Social networking: connecting to the past
Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 07:08AM When I read blogs, newsfeeds, Facebook, Tweets or other social media communications, it is the future that primary comes up and hits me between the eyes. The latest political blunders, the newest gizmos, and the de rigueur buzzwords in education are typically front and center - exacerbating the FOMO (fear of missing out) that these technologies engender.
But on a fairly regular basis the past sneaks up on me as well. I was surprised to find this comment left on a blog post, In Praise of Guides, from 2009:
Hi Doug! I just googled "Kopavi glamour shots" and this article popped up! Your writing brought a wave of great memories, thanks for writing this great blog and your kind words :) hope you are well and thriving! October 3, 2016 |
Kopavi
Kopavi, as you might have guessed, was one of the guides a small group of hiking friends used when doing the Rim to Rim hike of the Grand Canyon a few years ago. His note, of course, led me to re-read and re-live the great trip on which we met.
My blog and social networking accounts have connected me with people (relatives and friends from a distant childhood), events (Al Bell, anyone?), and experiences such as the hike above.
We warn out students that anything we post online is more or less on one's permanent record, assuming that kids will post things they will later regret.
But I would argue that what most of we post are things we wish to remember - poems we've written, photos we've taken, narratives of our days, insights into our lives, remembrances of what and who we loved. I am glad mine are available for myself and others to find.
Oh, go right ahead and Google your name followed by "glamour shots.' Hope you have better luck than I did.
Reader Comments (2)
Refreshing to read! ...I'm glad there's not an easy way to post images, I googled some not so hot glamour shots haha
Hi Melissa,
Trust me, I would never associate myself with anything related to glamour!
Doug