I just read a news piece where Bill Gates admitted to backing away from the high-tech environment he is hugely responsible for creating. It seems that real life personal connections rather than electronic friendships might actually be something to value. Yes, I am paraphrasing, inferring, and assuming, but Bill, I suspect you are someone just like me. OK, at least on this one point....
Yahoo! News reports "Bill Gates quits Facebook over 'too many friends' ". Not a problem I necessarily have on Facebook given my once monthly or so visits there but I definitely know where he is coming from. Enough is enough. Can't we have a private thought or moment any more? Must we, must YOU continually update everyone with your whereabouts, your activities, your thoughts, plans, successes, and (probably not) your failures? Please. Tweet me not.
The article noted that he had trouble figuring out whether he "knew this person, did I not know this person" and that "It was just way too much trouble so I gave it up."
Gates also admitted to not being that big on texting, not being a 24-hour tech person, and that he reads - sometimes not on the computer. I would like all dying newspapers and publishing companies to sit up and take notice since there could be a backlash coming. Some/many of the literary public want to curl up on a chair or tuck into bed and not wonder if their wireless will go that far or if the battery is going to die and need to be plugged in, leaving the reader entangled in cords. They may not want a history stored somewhere of what they've been looking at or reading for the world to somehow resurrect if they can and care to, for whatever reason is deemed necessary, fun, or stalker-like.
While Gates admits that he envisioned a computer on every desk and in every home, and that the tech revolution has been "hugely beneficial", he seemed to caution against overuse.
"All these tools of tech waste our time if we're not careful."
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is proof that Bill Gates lives by his words. People and charities deserve more attention than self-promotion via social networking. It is is real, besides. I can't remember Bill Gates ever promoting himself - he was in the news because others wanted to promote him. Do the right thing and you won't need to pat your own back. There will be plenty of people lining up to pat your back for you.
Come on Bill, don't you want to be my friend? OK, OK, just testing.
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