Mass media reaches its natural end-state when
we broadcast our lives rather than live them.
– Nicholas Carr

We talk too much, but…

say little, listen rarely,

and stop living life.

You might have noticed that lately I’ve been hung up on haikus. Part of the reason is that I’m too lazy to write posts (which is why I video blog). But the other part is that I’ve always felt that most people talk too much and say too little. When it comes to the social media circle jerk, this applies more than it doesn’t. Even on Twitter, where people are limited to 140 characters, they seem to jabber on and on and on, without ever saying anything more than “Hey, look at me. I tweet, therefore I am.”

Well, they say that online, you should find a niche and commit yourself to it… and I think that the Gypsy Bandito may have just found his. In the last 24 hours, I’ve had my Facebook Haiku featured on Haiku.com, and have been followed by the ZEN Poetry Fest on Twitter.

Of course, for me haikus are just a way to be ironic in the same way that skinny-leg-jeans-wearing-hipsters are ironic — which leaves me wondering whether this new niche of mine is haikus or irony. Whichever it is, this thought from the homepage of the Montreal Zen Poetry Festival has me thinking about the current state of social media and “the conversation” we’re supposed be having with at other people.

If Twitter charged me,

there would always be Jaiku,

which rhymes with haiku…

Originally posted as a comment here.

Infinite monkeys

writing infinite code that

nobody will own.

The voice of trust says

a product is good or bad.

We all hear a truth.

It can be seen and

is not ephemeral like

a mere idea.

Honky tonk heroes,

and smokey old pool rooms, and

old pilgrims like me.

Social media,

is user generated

marketing data.

Optimize your blog,

so strangers can find it and,

disagree with you.

Blog to express your,

individuality,

just like all your friends.