(no subject)

[thebitterguy]

An interesting piece on the dynamics of LJ Friends lists.

Now, I don't claim to have read it in full (page six, baby!) or have even understood everything I've read (reading in between calls, baby!), so if any of you hyper-educated types want to explain the big words, go ahead.

Teefed from the cyberpunk community.

Comments

[uhlrik.livejournal.com]

In very brief, the on/off binary architecture of the friending system in LJ and the terminology attached to it mucks with people's expectations, aggravating an already-diffuse set of assumptions on what the word "friend" means and adding a whole lot of new ones in the process, thus creating lots and lots of A) confusion and B) drama. Hence, the binary structure and use of the term "friend" are problematic and should be replaced with something else in future versions of internet social networking sites.

[creativedv8tion.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Or maybe people could just realise that a term is just a term is just a term.

Nah, that'll never happen.

[uhlrik.livejournal.com]

Many linguists and other social scientists, theoreticians/whatever would argue that a term is not just a term.

[creativedv8tion.livejournal.com]

Pshaw.

What do they know? ;)