Like and Drop

"Like and Drop" brings to mind "Lycanthrope" -could there be some kind of Twilight thing happening here? It's not the first thing on my mind, not even the last thing, to be honest, but here's hoping I don't wake up covered in hair.

I'm not funny. I've been told. A couple strangers went out of their way this week to let me know this on Facebook. Griefers, we call these folk in the world of the interwebs. Strangers who camp out with no other intent than to harass and provoke. I've felt their sting. They didn't like the videos I was posting. Unlike anyone else that found them unamusing, however, these unsolicited guests communicated in no uncertain terms that I'm not funny. Which means that not only did I waste their time, but they turned around and wasted mine in return. Hoo-rah.

What does this have to do with anything, you might ask, dear reader. What, indeed. You see, I've finally finally realized how Entrecard and Facebook are connected (and it's not that they're both a waste of time): they let you appreciate the better things, each one in its unique but connected fashion. I'll let you in on what I mean.

Something appreciated on Facebook has the option to be liked. There's a "like" button at the bottom right of everything posted on the newsfeed, and you can choose to click it or not, depending on your preference. Entrecard has a similar function, in the form of a "drop" button. A similar function in my mind, anyhow.

I don't see a great divide between "liking" and "dropping" in any other light than dropping has an attached value of Entrecard credits that can be used to advertise, in the loosest form of the word, on other blogs. The value of liking on Facebook is advertising on someone else's profile that what they posted was found worthwhile. Not terribly similar, but not miles apart, either.

Both are positive acts of reinforcement and miles apart from what griefers will do to you, at least.

The Boon of Entrecard

http://www.chethstudios.net/2009/01/social-media-wallpaper-pack-entrecard.html

Entrecard has been good to me, creating access to great blogs that I might otherwise have missed in the teeming multitude of the online community. Dropping on these sites enables me to see the latest (if any) posts by writers whose work I admire and enjoy. Though it might appear a bit hinky to acknowledge others' work by dropping on it, this form of currency is not meant to compete with pigeons but to establish an exchange rate of real value, which is to say established by the quality of the work. I've really come to appreciate this unique aspect of Entrecard.

Forums are something I miss, a bygone aspect of Entrecard that seems now like part of a distant and simpler past. They provided direct contact with the network on a variety of topics, the kinds of things you don't often discuss in personal messages with people you've never a met but enjoy conversing with on intelligent and stimulating subjects. Now I fall back on comments, which are even more impersonal. I would like to see the forums return. It would also be good to see better diligence on buggy sites. Not that it happens often, but every once in awhile there is a run of bad blogs that make me question Entrecards' due diligence. I've come to realize the value of connections with "good" blogs sufficiently to keep me dropping; by the same token, the slightest increase of viral sites in this community could easily drive me away.

Overall, Entrecard has been a positive experience and I expect to continue dropping for the foreseeable future.

http://entrecard.com/blog/?p=1593

Whackadoodle Wednesday

Okay, I kiped "whackadoodle" from last night's marathon viewing of Big Bang Theory, as a catchall for my doings of late; besides hammering away at the seventh draft of the novel, I've had no small amount of diversions to while away the hours, not least among them the always enjoyable and geeky antics of the Big Bang gang. If you've never watched this show and have room in your schedule for a consistently funny sitcom, this is the one for you.

Speaking of marathons, I crammed in a welter of hours on Bioshock 2 last week. For the uninitiated, this sequel to one of the most ingenious games in recent memory takes place in Rapture, a city at the bottom of the sea. Intended as an Ayn Rand-ian Objectivist utopia, both games take us on a tour of this vision gone sour: empowered individuals, as it turns out, will do anything they can to kill and maim their way to the top of all those other individuals. Shocking. Still, the level design is top shelf, replete with Art Deco architecture, the writing is as rich as any novel, and unlike the first game, Bioshock 2 has satisfying finale. And honestly, I was no less satisfied because this would be my last gaming jag for awhile.

Now that I can no longer use my birthday as an excuse, my focus is back on selling the novel to publishers. I should get back to it even now. However, there's one more diversion to mention...

With so much discussion of Entrecard going on lately and blogs dropping out left and right, for what it's worth I want to throw in my two cents. There was a controversy surrounding ghost lists that really got under folks' skin last week. It sparked an exodus of some great blogs. Unanswered complaints of fraud and viruses is a solid reason to go. Boredom with the whole process of dropping on Entresites is another contributing factor.

Admittedly, dropping is not exciting, but it is stimulating. I don't see it as a chore. Entrecard enables me to visit, read, and appreciate quality blogs from around the world. It takes time that could be spent doing other things (like cleaning the bathroom), yet images and thoughts that otherwise might never be entertained by my feeble brain are one click away during the wee hours of morning when I do the Entrecard thing.

I'm not ready to drop out. Not yet, anyhow, and not because of scammers, you find them anywhere you go. It might be that a month from now I'll cut out because it eats time better spent on selling the book. Who knows. Entrecard connects great bloggers with its network of drops (drips?) and gives me something to do (and comment on) whilst sipping coffee and watching the sun come up.