Going Viral

A lot of electronics nomenclature makes a lot of sense. The original corded “mouse” really did look like a mouse. Wireless mice (mouses?) not so much. Folders, workbooks and such made the trip from paper to electricity without missing a beat.

Icons, where we happily click, are named after religious images. Twitter is named for the birds, I guess, and Facebook was originally a way to put faces with names on college campuses.

As the social media age spread, there became times when a person, place, or thing did or said something that was disseminated to the far reaches of the earth. That sort of thing was, and is called, “going viral.”

And, now that we have a real virus with which to contend, we can really see the similarities. Mostly, once it has spread it can’t be retrieved. The other similarity is that with real viruses and social media viruses, there will always be another one coming around the corner.

If you think about it, going viral was a pretty good choice for naming the spread of a story. It surely beats “going bacterial” or “going fungal.”

As more and more of us are told to stay home, that same social media is providing opportunities for sharing. There is a lot of information, humor, conspiracy, and music out there to absorb. Here’s one video of a virtual choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BumCkswUUDA&fbclid=IwAR2ReaQQn8XrwuFgQ_lD7kOA4B2p0SVufVdq-AEBlCf0e2DcfflxK0hDtGI. Here’s another of an adorable Chinese girl: https://www.facebook.com/dusttodigital/videos/526203474971084/UzpfSTEwMDAwMDk1NTM3NTIxNTozNzAzODg4NTY2MzE5NjE5/. I’d make that one the official anthem of “Pandemic 2020.”

So, here we are, all of us. Waiting for a shoe to drop, or not. Wondering about what may or may not be going on inside of us or our loved ones. It’s an odd feeling, but we’ve got plenty of company, even though we’re not allowed to be with them.

There will be much discussion about the politics of all this down the road, but for now I guess we just have to make the best of a bad situation and keep our chins up.  And, in case you missed it, spring is here!