There are many ways to communicate, but there are even more ways to fail to communicate. The most important of these I call, 'The Curse of FaceBook'. It's a mysterious thing, and, on the face of it, should never happen. After all, Social Networking sites are all about 'communication', in the widest sense. How could they lead to non-communication? Or worse, misunderstandings and antagonism?
The first problem is the very ease with which communications are possible on sites like FaceBook. While enjoying a session on your page, you can 'nudge' a friend; write a comment on their 'Wall'; send them a message or comment on something they have up. In all, it may be that when you leave and log off, there are several 'communications' that have passed between you. When your friend logs on, which do they choose to reply to? That's the first problem. It's as though you've written your friend a letter; sent them an email; a text; left them a message on their answerphone; and passed on a message via a mutual friend. There are now five actual 'communications' that need a reply. If you fail to get one - even just one out of the five - there is an opportunity to feel slighted and undervalued. Same with FaceBook. Even if your pal has commented on your comment, and replied to your reply, then you will still be looking to see if they've noticed your note on their Photos page. No matter how detailed and precise the first of these replies might be, you've already set yourself up to fail. There's a good chance, a very good chance, that your friend's replies won't match yours in terms of numbers or enthusiasm, in which case, you're disappointed. But this is what happens; lots of people join FaceBook, but their enthusiasm varies. Some visit the site every day, some once a week. It's not as though you're working in the same office as these pals from your past and see them every day. It's not as though they are still fellow students at your University any more. They have more in their lives now, other priorities. If you're a keen FaceBooker, you're bound to feel let down that everyone else is not as addicted as you.
The second problem is that hidden in that storm of chatter, there might actually be a significant point. Unfortunately, it's going to get lost. I know this to my cost. I have written a paragraph that talks about what fun we had last year; how wonderful the weather is; how great it would be to do it all again; and when are we going to meet up? It's only the last point that needs an answer: often, it never arrives. I'm upset. That was an actual question. Look, I'm saying, when are you going to be in town next? They've replied, oh, sure they have, and told me about their weather and the problems with their car and children. But try as I might, I can't find an answer to my specific query. That's the problem with social networking: it's vague, it's rambling, it's cheerful but not direct. It's like a bunch of people having a chat down the pub. How easy is it to say, 'Hold on, guys. What time are we leaving for the party?' How easy is it to get people to address the question over the hubbub? You need one thing that the pub (and the Social Network) can't offer: you need focus. It just isn't there.
There's a third way in which the whole system can jam up. The fervent FaceBooker logs on, makes some comments, asks some questions and makes some cheeky points. They log on the next day, eagerly looking for feedback. Suppose there isn't any? Now we have a new problem. The regular Networker starts to get impatient. After all, they have things to say, points to make. They have made comments and want comments back. When they don't get any, they irritatedly start to make more. That's when things really start to get confusing. It happened to me: after a week, a so-called 'friend' of mine eventually got round to looking at their FaceBook page. At that juncture, they were faced with four messages from me. They decided to answer them all at once. What happened? The inevitable; they didn't actually answer any of the vital questions. They commented on the weather; made some cracks about schools; quipped about their job; and complained about money. That bit - the vital bit - about meeting up, was lost.
It's as though your really are down the pub and everyone else is blind drunk. Sure, you can have a laugh. Sure, you can chat about the 'old times' and kid yourself what a great thing it all was. What you can't do is the one thing that is the essence of communication: you can't get a straight answer to a straight question. Ask yourself, if you came back from holiday and found 71 messages in your email box, how likely is it that you would be able to make a coherent reply to each and every one? But that's what 'Social Networking' is all about. You've got a bunch of people clamouring for your attention, each one with some point that is vital to them, (but only to them), and each person wants you - YOU - to laugh along with them, smirk with them, commiserate with them. You're being bullied and badgered and you try and put a smile on your face and grin and bear it. Oh, and that question? Sorry, what did you say? I didn't hear you. What was it? You want something? Was there a point? You were trying to say -
Social Networks are a great thing. They put you 'in touch' with people you may not see, or may not have seen for a long time. You can chat and grin with them. But don't expect to 'communicate'. For that, you need to concentrate, focus, and establish real contact. If you were on the phone to them, you would be saying things like, 'Sorry, I missed that', or 'Could you repeat that last bit?' You would be clarifying, discovering details, going over and over something. Try as I might, I can't find a way to make that happen with the websites. They promise to put you in touch, and it's fine as long as you're simply shouting 'Hello'. As soon as you actually want to say something important, well, the junk, the static, the interference, all gets in the way. It's ironic; the new networks promise more communication, but all they deliver is people vigourously waving at each other, smiling and saying 'Hello'. The amount of real, personal interaction is minimal.
Following the announcement of a new Government review of the UK's broadband needs, Geo has said it believes the key inhibitor to broadband development remains the 'middle mile' - the network that runs from the local exchanges to the core. It has called for a renewed focus on relieving this bottleneck. The Government claims its new review will look into where barriers to broadband growth lie, and says high-speed broadband services are more important than ever to the UK's future economic success. It says change is needed before so-called 'Broadband Britain' turns from fantasy into reality, and wants to 'prepare the way for the UK to adopt groundbreaking new technologies to ensure that we do not get left behind competitively or technologically'. The review is being led by Lehman Brothers' Francesco Caio, former chief executive of Cable & Wireless, and the results will be handed to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), as well as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Autumn 2008. In addition to this latest review, the Government has called on the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) to consider the economics surrounding the deployment of fibre. The BSG published its Pipe Dreams report last April outlining key areas for broadband action. Geo National Sales Director Annette Murphy stresses that the principal block on broadband development is not the well-publicised issue of local access to homes and businesses, nor the core networks that aggregate traffic between major population centres, but the 'middle mile' network that runs from local exchanges to the core. She says that with its relationships with Carphone Warehouse Networks and Tiscali, Geo is playing a key role in bridging this middle mile challenge. "There are longer term issues to be solved also, with the copper network that connects into homes and businesses," she says. "It needs to be replaced over time with fibre, as other countries such as France and South Korea are doing right now, but this is part of an evolutionary process which will include several stages of overlaying the copper assets." Murphy says this process of improving local access will take time, and will have to allow those delivering services over existing networks to maximise their investment in the copper loops. "However, these upgrades will be useless unless the high costs and limited products of the middle mile are also addressed," she believes. "For many of our customers this is the highest part of their cost base, and is an issue we can help them solve by using our fibre network to bridge the gap between their core networks and BT Openreach's access network." She says Geo is helping customers take advantage of today's facilities-based local loops offered by BT Openreach, picking up huge quantities of data traffic and transferring it over high speed fibre networks to the terminal points " whether the public internet, telehouses or data centres, or other networks - at the lowest possible unit cost. "The Government needs to be sure it understands the immediate issues before it jumps to the conclusion that the country needs optical fibre built to the home right now. The first problem to fix is the cost and availability of fibre between local exchanges and core networks," she adds. "It's a question of being able to walk before you can run.
Both Mike Scantlebury & Mary Bush are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mike Scantlebury has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Writing and After Divorce. Mike Scantlebury is trying to get through to people. As an author and Internet Publisher, he is daily aiming to communicate. Working from his office in Manchester, England, he produces books and stories, plays and articles, and puts them on one of his man. Mike Scantlebury's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.