a lot of pain many MANY times. Telling me my ex had got back with his ex (briefly). Telling me a guy I really fancied had moved on and shagged some random girl he met in a club. Telling me my boyfriend had met up with his ex and hadn't told me. It's just - it makes me think of those old stories with the moral "be careful what you wish for" - like, all the useful stuff comes with a price...

I really feel for you, by the way. I hope this all works out.

Marika said...

Facebook is one of those necessary evils - even my most techno-phobic girlfriends have managed to slap up a profile picture because they were missing out on events that were organised solely online through that...application thingo.

I'm waiting for the day when it comes to light that in fact, Facebook is a tool of the government, and they now have so many incriminating pictures, comments and information about us, we must all do as they say or they will have us killed.

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

robbie- the countdown is on

semaphore - thanks. I'm trying to prevent exactly the kind of damage you went through. Do I noooo need to see every movement.

Marika - yeeaaaah it's a massive conspiracy! Plus you're right, its just one of those necessary things. You don't have to be involved, but it's good just to have it there so you don't get left out of things.

Agent Elle said...

Oh God, I hate Facebook. For the same reasons: I simply got fed up of everyone knowing what I was doing. Seriously. So I deactivated my account.

The annoying thing is, now I have to RE-activate every time I want to cyber-stalk someone. That just sucks. :P

 

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