Google plus failures

Here is a Lockerian update for my lovely readers. It's hard as a rock to comprehend, but we're already nearly through March. Three months of this new year are behind us, and they've been peaceful months. It's been a very peaceful year, in fact, with relatively few inconveniences. While I'd sure love to have more than I can handle – as I explained in my previous post – hindsight has me feeling good about the changes to my arrangement.

Some things I bemoan, such as the decline of the New World group on Google Plus. The group did not hit on as planned. Honestly, I admit that I especially did not hit on as a leader. Some, nay, most of the blame for this goes to leadership dynamics, generally – being a leader on the internet is an attention-seeking and attention-gaining exercise. Personally, I try to avoid exhibitionism. The fact of the matter is that when it comes to growing a group amidst a sea of apathy, you need to do or say something outrageous. And I simply have little need for outrage. It would do the New World much less good if it were to become something fatuous or annoying. Not to mention that these random-inviting ungentleman of self-importance really grind my gears.

As a leader, I should have shared more stuff to the group. Instead of asking for participation, I should rather have focused on generating it. Of course, the spark of activity does not only come by virtue of attention-gathering. Cool and intellectual topics such as science and the humanities have struck me and my understanding over the past year – but this failed to contribute to the New World community. Often I become timid and can draw away from social activities of import for months at a time. Friends can go without having spoken with me for months. I feel some real guilt about this, and it is something I'll be trying to combat this year.

The New World is a spark of justice. It's a passion, not a principality. We've hit on this subject in the past few years and things have changed significantly for the better. We don't do the internet personality politics business. One big reason for this is in the nature of friendship. Personal relationships between people take up somewhat more clarity when those people are not able to claim a mandate larger than themselves. When things reveal themselves with such candor, you can really tell who has your best interests in mind. Perversions stick out like a sore thumb. And when it comes to who we truly are, and what we truly represent, perversions need to be addressed in care.

Some avid watchers of my business, if any do exist, will recall the Commonwealth of Steam. The Commonwealth of Steam gave explicit assurances to reachless masses, but implicit assurances to those who claimed leadership over them. I'm not in the business of naming and shaming here. But such a system brings out the worst in people and gives them power to exact it. If we do this again, the Internet Shichibukai are gonna start monopolizing the memes, and our society will be cast from its noble principles, all because someone influential refuses to agree that Geert Wilders is a fascist. We should rather be present for those who are present, and we should present to those who need witness our presentation.

JL/CG