Posted on by geneblishen

Retweeting – is it necessary?

Interesting that on Mastodon retweeting or rePublishing some else’s tweet/post is not allowed. That is probably one of the most refreshing parts of Mastodon, that there isn’t an endless number of retweets by people you follow.

Was just following a Twitter thread on this discussion and thought to look at those that disagree with this stance by Mastodon. It does seem those that want to retweet do it a lot, I mean quite a bit. And if you have thousands of followers what is this doing to the platform? Mastodon actually forces you to write and create some original content. Now isn’t that unique?

For those that want to retweet or republish (feels like translating a language here) create a blog, and paste your links and then tell us where we can find this wonderful list that isn’t creating a torrent of dismal information. 

There is a bit of a controversy about some people being expelled from a Mastodon server recently. So many went off on a tangent about it. Maybe they should have read the large modal button that came with the expelling notice. APPEAL. You are allowed to appeal the ruling. Think of it as getting a traffic ticket. The police ask you if you are speeding. If you say you didn’t then you can appeal when you get to court. You don’t use public opinion to exonerate your behaviour. Interesting that by the end of the day an apology came, with a reason, and the person was reinstated.I wonder if Mr. Musk has ever done that.

Twitter has made us lazy. Everything condensed into 254 (hope that is the number) characters. Add a colourful graphic and that is the limit of any dialogue or debate. Twitter has had its time and place and it still does for certain functions. We need to evolve our social media usage and maybe this is now going to happen.

 

 

Roadmap

 

 

Posted on by geneblishen

The hounds of hell – fear, hypocrisy and hatred

 

I picked up a book by Howard Thurman Jesus and the Disinherited last month because I had read somewhere that it was a book Martin Luther King Jr carried with him. It was first published in 1949 and was from a pilot essay written in 1935. It is a book that had its roots 85 years ago and was influential in its message in shaping the civil rights movement. The book is just over 100 pages long but each page holds such a positive and eloquent position of a person’s faith in a time of discrimination and subjegation. As we speak about ‘systemic racism’ today we wrestle with what that means and what is our part to challenge and change this. Thurman gives direction that is brilliant and compassionate. Vincent Harding in his forward says it best “…for the amazing inner resources of those people who had stood firmly against the hardness without losing their humanity or betraying their souls.”

The question of not loosing your humanity or betraying your souls speaks about how anyone can begin this journey when confronted with ‘systemic racism.’ There is a lot of hard work to be done to deconstruct what sentiments you hold that have been taught and part of the society we live in. Those of privilege will realise the abject failure of laws and constructs to combat racism. The journey begins now but the time it will take will be constant. The vital part is not to offer excuses for avoiding a path that needs to be courageous and built with creative integrity. Thurman’s states that a life of integrity refused to give into “fear, hypocrisy and hatred, the three hounds of hell that track the trial of the disinherited.” He points to his Christian faith to recognise that no external force, however great and overwhelming can at long last destroy a people if it does not first win the victory of the sprit agains them.

Posted on by geneblishen

Ukrainian freighter sinks off Turkey′s Black Sea coast

Ukrainian freighter sinks off Turkey′s Black Sea coast | News | DW | 17.01.2021:

Ukrainian freighter sinks off Turkey’s Black Sea coast
Rescue efforts are underway, after a freighter went down in poor weather in the Black Sea, leaving two sailors dead. Turkish authorities said the ship was Ukrainian and transporting a cargo from Georgia to Bulgaria.

Posted on by geneblishen

Half way through January

Sometimes you can only imagine what spring will bring. Given what seems to be a milder winder there is some budding with various plants. How early can spring be this year?

Julia Kristen wrote “We cannot change the world without changing the way it is imagined and spoken.” This week with the inauguration of President Biden we can all begin to imagine what changes are needed. Words should be spoken that are true and not self-serving. It was be a change just to listen to the news and read the paper. Some say the first 100 days will be the most important of Biden’s term.

What will continue is these diatribes about fake news. Why do these spokespeople keep reality at a distance to themselves? Does making and believing that statement make something of fact untrue? 

 

Posted on and Updated on by geneblishen

Needful elements

Not knowing where to begin with this subject matter now is as good a time as any. Probably the best link would be to establish a domain name and then tie that blog directly to it. This blog URL may be temporary.

Social innovation. A new term that is needing new definitions. Nothing can be assumed and the work could be massive in attempting to containerize what we mean by this term. It is inclusive and has relationships that are unique to any geographic area given what innovation is needed and what is currently apparent.

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