A Rant and a Few Comments

There have been a few comments concerning my earlier rant. I really did not expect any comments. They are, of course, welcome for everyone is entitled to an opinion. It is nice to see that the few that have perused this workshop have been affected to enough of a degree to respond. I fear though that I was somehow unclear in my rant (and remember it was a rant). My criticism was not directed at the usefulness of flickr, but the way it is most commonly used. My rant was less directed at the usefulness of flickr than it was at the users. Yes, it can be a powerful way to communicate, and maybe I am simply misguided, but it is not typically used to communicate with military personnel in Iraq. Believe me when I say I sympathize as my brother-in-law is being shipped to the Middle East as I write this. The use of video conferencing, email, etc. is an invaluable tool for my sister, my nephews, and my niece to communicate with their father/husband.

My rant was a result of my concerns. I look at society today and am saddened. We are in a war (politics aside please), and besides a bit of media coverage, it doesn't seem as if we are in a war. It seems that the only individuals concerned with what is happening in the Middle East are politicians and families who have loved ones serving. I look at youth today, and like any moment in history I am concerned. My rant was directed at society. So if I seemed negative, you got the message! But I did not mean to imply that sites like flickr had no usefulness. I simply used flickr as a platform to express a few of my concerns with today's values.

Who knows? Maybe I am the only one concerned.