Tuesday 12 October 2010

Vintage types & the internet!


This post was prompted by http://atomic-living.blogspot.com/2010/09/todays-future-yesterday.html where he got to wondering what life would be like without social networking or the internet.



I personally love technology and the internet. I'm a gadget lover, if I had money I'd probably have every gadget going, yet I love 1950s clothes, furniture and homewares, so where does it sit?

I know there are many different vintage types, this is something I've learnt far more so through the internet, I'm afraid I'm originally from quite a closeted scene which was all about 40s/50s music, clothes and everything else, I sat I'm afraid like it's a bad thing it isn't but it does make you think you're the only ones doing what you're doing! The internet has really opened my eyes and I'm thankful for it. There are people who know far more than anyone I know about different areas of 'vintage'. At first I was confused that people just liked the clothes but listened to modern music along with everyone else, then that some love the homewares but everything else about them looks 'normal' - this is not an insult may I add I just don't know how much better to describe it!

So for me the internet has been fabulous, I've met lots of people I wouldn't otherwise have 'met', I've discovered there are lots of people out there just as passionate about this stuff that are nothing to do with 'the scene' which I love!

However on the negative side I feel invaded by some of the social networking sites and recently I've been reassessing what is right for me. I guess this has nothing to do with the vintage network as such but I was wondering what you use?

Currently I love blogs the most, I get to read interesting stuff about interesting people, or just look at pretty things. I used twitter and have met some lovely people on there too, but Facebook, grrrrr! I don't know what it is about facebook, I feel like I'm missing out on contacting lots of lovely people by not being on there more but I find it sooooo invasive, you have little control over what pictures put up of you, I'm not a fan of all that gift giving, in fact I would quit if it wasn't an easy way to keep in touch with people.

Through blogs and twitter I've actually made friends, I met Fleur from Diary of a Vintage Girl on Twitter originally, along with Gemma from Retrochick and many others, I met Jenny from Yesterday Girl via blogging and I've made lovely friends who I haven't met who are too numerous to mention!

I know I must have bumped into other US bloggers at VLV cos we've both been there at the same time and some of them at the Rockabilly Rave and the Rhythm Riot and some of us appear to have mutual friends ha ha, so the internet has introduced me to like minded types!

So what do you currently use without it taking too much time? I'm blogs & twitter. Again would be interested to know your thoughts!!

14 comments:

Retro Chick said...

Hello! That's me! *waves* I love the interwebs. I moved around a lot and never got into a local scene, so I've found a lot of people who like the same things and things I might not have known about otherwise.

I know what you mean about Facebook though, I started getting friend requests through Retro Chick and in the end I set up a list with different permissions to accept them. It does feel very intrusive sometimes.

I occasionally pop into forums like the Fedora Lounge and Vintage Network too, but that's about it.

Unknown said...

I try and not use any of them unless I have to to keep in touch with family. I tend to stick to my blogs which I love to read everyday. Apart from my blogs and sometimes for a little shopping I don't use the internet. I am very set in my ways. I am 25 years old but I feel like I am stuck in the 50's. I don't watch TV unless it is 50's programmes and I only watch old movies too. I do not have anything modern in my home apart from a DVD player and laptop everything else is from the 1950's or earlier.

Dolly Cool Clare said...

Great post - you totally hit the nail on the head!I too love modern technology. I couldn't imagine life without it, and couldn't work from home without it either!
I dont use Myspace (too slow to load, lots of spam) or Twitter (cant be bothered!). I do have a facebook, but I only use it to keep in touch with friends, so I dont add anyone I dont know.
Blogs are my fave. I really enjoy posting, reading and commenting on blogs and its really interesting to see what likeminded others are getting up to around the world :)

1950s Atomic Ranch House said...

I have a few blogs (my vintage 50's blog, work related blogs).

I twitter for work, but I'm not convinced it does any good at all, so little effort goes into that.

I don't bother with facebook and I can never open MySpace pages because they take too long to load, and have too many bells and whistles and animation and songs. Back button for me.

At first when I looked at mid-century blogs, I thought that all the other women bought nothing but vintage clothes. Now I love vintage clothes, but I'd rather buy stuff for my 50's house at this point.

It took me a while to find others who had 50's homes there were decorating or renovating.

I post at my friends general discussion chat board a lot too, and spend time looking at eBay auctions. That fills all my free computer time! =D

Yesterday Girl said...

Blogs/facebook/twitter but blogs are definitely the most enjoyable as you can look at pretty pictures of people too. Though Twitter is fun and you can actually have a sort of conversation on there! It's all a bit addictive!x

Helen Highwater said...

I used to use blogs loads back in the days of Livejournal, before it went crap! there are some functionalities that Livejournal does better in terms of blogging than Blogger - for example, people commenting can have discussions with each other far more easily (but then the flip side is, people can fight more easily!).

I do use Facebook but the privacy settings are unclear and as you know this recently caused me a huge quantity of financial and emotional grief. I've only just worked out how to stop certain people on my friends' list from seeing certain statuses - I had to find out when my 85 year old great-aunt joined Facebook and then told me off for swearing.

And that's the trouble with Facebook - there's too much of a mix of people on there. I've got people from work, family, internet acquaintances I've never met... so things can be taken the wrong way by people etc.... Drama ensues.

I thought it was quite good for staying in touch with the family, but my squaddie brother is too busy chatting to his mates in text speak to talk to his big sister; my stepmum blocked my status updates because I was ranting one day and now she never comments on anything I do; some people add me and then never ever talk to me and that annoys me, especially when I make the effort to comment on their statuses and they'll talk to every other commenter but me! So I tend to get rid of them.

So Facebook seems to be more fraught with drama for me than Twitter. It may be that because my Twitter and blog are public, I self-edit more. Because my Facebook is locked down (it certianly is now even if it was rather leaky before!) I suppose I use it for letting off steam about things (as I used to do on Livejournal) and rather than me then having a way of coping and blowing off stress, it just causes yet more stress..... :-/

Penny Dreadful Vintage said...

I use everything - I find facebook very useful, but use it for basic messages, party invites, etc. And I love being able to look through the snaps of friends who live far away, it makes me feel closer to them. I try and limit people on facebook to me 'real' friends though.

I've met some great people through blogs and twitter too; twitter is quite fun because through a random line about watching a movie or listening to music you can discover you have so much in common with people.

Coedith said...

You hit the nail on the head for me when you said:
"I've discovered there are lots of people out there just as passionate about this stuff that are nothing to do with 'the scene' which I love!"
Being relatively new to vintage on social networking I was surprised how unlike 'the scene' it is. The competiveness of who you know, what bands you saw etc... flies out the door. Of course I haven't been a part of any scene for many years but it is still ingrained in me. I get a little jealous that gals have it so easy these days learning about vintage and connecting with others. But I am happy for them and proud to have been one of the "road pavers" heeheh! Also without the internet I would be vintage lonely.
Oh and about FB I had to start a Coedith page because so many blog readers were asking to be my "friend" on my "real" page. It felt intrusive although a Coedith page feels a little much.
I love reading you and have enjoyed your cold because you have been posting more. Although I do hope you feel better!

SusieQT said...

I was vintage in a vacuum until I discovered message boards back in 2000. (This was back in the old Atomic Magazine days when they had their own forum.) Up to that point, all my friends had been "modern". But I met some really great people online and then in person. Once that forum started to lag, I turned to blogs.

I have to say I prefer the old message board format because you can have discussion between many people, whereas with blogs it's all about one person (not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a different perspective).

I barely use facebook, and just because everyone else does. I hate Twitter- I always get the feeling that people (or myself) are living their own lives through a narrator (if that makes any sense.)

Unknown said...

Wow loads of lovely amazing comments. I enjoyed reading your post. I always used facebook until a friend of mine said that i should make my own blog. Facebook is a great way to catch up with friends that live away and view there photo's. I to sometimes find it a bit to personnal at times. I am loving blogging it has really opened my eyes up to the whole vintage life style. I have a real love for the 50s and 60's and im slowly changing my home to having all furniture etc from this period, its were i am most comfortable i never realised until i started blogging how many vintage loving people were out there and how it really is a way of life for so many of you. It has been a real inspiration for me and i am learning everyday. Great post. dee ;-)

Kitty said...

I do blogs, facebook in the most minor way possible and thats all. I don't get Twitter at-what it is, why it is, I don't get the point of it. I was having a day off when Twitter came into being. Apparently.

Stefanie Valentine said...

I use facebook and blogs. Fb is great to keep in touch with my friends, and I've set my privacy settings so that only certain people see certain things and I don't post anything too personal so I don't find it too intrusive. Blogs are a great way to meet new people, I met Jeni through blogging, and it's great to look at people's photos. I don't really get Twitter, part of me thinks I should join it as everyone else seems to but, I just don't get it!

Straight Talking Mama! said...

so interesting to read what everyone uses the various social networking for! The nice thing is that we've all made some wonderful online friends!

LandGirl1980 said...

I am pretty new to blogging and have only met one lovely lady, in the flesh, through it so far (the ravishing Retro Chick - who I originally met through Vintage Network)
Vintage Network is really what started it all off for me - I am a facebooker and added "Vintage" as one of my "likes". Through that I was contacted by Vintage Life Magazine and that led to the Network, and then blogs from there.
Twitter? Hmm not keen, but I know people love it. Its just not for me at the moment. Does mean I miss out on certain bits of blog life though. Facebook I use for keeping in contact with people who live far away, old school friends and penpals who live on t'other side of this watery sphere we call home. I'm not "friends" with anyone on there that I have not met in person or know well through penpalling (yes.. I still handwrite each letter - for the most part)
As for technology in my life? A lap top, regular mobile phone, ipod and a megre flat screen tv that sits on a lovely vintage piece of furniture. If I had not gone mental at Ikea when I moved into my flat 3 years ago - i would have alot more "retro" furniture - i shall have to bide my time, get a house and fill it with 2nd hand!
What an interesting post me dear. Glad to hear that you are feeling much betters :)

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