The "100 Things" thing: an observation

[oloriel]

Don't worry, I'm not going to do it.

However, other people are. And that's perfectly fine.

However, as soon as more than one entry by people going "I'm going to take the 100 Things Challenge" with its huge banner showed up on my flist, I couldn't help but go and check what it was all about, and then shake my head. And then nimielle mentioned that she had a whole rage/ramble boiling inside of her because of it.
That sparked this entry.

The thing is, I like the idea.
I agree with the OP that many LJs have fallen too quiet or turned into little more than Tumblr accounts with better comment functions, and I like the idea that people write proper LJ entries again on a topic of their choice.
So that's cool.

What's not cool:
It doesn't reach the right people.
Don't get me wrong: Those of you who participate in the meme are lovely people, and have chosen interesting topics, and I'm looking forward to reading your entries.
BUT: You haven't abandoned LJ anyway. You're writing entries anyway. Now, you're just going to write a hundred additional entries (or replacement entries? - I hope not!) on the topic of your choice. That is, I repeat, cool.

But I'm sure all of us have people on our f-lists who have fallen into radio silence, or who are only active on [insert other platform of your choice], or who used to write great thoughtful LJ posts and now don't have the time anymore. I'm sure we all have LJ-friends where we think, "DAMN, I wish whoever would write one of his/her brainstorming/art/random/whatever entries again." And it just doesn't happen.
THOSE are the people this meme is predominantly geared towards, as I understand it. Not towards those who write proper LJ entries anyway (just without a connecting topic, or, at any rate, without a previously chosen connecting topic), but towards those who don't - for whatever reason.

Of course, those are also the people who probably won't do the meme. :P

So from where I stand, it's kind of counter-productive. Well, not counter-productive, as it isn't keeping anyone from properly blogging. Just preaching to the choir, I guess.

Of course, I'm lucky. Unlike nimielle, I have no-one on my f-list [yet] who uses this meme to post one-liners (at best with a picture attached) in the name of the "100 Things" thing. The mind boggles. Have these people actually read the explanation that comes with the challenge, or would they have required a Twitter-ese translation to get it?

[/snark]

Comments

[nimielle.livejournal.com]

I kinda love you for this.

Now I feel like I don't have to do my rant anymore, because I'm not the only one who goes sort of >.> at that meme.

*squishes*

Thank you! ♥

You've saved lives, I'm telling you, LIVES!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

*bows* Glad to have been of service. I aim to misbehave. ^^

[allamistako.livejournal.com]

And now I feel guilty for becoming one of the quiet ones...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

*patpats* You could always take that meme ;)

[allamistako.livejournal.com]

I dunno, a hundred things? Seems like a bit of an overkill, and I'd probably get bored somewhere in the middle and quit...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

I expect most participants in this meme to do that at some point

Well, there's no time limit. The only difficulty is finding a topic that gives you opportunity for 100 posts, I guess! XD

[independence1776]

What you said makes perfect sense to me. I wouldn't be doing it myself if I hadn't realized that I really need to do something like what I signed up for, and it was the impetus. But then, I think my reasoning and plan for the end result is different than most.

But the one liners? That makes no sense at all. LJ is not Tumblr.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize it was supposed to make people write more on LJ. I picked it up from someone else without the banner and instructions. I thought I would write everyday about what makes me happy. But not very much and in addition to what I already write not in replacement of it. I thought it would be funny to have a curmudgeonly type like me asserting that they are actually happy most of the time. Which, in fact, is true.

I agree some people need to post more. The people I find most fun and interesting should make more and longer posts!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Well, it can certainly be used that way. Of course it could be discussed whether you really need a meme to make you do that ;)

Hell, yes! XD

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

As I said, it's cool if people take the meme (properly, that is, not in one-liners ;)). And yes, your motivation is rather different than most. hhimring is doing a "different" interpretation of this, too - in a way, a similar take to yours: There's something I ought to do anyway, why not combine it with this meme?

Goes to show that a slightly misguided meme can still be used to good purpose ;)

[independence1776]

Oh, I was agreeing with you that it's not going to reach the people we want it to. And what else is LJ for if not putting our own spin on things? :)