Simulacra of engagement

dot unplanned » The Things Make Us Stupid:

I used to make a distinction between warm and cool voices … engaged vs. detached, involved vs. analytical. But both those entries struck me as entrants in a third category … warm, cool, and now “warmed over.” Compelled to appear engaged, but not. Interested to the extent a quota demands significations of interest at the rate of n per day, but not deeply involved or engaged, except perhaps on the level of knowing someting about a thing that others might not: That thing is popular, that thing is not popular, that thing is selling well, that thing is not selling well. Consumers like it. Observers do not like it.

Go read this right now. Mike’s “significations of interest” directly nails a bunch of what’s wrong with online right now, up to and including how words like “love” and “friend” have been co-opted by online business. When all you have a hammer, everything may seem like a nail; but it turns out to be much more efficient to call screws nails. Fuzzy thinking on my part, but go read the post.

Technorati Tags: ,