Friday, August 20, 2010

Check it, I'm blowing up on Facebook.

I'm a private person, so I have no interest in throwing wide the gates on my personal life, supplying the world with that much-needed minute-to-minute update on my mood and ephemeral thoughts or announcing the details of my lunch. As such, while I've been an early adopter of pretty much all the social networking sites as they've come out, I've generally had little use for them beyond keeping in touch with (while still maintaining a respectable distance from) a few high school friends and Internet acquaintances and occasionally trading a few yucks while watching award shows or some other trivial mess on TV.

I never understood the speculation that these sites would eventually become the future of all communication, eventually supplanting email, newspapers, magazines, blogs and even the more intelligent message boards; in fact, I actively resented such an idea. I still smh at the thought that something like a well-articulated, multi-dimensional album review could so easily become superfluous and obsolete amidst a torrent of hastily-ejaculated, 150-character blurbs.

(Wait... Did I just type "smh"?)

But on the real... I'm starting to get the appeal. Through a somewhat serendipitous series of events, my Facebook page has over the past few days become a rather exciting hotbed of activity. Short version: I posted a few vintage Nigerian music photos as a lark, but the comments section on them soon went completely mad with all sorts of people posting memories and stories and with several veteran musicians like Tee Mac (AfroCollection, Tee Mac Connection), Jerri Jheto (The Mebusas, Ozziddi), Micro Mike (The Sunflowers and "The Black Mirrors"), Soga Benson and Skidd Ikemefuna (Grotto), Gboyega Adelaja and others chiming in to share interesting tales from their careers and commune with peers they've not spoken to in aeons.

It's been a lot of fun and I have to admit that I'm almost tempted to give up on this blog and shift operations to Facebook fulltime (I said "almost")! The only problem is that tending to the increased traffic on my Facebook account--processing an endless stream of new friend requests, moderating comments, replying to inquiries, tagging photos--has become pretty much a 24-hour job... At first I tried to herd it towards my Comb & Razor Sound group page but I found that it took away some of the interactivity as Facebook (ridiculously) does not notify group members--or even the group admin--when content on group pages is updated.

So I'd say just go to my (fairly impersonal) "personal" page and check out the "Random" album in the Photos tab, as well as the Videos tab where I have been posting some content as well. Also, scan the past few days' entries on the Wall as there have been some interesting discussions there, too. While I have tagged this post "shameless self-promotion," it's really not about that at all... I'm not trying to become a Facebook star or anything; I just feel there's been some pretty cool interaction going on there and I suspect some of you might want to join in.

If I'm right in thinking this, then go to Comb Razor on Facebook.



ps. I *might* soon be migrating this blog to Wordpress, so prepare to change your bookmarks, okay?

16 comments:

ms bazu said...

:D

Chi dfqn said...

it's been going crazy on your fb photo album! i think when it dies down, you should recap a few interesting or revealing comments here on your blog.

Comb & Razor said...

Yep... I am compiling some of the juicier morsels and moments.

zim said...

definitely, a compilation would be great - I can't keep up

Anonymous said...

Comb I have subscribe to your feed. Great!

haikuschreiben.blogspot.com said...

it shouldn't have been anonymous, see haikuschreiben.blogspot.com

Comb & Razor said...

Oh, I didn't realize it was you, Gerwine! Welcome!

Peter said...

There is the added weight on inanity though on FB - one need only examine the Criterion Collection page in detail to see a multitude of people "contribute" what they deem fit to be a future release... People, there's a canon and while it's fairly large in breadth and scope, it's not necessarily tailored to individual taste...

On that note, hope you're well U - still in Mass?

Best,

Peter.

airmanchairman said...

While on the subject of Nigerian Psychedelia and Afro-rock in the 70s, do you have anything on the fabulous Ghanaian invasion of that period, which included Basa-basa and Hedzolleh Sounds (they worked and toured extensively through West Africa with the legendary Papa Africa, Hugh Masekela), and my personal all-time favourites, the wonderful Psychedelic Aliens?
Remember ("We Are Laughing")?

Comb & Razor said...

airmanchairman -

Well... Soundway has reissued Hedzolleh's classic debut LP and most of the Psychedelic Aliens' output will be reissued later this year as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z55D2Mmll9U

I do have some Basa-Basa stuff, as well...

AP said...

So that is where you were hanging out? :-)
I like blogs like this (blogger) and it is a different way of reading things and learning, on FB it can quickly turn into gossip forms. Also FB I find is less easy to form as I would like it. It looks a mess and is a bit chaotic to find one's way in it. But ok when I have re-activated my account I will go there and find you! Good work and I am glad you get so much response!
A friend (LaLa)

Comb & Razor said...

Don't worry, LaLa... I haven't abandoned Blogger (yet); I've just been really busy and it's been hard to focus long enough to write blog entries... Facebook on the other hand gives me the luxury to quickly check in and out but you're right: it IS very chaotic and often gossipy.

Dapxin said...

kill offf the alerts! and email notifications but for messages and/or photo uploads.

That way you can goto facebook only when you feel like going there.
a

Comb & Razor said...

...Pardon?

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bp claims process said...

Haha ~ i really love facebook and it is true that it can become pretty addictive.