Blog: whamburgerandfrenchcries on LiveVideo.com

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Age: 30
Sign: Scorpio
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2009

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Social Experiment

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SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2009 (3:39 PM)

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Social Experiment

(I'm feeling busy)

It has been such a fascinating social experiment to observe here at Live Video and indeed, other social networking communities. Working as a proof of hypotheses made by several internet researchers, playing a role on the internet is one of the strongest draws for most people who choose to participate in online community activities.

Currently there is a book being written to update the data from previous research when online communities were made up mostly of blogger types. With the transition to video blogging, (vlogging), the trends and subsequent patterns of behavior and group dynamics have evolved and are deserving of a fresh look.

It's been fun from my perspective as well, to see the same people who may adore a character I play, suddenly abhore my personality if I chose to try on one with which I share my "true views", my philosophy on life, and people. I found that very interesting indeed, and supportive of the concept that many psychologists and sociologists have described, that "iconic worship" correlates directly with intelligence. Sometimes, I have to get the better of myself not to go ahead and offer to sell some of these people some swampland I've been holding onto , or perhaps a bridge.

I often hear vloggers talk about truth and being honest with themselves, but rarely get an opportunity to witness uncensored, honest debate. I've always wondered whether people really want the truth when they put themselves out there on video or in a blog. I often conclude the answer is NO and opt out of responding, because it will likely disappoint them. I've come to see most of these interactions whether in the liverooms, blogging or vlogging as just a big circle jerk. People gather in groups of likeminded people to participate in an activity they all feel relatively the same about. Hence, no one wants to rain on their friend's parade and there is often an absence of honesty whether about the persons views, talent, clarity or accuracy. There's also an abundance of whining and complaining. That's a fine pasttime if one truly intends to find solutions to problems and institute them. It irritates me, no matter how I try to avoid that, when I have to listen to someone whining about their state of being, to me, essentially, when half my paycheck is paying for their internet connection so they can sit on their duff and complain to me while I go to work to earn their next "paycheck". I admit, that one is the toughest for me to get past, and attempt to see the person behind the blogger. I find myself thinking mostly, ...just get out their and compete with the rest of us broken and damaged human beings...life doesn't owe you a living and the rest of us will never get anywhere if we have to spend our lives toiling to pay you to stay home with too much time on your hands and an internet connection to spew your complaints at the working population. Yes, it's irritating beyond belief, and I often have answers for these people, but hold back on offering them, because I've seen them be rejected time and again,,,,in place of "remaining the same". These people may just need to play the victim to have something to say...to get the attention they so desire because they don't do anything else in life that would gain them attention, otherwise...Again, no different than IRL, only I can walk away from those people I meet on the street.

The blatant truth is nowhere to be found no matter how often I may hear vloggers express an interest in finding or having a healthy debate about it. The hypocrisy of administrations can be overwhelming as well, whereas if negativity and conflict arise, they feel compelled to make it go away. It's always amazing to observe human beings going in a circular pattern of behavior throughout history, despite their public announcements of wishing to evolve, to communicate, to put it all out there to be evaluated and hashed out. The same groups emerge, the same separation as would be expected. Those of likemind gravitate to one another, those who are weak of mind or spirit, may become blind followers. It's all just a little slice of the real world, only in a digital, impersonal package. No matter how much vloggers seem to be tauting their power and newfound ability to change the world, so far, all I've seen is a sampling of collections of people, partaking in the same conversations they may have in the real world, only mostly inhabited by those who don't normally socialize in the real world. Socially inept human beings may populate social networks, and often the disabled, unemployed, mentally ill, drug addicted, bored, and laziest of the human race become the most active.

All in all, on a very small scale, I've met a few people online whom I would never have learned anything about without having traveled the world to go meet them in person. At the same time, it has just been more solidly confirmed for me, that the internet is a magnet for the socially retarded, needy, mentally ill and many others who have a need to be "invisible" while they interact with others, either to fulfill some need for conflict or acceptance while remaining anonymous. Essentially it can serve as therapy for those who are able to learn about themselves through this communication, while for others it may fuel their antisocial behaviors, and by proxy enable them to continue a life of isolation.

For those for whom the internet is a social outlet which allows them contact with the outside world while they are isolated and shutin by a debilitating disease or immobility, social networking is a wonderful, useful tool for socialization, support and companionship. For these people, I've gone out of my way to spend as much time connecting as possible, knowing full well that a good percentage of those claiming this state of being, will be essentially Liars. I've been able to uncover those with ease and diplomatically remove myself from interactions with them, but find their behavior deplorable, nevertheless. On behalf of those beautiful souls I've encountered online, who are reaching out to others through their only means available, it is those liars, those who create false identities or use communities to locate people to target for extortion, who make some delicate individuals fear the internet. As with all other dealing with human beings, I tend to think they will all get what it coming to them in the end. The sad part is, I will likely have to hear or read about the whining in the aftermath...of how unfair life is, how the world owes them a living and how they have been wronged and victimized...bla bla bla...

I've seen it happen consistently so many times, at this point I feel like I'm watching a tennis match and should have been wiser and taken bets beforehand.

My own participation and immersion in these communities came about when I first was able to make the time to investigate what exactly was going on with online communities. I was experimenting with utilizing the internet as another medium for publishing creative works. I wanted to keep the level of objectivity as intact as possible. I've found essentially that there are communities for competitive artists, where personal interaction is not required that can serve as a more subjective measuring tool.

In conclusion I've ended up seeing the internet as the same powerful tool I've always viewed it as. A way to connect on any level you wish with other human beings, with data, information, and research. To consume visual and text data at increasingly high speeds, in infinite amounts...the only problem remains the power of the human brain to learn to increase it's rate of absorption. I'm working on that.

It's been fun....always interesting whether from the inside or the outside. Be careful, have a good time and perhaps learn to identify deceptive behaviors, to enable yourself to be a good judge of motive and character with those you interact with online.

A few Links one can use as a stepping stone to your own research on Internet Psychology. Take it where ever you want from here:

smg.media.mit.edu/People/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

faculty.nps.edu/ncrowe/virtcomm160.htm

www.cyberpsychology.eu/index.php

www.ucalgary.ca/~iejll/volume4/mueller.html www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/psycyber.html

www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/classes/cyberspace/www.rheingold.com/vc/book/1.html

www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/nps/decep_detec.htm

Read Virtual Community by Howard Rheingold available at google books...for online reading

THis online magazine updates on the subject of cybercommunity regularly
www.cybersociology.com/
essentially...these are just starting points...have a blast if you're interested.

Category: Blogging

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Posted Oct 18, 09 by GRISTY (

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...and having been couped up at home recovering.

As to your research, working in the Court System, as an Investigator, it's facinating, and heartening to me, that there has been active research into this phoenomenae we call The Internet! Something I will undoubtedly follow up on, and I have You to Thank For It!! So, Thank You and I hope to see more blogs like this in the Future!! Cybristo - aka - Brent

Posted Oct 18, 09 by GRISTY (

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I agree in most part about your preception of the Internet and applaud your research!! I too have been, albeit, unwittingly, absorbed in "discoveries" of my own, since 1996. First, on Chatrooms, where I've witnessed the "Gambit" of behavior quite similar to what you've experienced. It seems that, as technology on the Internet increases, the "ruses" folks use on it gets just as sophisticated! However, nowadays, "veneers" that people use to disquise themselves, often fails as others, in their attempts at disquising their own identities, use the same ones!! As to your reaching out to the Disabled and Shut-in's here, I feel rather vindicated, as I've been panned by others believing that all of these "isolated folk" were phoney. Not So and I have personally known several, who use the Internet, especially social sites, to find some symbolance of enjoyment they otherwise would not have, due to their maladies. I, in fact, was one some time ago, having to endure surgeries.

Posted Apr 18, 09 by whamburgerandfrenchcries
@Ana...added some links for you...

Posted Apr 18, 09 by AnaHeart (

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Your writing is so familar. Very excellent blog. I want a copy of this to study in length. Somewhere in these descriptions of internet fools, I'm sure I can find myself. :)