2009/12/1 Disqus <>

2009/12/1 Disqus <>

I totally agree with you on the newspaper websites — I've seen opinions from all kinds of angles there.

Very few ideas are challenged seriously, fewer are built upon into something larger, and even fewer controversial ideas are discussed. I'm not attempting to be negative but it's as if everyone is adverse to discourse. Some may say that twitter isn't the proper forum for it and that may be true but if people aren't even willing to respond with a few words to disagree, it illustrates to me (at least) that the probability of them responding in a lengthier context is relatively low. That said, twitter, friendfeed, and Facebook tends to be large platforms for people to output or regurgitate content.

If we talk about diversity of opinions and ideas, then both twitter and friendfeed (or any of these social media tools) ultimately fail because despite its growth only a select demographic and market will utilize these tools. I know I may regret saying this at some point but currently, the most diverse group of opinions I've observed so far tends to be on newspaper websites — Globe and Mail for example.

I should stop now …

I would like to see more of that type of discussion, myself. There were a few channels that I thought had some hope, but they seem to have fizzled out, with nobody posting in them any more.

But at the same time, you have to understand that anywhere you go, an unpopular view isn't likely to be embraced, and is likely to be jumped all over. Subjects like politics, religion, race, and gender disparity are traditionally topics that can cause much heated debates and argument when opposing viewpoints are expressed. But that's a good thing, in my opinion, so let it be so. On most “nice” forums, they are the forbidden subjects, for just this reason. They can turn friends into enemies at the drop of a hat and make otherwise nice people turn into “monsters”.

But if you have something on your mind you'd like to discuss on these subjects, by all means, post your views, no matter how unpopular you think they are. When kept to oneself, an unpopular view can be nothing but. But out in the open, no matter how heated the debate gets, it has a chance to becoming more popular, as you have the opportunity to change minds.

It is better to post the topics you'd like to discus than to complain that nobody else is posting the topics you'd like to discuss. Take charge and be in control of the content in your feed. And don't worry, I won't unsubscribe if you say something I don't agree with. I am not that petty, and I prefer to follow people that speak their mind, even if it is contrary to my point of view.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by ericloganvanman: Liked “Sorry FriendFeed, But I Agree With Robert Scoble” http://ff.im/-aSRbE...

I don't think there is much of a need for me to be more open about it

Friendfeed has always been a place where I felt I could go and be around people who have the same interest as me. Something I can't really get out of the people I live around for the most part. It has always been separate from Facebook and Twitter for me as I try to use each one for different purposes. I just hope that all the great people there will be easy to find and keep up with across the internets.

Scoble and I use the site for different purposes and objectives, so we expect different things out of it.

Thanks

But that has been a problem for a long time

When scoble was active on FF I said in a thread I am “more or less republican and I feel odd here being so”

Scoble called me, and all other republicans, idiots. I will have to find the thread but it was despicable.

He lead the mob that time and he might talk about being open all he wants, he isn't. All he does is push his own agenda, otherwise, I would take what he said with at least a grain of salt.