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Instagram, and why it's such a big deal

BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
edited April 2012 in Buddhism Today
I'm a firm believer in technology and its ability to enable communication, and I believe the human species is going through a revolution because of it.

Here are my thoughts on the recent release of Instagram for Android.

I believe that the dhamma can be spread through technology. I believe that these types of tools break down walls, foster understanding, and cross cultural boundaries; all of which will ultimately culminate in a step towards more peaceful interactions.

Comments

  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    I like! However, I definitely don't think much of it. I mean...Isn't there a thing called "Twitpic".
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    edited April 2012
    Cool article Brian. I hadn't heard about this and well... I'm mildly curious I guess. I might download it. I already upload pictures from my phone to my facebook and I guess I'm not super sold on the format (although I have seen a few that look cool).

    But I am really tired of this android vs. iphone thing. I love when my friends jump on me for having a "crappy android phone" and not an iphone like everyone else... until I point out that I was irritated about having to upgrade to an internet capable phone anyways and my phone was free. And as a free phone, I think it's excellent. :)

    As a side note, I feel like a lot of this android vs. iphone/apple vs. pc thing is all a bunch of marketing hype. It started with those Apple commercials with the dumpy PC dude and the cool hipster. And then the PCs retaliated with the much more friendly (but still separationist) "I'm a PC" ads. But I feel like before that, I never felt this level of animosity. Someone butted in my conversation yesterday about a Toshiba tablet to tell us how stupid we were for not just getting an Ipad (but the point was we were discussing this particular tablet and it had nothing to do with apple). Blargh. I feel like some big execs are up there just shouting out, "Dance puppets, dance!"

    Why can't we all just be friends and choose whatever freakin phone we want without being for or against anyone else?
  • I am so glad I have no f*cking idea what you're talking about ;)
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    I am so glad I have no f*cking idea what you're talking about ;)
    Why? Ignorance is our only enemy, wisdom our only weapon.
    But I am really tired of this android vs. iphone thing. I love when my friends jump on me for having a "crappy android phone" and not an iphone like everyone else
    Android now owns 50% of the smartphone market. Your friends are just being ignorant and elitist.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited April 2012
    I am so glad I have no f*cking idea what you're talking about ;)
    lol


    i didn't have a clue either, but im not sure im glad of it...

    It helped make me realize that after slowly and gradually getting behind for a dozen years, i'm now pass the point of no return.
    To catch up would require a great effort that i cant imagine i could ever want to do.

    I like my freedom of not having a phone;
    and the idea of constantly looking at these things, having new apps, having to play the games on the phone, following people just sounds like a nightmare to me.
    To think of all theses thoughts and distractions that would be in my head make me feel nauseous.


    But at the same time, I just got old real quick realizing this, feeling like the old dudes complaining about computers a few years ago.

    Will i ever have a friendship with some young adults and miss out because i cannot share this part of their world?
    Maybe this will become the only way that those kids communicate important things in the future.
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    But I am really tired of this android vs. iphone thing. I love when my friends jump on me for having a "crappy android phone" and not an iphone like everyone else
    Android now owns 50% of the smartphone market. Your friends are just being ignorant and elitist.
    Was Instagram the last program holding out? I feel like there must be more that are Iphone only...no?
  • DaftChrisDaftChris Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
    The "x vs. y" thing is rediculous anyway, but it's not just Apple & iPhone nazis that are elitist.

    I'm saving money for a Mac, because of my college major (Communications) and because the system is better for things like digital art and video editing. Only two people agree with my decision to sell my soul to the ghost of Steve Jobs; the rest have gone on near rants on how PCs are better and how I shouldn't "waste my money". I'm sorry, but I'm sick of windows crashing when I'm in the middle of a project.
  • DaftChrisDaftChris Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
    Ridiculous not "rediculous"
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    The "x vs. y" thing is rediculous anyway, but it's not just Apple & iPhone nazis that are elitist.

    I'm saving money for a Mac, because of my college major (Communications) and because the system is better for things like digital art and video editing. Only two people agree with my decision to sell my soul to the ghost of Steve Jobs; the rest have gone on near rants on how PCs are better and how I shouldn't "waste my money". I'm sorry, but I'm sick of windows crashing when I'm in the middle of a project.
    When I was researching buying a new computer, it basically came down to... spend twice the money and get an Apple, or spend half the money and get a comparable Dell and be able to replace it in half the time while still spending the same amount of money. The latter seemed the best choice for me since technology changes so rapidly these days anyways. But for those going into art/entertainment based fields, it totally makes sense to me to have a Mac for compatibility issues. My girlfriend is actually in the opposite camp because some of the ridiculous programs she uses for her chemical engineering field are PC only.

    But for the record, I have been super happy with my Dell. No problems whatsoever in over a year (still fast, never frozen, etc). My problems with people saying "Oh Windows/PCs crash all the time" is that you can't lump all PCs in the same camp, and of course, computers get bogged down after several years when their technology just becomes outdated... it's just inevitable. I could write a long list on why I hate Hewlett Packard and feel that they are sheisters with inferior products because of what they did to me, but I will hold my tongue.
  • @zombiegirl - I realize this comment will be totally off topic, but I completely agree with the spirit of your post. It does seem like there is SO much "this vs. that" in EVERYTHING these days, and that the polarization is often much greater than it used to be.

    Not really sure why it has to be that way - I mean, who cares what kind of phone you have? As long as works, right? And if it's free, and it works - well, then it's the best phone ever, no matter what brand! Lol

    Many Blessings,

    KwanKev
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    @zombiegirl - I realize this comment will be totally off topic, but I completely agree with the spirit of your post. It does seem like there is SO much "this vs. that" in EVERYTHING these days, and that the polarization is often much greater than it used to be.

    Not really sure why it has to be that way - I mean, who cares what kind of phone you have? As long as works, right? And if it's free, and it works - well, then it's the best phone ever, no matter what brand! Lol

    Many Blessings,

    KwanKev
    Thanks @Kwantum_Kev You know, you got me thinking... there really is a lot of polarization these days. Sometimes from surprising sources. Does anyone remember when Miracle Whip was trying to do that? They had all of these ads where they acted all badass with quips like, "We are Miracle Whip and we will not tone it down!" Implying that Mayo was bland. Haaah.

    But then, from companies that I would expect this type of attitude, there is less. Like the major competitors: Xbox and Playstation. I can't remember seeing any adverts where one bashed the other. They tend to just showcase their product and let the buyer figure it out. Even when I was trying to decide between the two myself, I asked a lot of people their opinion and most people had a preference but didn't lean extremely far either way. A lot of people owned both, actually.
  • edited April 2012
    @zombiegirl - you make a good point about some of the companies that you might expect to do it that don't. I was actually listening to a radio program on NPR this morning about the political parties, and whether or not just having 2 is really the way to go - you're either a BLAH or a BLAH, and the BLAHS and BLEHS don't like each other. And if you're a BLAH, you can't believe anything the BLEHS do, or you're not a good BLAH! Well, I say BLAH to all of that!

    Surely, there has to be something better than "this vs that". Why can't it be "this, that, and a little bit of whodat" thrown in for spice? LOL. And all of the poltical division and bitterness between the 2 parties here in the US has me so sick, that I am actually starting to see the benefits of dictatorships and monarchies. At least they can get SOMETHING done for goodness sake, because everyone HAS to agree on what to do, or else! Haha. Here, the entire country could be burning down, and the repuds and scrats would be fighting over whether to use air tankers or fire trucks, all while the fire consumed all around them. That's pretty much what's happening to our economy and other insitutions now. Blech!

    Good thing we have the dhamma, eh? : )

    Many Blessings,

    KwanKev
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