(Week 4)
Show of hands, how many people are annoyed by the nitpicky and invasive policies it can take to create social media accounts? Via talks with friends about this ordeal, I know I’m not the only one. This week’s POSIEL process prompt tells us to “Instagram it.” In the process of creating an Instagram account for this blog, I was prompted to add a phone number:
Asking for a phone number is a big NOPE for me, so I went over to Twitter and was able to create an account within a minute. In the minute that it took to create the account, there was zero pushiness to add private details of my life for the sake of “security,” “protection” and “accuracy.”
I understand the necessity to keep bots off IG and accounts that would otherwise be unsafe, but why should the consumer be tasked with showcasing the proof before the pudding is even made? I could go on and on about tech and privacy ethics and how the consumer is the consumed, however, that is a rant for another time. The shining light of this post is actually meant to showcase a little diagram I had created to give you a sneak peek at the visual process of how What The Cat Said came to be.
So, here it is, in all its glory, the official Twitter account of What the Cat Said, @whatthecatsaid0.
As well as the site diagram, the original post can be found here:
Hope that was informative in some way!
Reflecting on the account creation inconvenience, I feel that the platform Twitter offers is more cohesive with what this site is meant to represent anyhow. Instagram is great for showcasing visual media allowing the audience to take in what may not easily be conveyed in words. Whereas, Twitter is wonderful for updating the audience and alerting them of content that doesn’t strictly adhere to an image or video format as well as directing the audience to other online resources. As such, it makes sense to utilize a social media platform that projects what this site wants, which is to guide, direct, and explain computer science concepts in a non-serious manner (this would be difficult to do with JUST images or videos).
A Reply to Craig Mod
Have you read, “How I Got My Attention Back” by Craig Mod? If not, kindly give it a read. Craig Mod writes about a perspective on technology that is highly relatable. How often do we skim through online articles without really reading the bulk of the content even though it would take you 5 minutes at the most? How often do we mindlessly scroll through mostly useless information? Pictures, videos, it doesn’t matter, it’s just stimulating. What about impulsively checking our inbox or WhatsApp to see if any new correspondence has been sent your way? The answer to all these questions and probably a million more similar scenarios is unless you are Sentinelese or you have been living under a tin foil rock refracting unguided terresitial radio waves (WiFi), we have ALL been there.
Personally, I have gone through stages of binge and purging technology, but the purge is hard. It’s hard to purge because as a developer, my very livelihood depends on making sure I hop on my computer and get my issues done. Of course, I could always opt to use my computer just for making a living and for school-related activities; only focusing on the necessities. However, I can’t say for certain you won’t catch me looking at cute puppy pics and jellybean toes every break phase of the Pomodoro cycle.
I love that Craig was able to go offline for a whole month, but we don’t all have that luxury, sadly. If I could, I would join this counterpublic by packing my essentials (non-tech) and decompressing out at Squamish’s Cat Lake campground. Tis’ but a fantasy though.
That’s it for this week’s process rambling. Take care!
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