Why the hate on social media?

Photo credit to useless no more.

Explore Howard's Doug Miller published a blog post before Christmas with the controversial title "Why I hate social media."  I sighed and then clicked it, knowing I was probably driving up its click count much like how an article with the headline "Sarah Palin rips non-Muslim Obama over mosque while Lady Gaga remains silent" gets a zillion clicks and appeases the Google gods.

Miller's post was in reference to Frisky's Wildlife & Primate Sanctuary posting a status to Facebook that reads, "‎!!! A CALL FOR HELP !!!  If you're behind Frisky's in their effort to keep the monkeys and exotics, then you can help. Write an email to the Howard County Times, stating that you would like to see the exotics, including the monkeys remain at Frisky's."  It also included the Howard County Times letter-to-the-editor email address.

Doug Miller basically says he doesn't like social media because it generates a bunch of letters to the editor all at the same time that are useless.  (I am paraphrasing.)

Huh? Guh... buh... gah?  Muh?

He says they often don't have a last name or location.

Depending on how these "impassioned" letters are sent-- Frisky's posted an email address, so I assume via email-- can't someone reply and ask for a last name and location?  The letter-writers may not know that these are required to publish a letter in the paper.  I would point out that even on the Explore Howard website's "Letters to the Editor" section, the "submit a letter" link is just the same email address with no description of information they require in order to publish a letter.

Miller also says that they don't point to any new development, and that there is little, if anything, they will accomplish with a letter campaign.  He ends his post with "I’m at a loss as to what Frisky’s and its fans hope to gain by this campaign."

Do any letters to the editor actually change opinions?  What do any letters to the editor accomplish but to provide a forum to vent or to demonstrate public opinion for or against something?

I read the letters to the editor each week in the Columbia Flier, but masterpieces of public discourse they are... not.  I don't think the Frisky's letters this week are really aren't any less informative or pertinent to county issues than the go vegan or the please pick up your dog poop letters.  And while Barbara Russell's letter about video boards downtown may have generated some comments and blog posts from Wordbones and HoCo Rising, I wouldn't hold it up as a golden example of a letter to the editor that somehow changed opinions or gained anything-- it certainly falls into the "vent" category with its dripping sarcasm.

I'm probably reading too much into Doug Miller's mini-rant against social media.  I'm hardly a champion of the medium, as I don't have a Twitter account and my Facebook friends can confirm that I don't take that seriously.  It's not like I took personal offense or anything.  And I'm sure Doug Miller edited the letters that were eventually published to the best they could be prior to publishing-- that's a hard job, and my hat's off to him for it.  But come on-- let people write their letters to the editor in peace, whatever the impetus, and if there's nothing worth publishing, don't publish it.

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Others have been doing retrospectives and prospectives but I'll squeeze mine in here since I haven't really been around long enough to dignify my lil blog with an entry of its own like that.  But I did want to express my thanks to y'all readers and commentors-- if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be writing.  I also want to extend a hearty thank you to all the other local bloggers who have helped Sarah Says along the way as well.

Have a great New Year, folks-- see you in 2011.