We’re on the cusp of a social and spiritual evolution revolution and everyone I know in Hollywood, expecially the writers are all marking out their territories and preparing to stake their claim in some pretty exciting stuff that’s headed our way culturally and that you’re just starting to see creep into our movies and cultural consciousness.
A lot of what we are and are becoming is and has been and will continue to be dependant upon technology. But what of these new social media technologies and of their ever changing formats, status and independence from their creators (us) and what of their questionable permanance?
I don’t want to give away all my stuff here but Facebook could be a house of cards, just like the behemoths that came before that we thought would live forever and we thought were made of granite like Compuserve and AOL, it seems inevitable that it will fall to “The Next Big Thing”. It’s what the next big thing is there to do. So, we use facebook now to showcase ourselves, enhance our public personnas and internally construct and fuel our own self creating. But make no mistake about it, by the very nature of our constructions and hunger for change and insatiable appetite for stimulation, facebook will be left behind like an old style of clothes (unless it adopts one fundamental principle that I am not giving away here) and being your own aggregate of content is where it’s at for all of us.
Beside’s why would you ever place yourself in the hands of someone else who can pull the plug.
So, this is my “Contract with Technology. It speaks to my greatest concerns.
It is said that what separates us from the apes, and all other life forms, is Technology.
Technology is a tool, an external, artificial creation of mankind, that we develop to aid us in our abilities for provide, produce and survive.
Technology did not create mankind, though to the alien observer, one might wonder who’s leading who and who’s more dependent upon the other for the continuance of their existence.
The Internet, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the part Social Media technology is now playing in the evolution of our species needs to be taken into serious consideration, and redefined for the role we choose to let it take and as being at our command at all times, because technology becomes obsolete faster than we do and to get too attached and dependant upon any one techology is to be rendered obsolete and taken down with it .
We are “The Content” and Content is King and let us never let anyone involved with the technologies of the delivery systems delude themselves into thinking otherwise.
So, here is my “Contract with Technology’
With every software I’ve ever used there has been an agreement with “Terms and Conditions” that I’ve had to agree to in order to use that software.
I will admit that I have clicked on the “Agreed” button to the Terms and Conditions agreement many times without reading those terms and conditions completely.
I will also point out that I have witnessed the terms and conditions I’ve agreed to become amended, changed and revised without my agreeing to what those changes may be.
If I haven’t agreed to any changes in terms, than I am still holding my original agreement applicable and in force.
I have also watched new language slip into the terms and conditions giving the technology supplying companies the right to change the terms and conditions, without notice, and for whatever reason. And I have noticed this language being included into the terms and conditions, though I have never, and will never agree to any contract that would provide for such complete release from responsibility to live up to it’s terms with me.
Why does it feel like an invasion of my privacy when, in order to sign onto facebook on my cell phone I am forced to allow them (Facebook) to touch and go through and even maipulate my address book to turn it into theirs to the point that their disclaimer even says that they will ” Download your Facebook friends to your Contacts app and keep their information up to date.” I didn’t ask them to do that and don’t need them poking around in my address book. Everybody knows how valuable someones address book or rolodex is, so who are they to force their way in to take mine. I have a problem with this as well as with their doing the exact same thing with my calendar. All I want is to have the ability to upload photos and posts onto my facebook page.
Therefore, — More to come
And then there’s this : “The Berne Convention Disclaimer”. On July 14, 2013, at 11:38p.m. ET, by making full use of my mental faculties and my ownership of this account in Facebook, I declare, to whom it may concern, and in particular to the administrator of the company Facebook, my author rights which are related to all my personal information, comments, texts, articles, illustrations, comics, paintings, photos, professional videos and other publications in electronic format that I spread on this site under my signature. The above on the basis of the principle enshrined in the Berne Convention for the protection of literary and artistic works, as well as with regard to the respective national copyright law. For commercial use of the aforementioned items, always must be by my written consent. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. These prohibited actions also apply to employees, students, agents or members of any team, under the direction or control of Facebook. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308 – 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute).
Note: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once, it will be tacitly allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates.