Overwhelmed? Relax, you’re doing fine.

BBS Forums…
FIDOnet, CCi…
Usenet…..
IRC……
SlashDot…….
AIM……..
MSN………
Yahoo Groups……….
Digg…………
LinkedIn………….
Facebook…………..

……. Just a few of the ways I have wasted my time over the past 15 years, none of which I touch in a significant way anymore. When things are fresh and new you find people with which you can have an open exchange of ideas, early adopters, energetic.. but over time the medium gets exhausted by everyone and the meaningful conversations and connections no longer happen.

There are always folks out there treat every new community technology as the second coming of Christ – it’s not. Things are now as they have always been, there is a huge new popular thing out there and people jump on it. The only new variable is the difficulty of participation – as it becomes less difficult to participate, more people do so. That’s it.

My message is simple: Take all the new fads for what they are worth: A new way to reach new people and exchange new ideas. Hopefully you are decent enough of a human being that in the process you both learn something and form long lasting relationships that can look back at some good times together.

So jump in, the water is warm because we are all peeing in it.

(This bit of motivational insight is brought to you by a spectacular Carrabba’s steak and reading Scott Adams new book: Stick To Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!: Cartoonist Ignores Helpful Advice)