Re: Deeper understanding

[jessica@maurolycus.rutgers.edu (jessica)]

mortal@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (71079000) writes:

>Allow me to play devil's advocate for a bit. I've been involved with
>various aspects of the online scene for a few years now, and I can sayy
>from personal experience that it's not all rosebuds and spam. Modeming
>can be, to paraphrase "The Breakfast Club": "social. Demented and sad,
>but social." Maybe my experiences are different from yours, but I've
>found that even in the midst of fascinating information and discussion,
>there is still a pale isolation to online communication.

>I'm not badmouthing netters, mind you. I just feel that in "Deeper
>Understanding," Kate Bush was on to something. I see it as a sort
>of modern Pyramus and Thisbe: the thrill of companionship is offset
>by the continuing isolation, and vice versa.

I agree completely that communication via computers is lacking
something - there can be almost no communication through body language
(I say almost none, because i know there are people who will describe
in deatail their body actions for the sake of improving the state of
the communication. That may improve things but is of course still no
replacement for the real thing).

When I spoke of the positive side of computer networked conversation,
I in no way meant to imply that it should become a replacement for in
person interaction. For it to be successful, i'm quite certain that
you must *not* let it do so! I have seen people who are shy, insecure,
have great difficulty interacting with people in person, find
themselves able to do so to a great extent over the net. Now the
lucky ones say "hey, may I can take what i've learned here and apply
it to my in-person interactions! The unlucky ones think "this is tyhe
only way i _can_ communicate with people."

I think *talking*, very openly and a great deal about these subjects -
educating people as to the positive and dangerous sides, is what's
important. It almost has to be treated as one would a drug or
dangerous communicable disease. People simply have to be _educated_,
so that they are less likely to fall into trouble and instead get true
beneefit and enjoyment from the facilities they have access to.

>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>+ Lore Christian        + "I want to be a lawyer--            +
>+    Fitzgerald Sj|berg +  I want to be scholar--             +
>+ mortal@ucscb.ucsc.edu +  But I really can't be bothered..." +
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

				jessica
-- 
|| jessica  || It is this that || Don't try to tell me there's no reason for ||
|| lawrence ||    brings us    || any moment in time, every memory of mine.  ||
|| koeppel  ||    together.    || Those years are lines of color on my face, ||
|| dembski  ||        --Kate   || the past is warpaint.     --Happy Rhodes   ||