Blogs, GoogleReader, Bloglinks, Twitter, Facebook, social media and iPod music…
When I woke up this morning I felt a need to declutter, wanted to clear-out and clean, had to reorganise.
Are you ever subject to these impulses? Are they as rare to you as they are to me?
I sat down at the laptop and got on with it. First up was my browser.
Ask.com have given Bloglines a temporary reprieve until the end of the year, but whether it goes now or in a few months time doesn’t really matter. I’ve made the switch to Google Reader.
deletes Bloglines link from browser toolbar
I moved a lot of stuff over to Google Reader from Bloglines without checking the need for it, time was limited that day. There are currently 644 unread items in my Reader account. It’s time for a hard look at what I’m subscribed to.
begins examining all GoogleReader subscriptions and deleting some
I realised I haven’t updated the links on this blog for *ages*, so I had a quick pass down the list. The first two links I clicked on have either gone away or stopped producing content. However, one of the links goes back to the late and much-missed Ali’s blog. And I don’t want to remove that because I still love her.
begins scrutinising all blogroll links – with the exception of Ali’s – for accuracy and relevance
And then there’s Twitter. Ah, lovely Twitter. It’s social media, right? I do follow a lot of people because I like reading witty, articulate contributions and I enjoy interacting with the people who make these witty, articulate contributions. On the other hand, I don’t see the point of following slebs who are never going to follow me back because, frankly, they’re not interested in the *social* aspect of social media.
And in the ‘every day, common user’ end of the technology pool, I’ve seen some people get their knickers in a right knot over some imaginary Twitter etiquette along the lines of ‘Oh they’re following me so I should follow them but I’m not sure I really want to and I wouldn’t want to offend them and oh I don’t know what to do so maybe I’ll leave it unchanged but…’.
I have no such sensitivities. It’s like blogging. If your content loses the qualitative edge you first had and you’ve run out of creative steam to the point where all you can tweet about, for months on fucking end, is boyfriend and chocolate and boyfriend and cake and boyfriend and whining and boyfriend and homework and boyfriend and… Guess what? There’s an inevitable action coming your way.
looks long and hard at Twitter interactions
Funny old world.
Ten years ago, if you’d spoke of decluttering your online social media content you’d be carted off by the men in the white coats.
This is bloody excellent, man, bloody excellent. If only everyone could be as open and as honest about the blogging/twittering thing as you have been – we would all be on more honest footings with each other. Top marks for your forthrightedness.
*checks Blogroll*
Still on there! Phew.
That’s two of your spring-cleans I’ve survived! 🙂
Made the switch too – I am pretty much preferring it, but that was once I got the To-Read list down from that 644 mark to 8 or 9 a day.
Gumpher, Aye, the times have changed. As Dylan (Bob) said they would.
Sam, Thanks.
Masher, You can stop fishing for compliments now. 🙂
Huw, I admire what you’ve achieved! If I can get mine down to 8-9 a day I’ll be ecstatic!
Nothing beats a good clean out. I managed to chop FB friends from 170 to less than 100, had a good Twitter cull for much the same reasons as you (scarily enough) and got rid of half my blogs from my reader in a massive tidy up one night.
Quite cathartic I found.
Shit Bren, I think I might be self-centred. The first thing I did was check that you hadn’t deleted my blog from your blogroll! Once I had checked that, I pondered upon your philsophy, and you are bloody right….. dross just builds up all over the place.