Yeah, in other news, I've come to the conclusion I am a ridiculously slow knitter.
I think the issue is that the pattern I'm doing is complex enough that I have to pay close attention to what I'm knitting, but repetitive enough that I'm getting bored now. I know in an inch's time the pattern changes up, so it'll be a bit more interesting again, but that inch feels like it's taking forever at the moment!
Sunday 16 February 2014
Saturday 1 February 2014
If I may deviate from Knitting chat for just one moment...
I know this blog is for knitting, and while I may be a knitter, that's not all I am. I'm also a mum who is constantly on the watch for bullying towards, or by, my son. Social media seems to be a place where bullying can and does happen under many guises.
I've spotted a bit of social media based bullying occurring on both Twitter and on Facebook ,but it seems to happen a lot more on Twitter, perhaps this is because I have my FB quite locked down, and only really see those posts made by my friends or family, whereas on Twitter I see tweets from a much wider group, probably thanks to re-tweets and the like.
Recently there has been some bullying on a friend's Twitter feed, and while I may like a good b*tch as much as the next person (ok, probably more than most) I am not OK with bullying.
My friend was really wound up by it all, and I've offered my blog as a place to vent (especially as they are far more eloquent than I could ever be and I agree wholeheartedly with what they have to say...)
So please bear with me, and welcome Jack!
Online Bitching on a Public Forum – It’s bullying and people are watching you do it.
Those of us who are into our social media usage and have groups of friends online follow the usual rules. We lock our Fb profiles down so employers can’t snoop, we don’t threaten to bomb Robin Hood airport on Twitter and we don’t (generally) troll celebrities. Twitter is an open platform for your thoughts, opinions, gossip, rants, squeeing and boredom. You follow people you have an interest in or something with common with. People follow you because you sound interesting and they like what they read. They see everything you type. If they follow a group of you who all chat – they see whole conversations.
Picture the scene. You've got fed up with a member of your group whose been a pain in the ass for the last few months. You get the gang round for a cup of tea and a rant. The gang joins in, rallying your support and agreeing that the person in question has stepped over the line. Ranting ensues. Threats are threatened and bitching is bitched. You’re the victim of their abuse. You and your mates arn’t going to take it anymore. You share the texts you've received. You tell the person in question that they've done it to themselves. You have been vindicated, your points validated; your opinion supported. And then you look around. You’re not having a cup of tea with your mates. You’re sat in the canteen at school. Loudly shouting bitchy things about that girl over there who’s been horrible to you. Whilst showing their texts via a Powerpoint presentation on the wall. Everyone is listening to you all. Everyone is watching you all. All those people, who quite respected you, have now seen you; not victimised or forgiving. You've become something else now. You've become the bullies. You shouldn't feel vindication. You shouldn't feel validated. You should feel shame.
There’s a difference between airing your negative views about someone in a private forum with people you feel comfortable with, and shouting them out to a crowd. It’s not nice to publicly hurt someone’s feelings, even if you don’t like them that much. There’s freedom of speech and then there’s tact. Tact involves venting your frustrations to your friends in private. It’s far more dignified to conduct your negative affairs out of the public eye than reenacting the latest episode of Eastenders via social media. If you have a problem with people on social media then it’s healthier to walk away. Healthier on your mental state, and healthier on peoples opinion of you. If you have to keep running back to social media to check what validation you've received with regards to your most recent drama, then block. If someone is behaving negatively towards you online, then block. It’s a simple mechanism with a widespread affect.
We forget that Twitter is a soap box for everything we say. We forget the amount of people who read the crap that we write. We forget the difference between positive and negative updates and how they affect other people who are reading them. Positivity, via the way we communicate online, can have a massive impact on those around us – whether it be coping with our mundane day to day life, rallying to a particular cause, or discovering a new scientific breakthrough. Post at least one thing every day that is positive. Like our Mums always used to say, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Unless it’s about Jar Jar Binks. Share all the hate you like about Jar Jar Binks.
The internet is the most dramatic revolution of communication in this century. We have the power to watch
someone talk to us from a space station, crowdsolve medical mysteries and post up hundreds of pictures of cats.
We can influence our world in a way that was never before thought possible. Let’s try and use our powers for good ok?
By
Jack of Diamonds
I've spotted a bit of social media based bullying occurring on both Twitter and on Facebook ,but it seems to happen a lot more on Twitter, perhaps this is because I have my FB quite locked down, and only really see those posts made by my friends or family, whereas on Twitter I see tweets from a much wider group, probably thanks to re-tweets and the like.
Recently there has been some bullying on a friend's Twitter feed, and while I may like a good b*tch as much as the next person (ok, probably more than most) I am not OK with bullying.
My friend was really wound up by it all, and I've offered my blog as a place to vent (especially as they are far more eloquent than I could ever be and I agree wholeheartedly with what they have to say...)
So please bear with me, and welcome Jack!
Online Bitching on a Public Forum – It’s bullying and people are watching you do it.
Those of us who are into our social media usage and have groups of friends online follow the usual rules. We lock our Fb profiles down so employers can’t snoop, we don’t threaten to bomb Robin Hood airport on Twitter and we don’t (generally) troll celebrities. Twitter is an open platform for your thoughts, opinions, gossip, rants, squeeing and boredom. You follow people you have an interest in or something with common with. People follow you because you sound interesting and they like what they read. They see everything you type. If they follow a group of you who all chat – they see whole conversations.
Picture the scene. You've got fed up with a member of your group whose been a pain in the ass for the last few months. You get the gang round for a cup of tea and a rant. The gang joins in, rallying your support and agreeing that the person in question has stepped over the line. Ranting ensues. Threats are threatened and bitching is bitched. You’re the victim of their abuse. You and your mates arn’t going to take it anymore. You share the texts you've received. You tell the person in question that they've done it to themselves. You have been vindicated, your points validated; your opinion supported. And then you look around. You’re not having a cup of tea with your mates. You’re sat in the canteen at school. Loudly shouting bitchy things about that girl over there who’s been horrible to you. Whilst showing their texts via a Powerpoint presentation on the wall. Everyone is listening to you all. Everyone is watching you all. All those people, who quite respected you, have now seen you; not victimised or forgiving. You've become something else now. You've become the bullies. You shouldn't feel vindication. You shouldn't feel validated. You should feel shame.
There’s a difference between airing your negative views about someone in a private forum with people you feel comfortable with, and shouting them out to a crowd. It’s not nice to publicly hurt someone’s feelings, even if you don’t like them that much. There’s freedom of speech and then there’s tact. Tact involves venting your frustrations to your friends in private. It’s far more dignified to conduct your negative affairs out of the public eye than reenacting the latest episode of Eastenders via social media. If you have a problem with people on social media then it’s healthier to walk away. Healthier on your mental state, and healthier on peoples opinion of you. If you have to keep running back to social media to check what validation you've received with regards to your most recent drama, then block. If someone is behaving negatively towards you online, then block. It’s a simple mechanism with a widespread affect.
We forget that Twitter is a soap box for everything we say. We forget the amount of people who read the crap that we write. We forget the difference between positive and negative updates and how they affect other people who are reading them. Positivity, via the way we communicate online, can have a massive impact on those around us – whether it be coping with our mundane day to day life, rallying to a particular cause, or discovering a new scientific breakthrough. Post at least one thing every day that is positive. Like our Mums always used to say, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Unless it’s about Jar Jar Binks. Share all the hate you like about Jar Jar Binks.
The internet is the most dramatic revolution of communication in this century. We have the power to watch
someone talk to us from a space station, crowdsolve medical mysteries and post up hundreds of pictures of cats.
We can influence our world in a way that was never before thought possible. Let’s try and use our powers for good ok?
By
Jack of Diamonds
Knee deep in knitting
Sorry its been oh so quiet on here recently,
My currently knitting project is a big one, and a bit all consuming, so much so that I actually found myself avoiding it for a few weeks after Christmas, I felt a bit knitted out!
But I'm back in the throes now, and rather enjoying it. It's the most complicated thing I've ever attempted - It's the Heliopath Vest from the Unofficial Harry Potter knits book. (link here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heliopath-vest)
I'll try and put up some work in progress photos later, just to prove I am actually making progress on it! ;)
My currently knitting project is a big one, and a bit all consuming, so much so that I actually found myself avoiding it for a few weeks after Christmas, I felt a bit knitted out!
But I'm back in the throes now, and rather enjoying it. It's the most complicated thing I've ever attempted - It's the Heliopath Vest from the Unofficial Harry Potter knits book. (link here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heliopath-vest)
I'll try and put up some work in progress photos later, just to prove I am actually making progress on it! ;)
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