The Internet in General.

Ive just written a post for my blog about a subject that i strongly believe about and wish that everybody would read as its a subject i think everybody will agree on.

The post is at: http://kbirrane.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/unsocialnetworks/

I want to get a discussion started on this subject as i want to know what everybody else feels about the internet and the way it effects peoples lives, i know for a fact most people probably have never really thought about it before but i now that you'll all have some sought of opinion about it after reading the post.

Anyway ive talked about this subject quite a lot already so im going to leave it to see what other people say about it is a subject that effects every single person who has joined on this forum (unless your sending messages through the power of your mind and not the internet).

^ Free plug ^

The Irony is that you've posted that online, on one of your many forums, using grammar from a KS2 textbook (no offense meant), but like you say, it's subconscious.

Well what you've said is pretty standard and uncontroversial. The internet is faceless and without personality if you want it to be, and even if you don't it's very difficult to acheive a style that isn't "weird".

I'm not sure I agree that everyone should read it, I think that's an overstatement, since it is not the meaning of life or of that level of importance, but what you say is very true. The internet allows me to converse with people on literally the other side of the planet, as well as my friends, and it's true that in many cases it's simply easier and more reliable to telephone someone, and I wish that people would phone me with details of arrangements rather than emailing me.

What you claim is primarily that the internet is shallow and essentially pointless with regards to communication. However, the benefits of the information on the internet is incredibly important too, the most obvious example being Wikipedia.

I only said 'everybody' should read it so that you members would actually go and read the dam thing, as you all tend to ignore stuff i post up. I dont mean the post to be anything like the Meaning of Life or anything but i want all you members to at least take a glance at it and comment.

As i said in the post i think we should use the internet for what its good at which includes finding information and content which would otherwise be hard to find. What im against is people conducting their lives through social networking sites trying to be something that they simply arn't. It is true that i also do this and sure its hypocritical of me to be even posting something like that but thats the reason it did it, to take a look what we all do (including myself) on social network sites.

Facebook has been depressing me lately, quite a lot infact, now the reason i began writing it was to find the real reason why it was, i mean on the face of it nothing seemed wrong and i thought that it might be just me, the post is my answer to that question. I dont claim that the entire internet is shallow and pointless, i just feel that people shouldnt take social networking websites too seriously and limit their useage for their own sakes. Now it might just be me who has a problem with over checking all the forums and if so ill have to quickly sought out my own shallow and pointless life before it drives me insane.

Meh it doesn't bother me I use the internet wisely to keep in contact with friends, although it is an electronic replacement for social interaction - which in the end is quite sad.

The internet is an extremely useful tool as well as being an extremely harmful tool. It is like most things and people both good and evil.

kabirrane wrote:

Now it might just be me who has a problem with over checking all the forums and if so ill have to quickly sought out my own shallow and pointless life before it drives me insane.

I wouldn't say you're shallow at all, and I certainly agree with what your saying about the internet.

If Facebook is making you feel low then just ditch it. I don't like MSN, so I ditched it (which is why I'm never on) since I like to keep conversations in posts or real. Otherwise, it's difficult, and I speak from experience. Seriously, just ignore it. I don't really know why it's making you feel bad but does that matter? You lived fourteen sixteenths of your life without it, so just say sod it.

That was a very interesting read! (No sarcasm intended - I felt the need to point this out after reading. )

I dislike social networking. If you've cared to notice, I'm not on ANY of the instant chat ones - or Facebook, Bebo or MySpace. In fact, the only sites like these that I'm on is Twitter, and then that is only so I can keep up to date with the things I'm interested in, primarily the video game industry.

I agree with what you're saying, the internet can dominate peoples communication, which is why I distance myself from it entirely - which is also why I use a different character all-together. In the simplest of terms: rather than being my actual self I have created an alternate identity, whom I can use, characterise and dispose of when need be - without it affecting myself as a person. That is, when you talk to me online, you're not talking to me - you're talking to Dr. P, an entirely different person altogether - I suppose it's like a split personality, but in a less worrying way.

This can be very useful, as Dr. P can be whoever I want Dr. P to be. And so this eliminates the feeling of creating a false impression of oneself - as I am NOT Dr. P in real life as Dr. P is just a username with attached messages, happening to reflect my own opinions. I have used several usernames in the past; but when I felt I needed to change my image, for whatever reason, I can simply create a new one - all these past identities have their own characteristics and each one reflects the type of person I was at the time. If I used my real name, this just wouldn't be possible.

I am too a member of several forums, mostly using the same username, but I don't use Social Networks simply because Dr. P has no need for them, you can't go and meet Dr. P in real life, so what's the point. And, again, I, as a person, like to stay clear of them due mainly to the reasons you felt. I do use forums, blogs and micro-blogging though, 1, to keep up to date with news I'm interested in and also to discuss and opinion-ate the subjects I'm interested in - for me this way works best and always has.

I also use Skype, but mainly as a way of really conversing to close friends as my actual self - as we would any lunch time.