For me its hard to remember when Facebook was new, can anyone remember? It was genuinely a very exciting time, ok there were other social networking sites like Bebo, Myspace, etc, but Facebook was a massive step up, communicating with other people became a lot easier compared with other networking sites whose layouts were clunky and messy compared to Facebook. For better or worse It has changed the way we communicate forever and I was on the better side of that 5 years ago, kinda don't feel the same way anymore.

This started September 11th, people wrote standard messages regarding the tragic events 11 years ago but like the past few years, people saw fit to use this day to discuss whether it was a conspiracy or not (like every year) violently arguing over an issue that for most of the people had not affected what-so-ever (FYI this isn't an invitation for you to present your opinion for or against, you couldn't pay me to care what your opinion is). The past few years I've been pissed off by this, but now I'm just tired of it.

The unfortunate thing with the internet is that almost anyone can become an invisible html and hurl random abuse at a celebrity or non-celebrity via twitter or youtube or start an argument or an offensive group on Facebook. There seems to be a celebrity caught up in a row via twitter every day or people being arrested for harassment by using social networking, this really, really depresses me. While we are on the subject of celebrities, the tip of the iceberg is the fake death stories of celebrities that crop up every once in a while, Jackie Chan, Jim Carrey and more recently Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman and Alfonso Ribeiro, have all been targeted by false reports of their deaths. Seriously!?! what messed up mind tries to fake up the death of a beloved actor like that.

I've been writing music for over 15 years now and being a musician on the internet sometimes feels like screaming in space, theres millions others in the same boat all wanting to be heard and wanting the recognition, and the fact that someone can gain instant notoriety for being a jerk just makes me want to stop trying. Speaking of which check out a guy called Eric Bibb, one of my idols, amazing guitarist, songwriter and a wonderful man who in his career has released over 30 albums, the world deserves to know his name, so give him a listen and thank me later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acupXlmu9zI

Back to the point, this is why the internet is all backwards, we give such Facebook groups like 'Cancer is funny because people die' attention (Fortunately that has been deleted now). Give this attention to a person who deserves it instead, DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS! (if you ignore someone long enough they will go away). Unfortunately I'm left to accept that 'trolling' will never be gone as they will claim freedom of speech or some other bullshit. Newsflash here and listen carefully, yes freedom of speech does give right to say what you like, BUT it doesn't give you the right to BE listened to! OR challenged should anyone affected by your words come to harm. We as people are better than this and therefore should act better, this is social networking, SOCIAL networking.

Also this is why I ask, do you remember when Facebook was new and people just, you know, talked and got along?

I'm Richard, and you're awesome for reading this.