Sunday, January 15, 2012

Why I Love Social Media and the Internet

There is hardly a person I can not find something about.  I don't hire private investigators, I have one who works for free.  His name is Google.  I find people through Facebook and My Space. And I am interested.  If I weren't a lawyer, I would still probably be looking people up on the Internet, because I am interested in who we are and how we are presented to the world.  We live in a much more connected world than the world of my youth.  When I was in college, a computer filled a building.  I bought my first personal computer in 1991, after 8 years as a lawyer.  When I was fresh out of law school, people used "word processors.". I didn't know how to turn one on.  Research was done in various libraries with books. We contacted others either by letter or phone.  In a prior law firm, there was a conflict about whether or not we needed the new-fangled "fax" machine since only dilatory lawyers failed to get their work done in time to use the mail.   How things have changed.  We have so much more access to everything and everyone.   When I represented a woman suing Mayor Funkhouser, I checked the Internet every morning.   Some days this was how I found out about new developments in the case, even though I was the plaintiff"s attorney.  I also discovered how anonymity emboldened those making vicious and vile comments.  Nasty racist and sexist comments appeared regularly, by people who falsely assumed they could forever remain nameless.  Of course, we could have tracked them down through there ip addresses, but those people were not worthy of the effort.  I received one anonymous hate letter by mail, and figured it must have been from a person who was essentially computer illiterate.  I resolved after that experience to never post anonymously anywhere ever.    With the Internet, anyone with a desire can have a voice.  We can learn a lot about others.  We had a sexual harassment case and my partner was going to take the deposition of the purported harasser.  She looked on the Internet, and there, on MySpace, was his page talking about how hot he thought he was to women.  How insecure is someone to have to post how desirable he or she is on the Internet?  Alternatively, there are people with whom I have been quite taken based on their social media postings.  I feel that I am honored to share a part of these people, especially the courageous ones who make themselves vulnerable and share their hopes, desires, sense of humor, and even progression of their labor pains. I hear others complain because people use social media for trivial information.  I love all of the information.  I feel honored that people make themselves vulnerable and let us know about their lives.  I know lawyers who tell their clients not to use social media.   I disagree.  We all need to exercise common sense, but isn't it wonderful that we get to learn about so many people and realize that we share hopes and dreams with those we hardly know.  I can't wait to see what technological advances are yet to come.  P.S.  Tony, I love your blog the most. You have the courage to be controversial, and funny. Don't we need controversial people in this conformist society? Yes!  Especially if they can laugh, not just at others, but also at themselves. 

7 comments:

  1. They--computers and the social networks, too--have absolutely shrunken the world stil more, for sure and a great deal more. I now have friends all around the world, just through Facebook alone. It makes everyone fighting for change against any plutocracy, plutonomy, oligarchy and/or any other oppressive regime, defacto brothers and sisters in our causes. It can help pit us against the mighty and very powerful coroporations--at least so far, anyway. We can share photography or thoughts and ideas and nearly anything with the world. It's pretty incredible, for sure.

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  2. People are idiots: they use Facebook as though what they post can never be seen by anyone. They give away their privacy as though they don't care. and privacy, once given away on the internet via social media, cannot be regained.

    Also Botello is lying to you. It's pathological. As you continue, it will be completely obvious. I hope you know this.

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  3. There are still people who use me & the letter I wrote to Tony as proof that he is lying. Some don't believe that a person would use his real name, & therefore I must be a creation of his. I found Tony's blog because of the simple phrase 'Mayor Funky'. I found it with Google & I thought it was funny, so I checked it out. I admire Tony Botello & May Evans, among others, because they use their real names.

    Byron Funkhouser
    (When googleing, remember that its Byron D Funkhouser & not Byron L Funkhouser. That's someone else.

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  4. ha ha, of course, "Byron," the brightest star in the figment of the Slanderalla Universe! Funny you should try to come on here and defend your pathological lying, Tony. How pathetic.

    Lynne, here's one I'll never ever forget: so, ever call up a major corporation and just have them spill their business plans over the phone? Well of course...happens every day!

    http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2009/01/tkc-exclusive-kansas-city-newspapers.html

    Dreaming up phony news stories, based on phony interviews, is the Botello M.O. Sure you think he's funny, but most pathological liars are pretty charming, and you won't be laughing so hard when you discover Botello hasn't been telling you the truth about anything. Not last week. Not this week. Not next week. Whatever line he's feeding you now is just that: a line.

    But take his money, by all means, and have fun in court.

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  5. I think its cowardly to anonymously libel someone. How pathetic.

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  6. I think reading TKC is cowardly. And to admit it is pathetic

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  7. Yeah. I see your comments there all the time.

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