h a l f b a k e r yClearly this is a metaphor for something.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
| |
There's no "I" in Fre end. |
|
| |
I decided to be more extrovert, so I looked at someone else's facebook page. Does that count? |
|
| |
Friend is one extra letter from fiend. |
|
| |
What zen-tom said, but in fewer words. |
|
| |
The best way to approach this is to state the basic sociological marxist critique of modern industrial capitalism. The argument was that capitalism and factory labour changed human communities from skilled collectives of primary social relations (kinship and historical bonds) to an unskilled mass of secondary social relations and functionaries. In this new mechanical society people had to adopt a functional ethos. This new social arrangement accelerated technological development, and now we have computers. The Internet and social networks seek to resolve 'the separation' caused by industrial capitalism, however it has its own brand new characteristic forms of alienation. Mainly reducing people to content in information systems databases, that are profitable for the capitalist. People inside these databses are essentially reduced to commodity and their lives are open to evalution and appraisal. Inside this new social environment people engage in social exchange, and accumulate connections as social capital. These people who use this technology have taken the new identity "users". This concept 'free ends' is a parody of 'friends' inside these user databases, and comments on this reality of commodification, and social exchange. Indeed this new technological reality is being used to use people, for example exploiting them based on social sensitivies, when what little power can be held over someone when someone else has some usually embarassing information formative of identity. The idea of 'free ends' is a cynical reconceptualization of the way this technology is being used by what is still essentially a consumer society. |
|
| |
If anyone has a cached copy of my previous response to
zentom that I deleted out of sleepiness I'd appreciate a
repost. |
|
| |
Of course Freon Ends are banned these days.. |
|
| |