I had the distinct pleasure today to give an impromptu and rather impassioned presentation to Jess Rigelhaupt’s Freshman Seminar about their participation in the Domain of One’s Own project. My tact for this presentation was to start by talking about Facebook and how it was similar to a Roach Motel. But, as is often the case with my 70s and 80s popular culture allusions, none of the students really knew the reference. So, in order to counteract their pop culture ignorance I quickly jumped on the internet and brought up the 1978 commercial featuring the classic “Roaches check in, but they don’t check out” tagline. I often use this quote to frame the way Facebook, and other third party services, make it next to impossible to truly control your own data. I understand it isn’t a perfect analogy, but I just love calling Facebook a Roach Motel to a room full of students who live there 🙂 A Domain of One’s Own is on like Donkey Kong!
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Even I didn’t get the reference. Damn you’re old.
In defense of my generation, I totally get the reference…..Tim was obviously too busy building Heath Kits instead of watching TV while he was young.
I remember that commercial. It’s Hotel California for insects!
@Ben,
Youw ere always better than Tim, you always have a job at DTLT, whereas Tim has just gone on double secret probation 😉
@Nicole,
“You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave!” That is another Facebook analogy homerun, you rule!
Damn! I got the idea but only because I used the roach motel for cucarachas!! Didn’t know there was a tag line from an ad!
However, the analogy with facebook is perversely beautiful.
@Antonio,
“The Facebook Cucarachas” —this is how I will affectionately refer to all UMW students from here on out 🙂
Oh, sure, the Facebook Cucarachas! Could be a new TV series.
But, Nicole struck some powerful remembrance, yes… Hotel California. Sure, but I never worried about its lyrics. Of course, at the time I didn’t understand a word. Then you Jim wrote the quote and boom. Now it’s the time to check. Oh, all the roads bring (if somewhat circularly) to Rome.