Friday 7 June 2013

Spreading the net.

According to an article by Richard Morrison in the Times this morning, there is a new book out (Rewire by Zuckerman) which suggests that the internet has really not made us spread our wings at all.   He says that most Americans still only look at US web pages (94 percent) and that we mostly used all this new technology just like we used to use other methods of communication - i.e. writing letters and chatting over the fence to our neighbours.

I thought about this and decided to do my bit to be the exception that proved the rule.   I clicked on 'next blog' at the top of my blog page and looked at six new blogs (a different one comes up each time you click on it).

The first one was a gardener in the South of England, so I sent him a comment - we have plenty in common with our interests in wild flowers and garden plants.   I hope he will communicate.     I decided on six different blogs for the experiment.   The next four blogs which came up had not be in use since around 2009, so pretty pointless trying to communicate there.   The final one was a lady on a large farm in Dakota - I left a comment there too.   Their farm couldn't be more different from ours here in the Dales, but how good to communicate.

So can I suggest that you try it?   Widen your circle in a new way - you never know what might come up.   I shall be interested to hear how you get on.

8 comments:

MorningAJ said...

Excellent idea. I tried it and I've blogged it! I might try it semi-regularly to widen my circle.

Heather said...

An interesting experiment Pat. I might try it myself.

Gerry Snape said...

What a good idea! ...I shall have a go. Although I think in the early days of my blogging I remember doing something similar top find like minds!!

Barbara said...

What an interesting idea!
I found your blog through your comment you left on another blog I read (GrigsDakota).
The internet offers an amazing window to the world, doesn't it?
We are a small farm in the Shenandoah Valley of VA. We raise vegetables, sheep and chickens for sale at the local Market.
Your location is lovely. We've always been fascinated by the Dales after reading/watching James Herriot.
Thanks for expanding my horizons!

Joanne Noragon said...

Good you limited yourself to six. I once stayed up half the night clicking next. Totally lost track of time.
Actually, I have made it a point to look around, and follow in a dozen countries. Differences fascinate me.

Dave King said...

Yes, good idea! I did try this early on in my surfing (pre-blogging) days, but with different motivation. I think I agree with Morrison. I'm not a social networker, but the general run of tweets and posts to Facebook seem to be at the level of what I had for tea and what I'm off to do next - actually, that's probably more trivial than the old snail mail days, for if you knew it wasn't going to get there for a couple of days, you probably wouldn't write such things of such transient "interest"!

Gwil W said...

Interestingly some blogs came up more than once and 5 of the 6 were in the USA. Subjects included morbid anatomy, the american revolution, mystic drunken scribbles, and historical art.

Gwil W said...

I just tried the same exercise using your 'next blog' feature and the first 3 blogs I found were all to do with tractors: Zac's Tractors, Tractor Photos, and Tractor Pulling News . . .

Food for thought there.