I quit facebook

I quit it because I am giving up. Giving up things that I get into.

So alas – facebook must follow along the lines of coffee (given up in 2006) and chocolate (on its way out in 2009). For it is the strip, the mall and the place for the advertisement to come into my life. Gotta Go!

For more see renounce.org (under renovation – but will get there by and by)

With friends like these … Tom Hodgkinson on the politics of the people behind Facebook | Technology | The Guardian

“With Facebook Ads, our brands can become a part of the way users communicate and interact on Facebook,” said Carol Kruse, vice president, global interactive marketing, the Coca-Cola Company.

“We view this as an innovative way to cultivate relationships with millions of Facebook users by enabling them to interact with Blockbuster in convenient, relevant and entertaining ways,” said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and CEO. “This is beyond creating advertising impressions. This is about Blockbuster participating in the community of the consumer so that, in return, consumers feel motivated to share the benefits of our brand with their friends.”

“Share” is Facebookspeak for “advertise”. Sign up to Facebook and you become a free walking, talking advert for Blockbuster or Coke, extolling the virtues of these brands to your friends. We are seeing the commodification of human relationships, the extraction of capitalistic value from friendships.

Going Slow for a bit

I am away from my desk – at a retreat – so not posting as much. Not browsing as much.

So all my alerts are mounting – and all the feeds are adding up. I scanned today – before going in to the discussions – and found some really exciting stuff there. So you will have to wait for all that.

Re our discussions – we are discussin g the ultimate purpose of design on this planet – and how this translates into a design curriculum. Which means we are talking about sketching and drawing.

Also take a look at the other blog I contribute to.
Renounce Network

Buy Nothing Day

Renounce Network

Buy Nothing Day | Saturday November 29th 2008

Saturday November 29h 2008 is Buy Nothing Day, It’s a day where you challenge yourself to switch off from shopping and tune into life.

The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Buy Nothing Day is the biggest 24-hour moratorium against consumerism. People around the world will make a pact to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is – IT’S FREE!!!