Internet

[shazza]

Is the internet good or bad? Discuss.

[abunaidesu]

good

[shazza]

y

[Master Rudy]

Geez Shazza....you get lost trying to find Mt. Moon this morning?

[Bear]

What's the internet? I heard Al Gore invented it or something...

[Drago]

Christ, what in the hell is all this shiznit? Either someone's been cleaning out Mt. Moon, or shazza got generally thread happy for misc.

Anyhow, I'm fairly sure that the Internet has killed off roughly 30% of social time that I would have otherwise had. Basically, when I'm at home, I'm staring into this cold, blank box for hours on end, achieving nothing and wasting everything. There will be a time when I'm an old man, and I look back on these times with nothing but bitter disdain for myself. Until then, I just got my [Tabard of the Explorer] and feel pretty good about it.

Funny how a little over a decade ago, the Internet was seen as more of a novelty than anything else, and now it's a crucial part of our lives. Not a day goes by when I don't access it... It's the world in a box. It's a damning, magical thing.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

I think the internet is what people use it for and feed it with, both good and bad.

I think it's mainly good though, it's an excellent source of information, a means to meet new people and to be up-to-date on what is going on in the world. Just look at all the different newspapers you can get information from.

I for example always check news sources from Germany, the US, the UK and Switzerland to see what they think about issues at hand, to see their point of view. I'm not just reading the Austrian news anymore. Just imagine twenty years ago you'd have to get half a dozen newspapers from abroad for the same kind of information.

[shazza]

Geez Shazza....you get lost trying to find Mt. Moon this morning?

I found it pretty easily with the guide of Queen Clefiary leading me the way, but the administration in charge which is a separate institute from the monarchy did not approve and shifted me away, along with fleeting thoughts and actions, to the historic continent of Misc.

[Blademaster]

Too bad. Go away. You're being annoying. This is clearly just another of your neverending quests for attention on this site.

Yes, I'm a grumpy Gus right now. Don't bother me about it. I already know. :grumble:

[shazza]

What's a grumpy Gus?

[abunaidesu]

This is clearly just another of your neverending quests for attention on this site.




Yes, I'm a grumpy Gus right now. Don't bother me about it. I already know. :grumble:

o.o

[kazr]

Never before in the history of man has there been a tool that lets you have virtually all the knowledge of the world literally at your finger tips. How the majority of people decide to use that tool is a different story.

I choose to use it to shit post on a pokemon forum.

[Bear]

What's a grumpy Gus?

Kind of like a Crabby Patty, or a Negative Nancy, or a Grumpy Grover, or a Blademaster.

[Leon-IH]

The internet merely reflects the personalities of its user base.

To be entirely honest, the internet was a lot better 5-10 years ago, even if half of it was porn.

[Magmar]

Yes, I'm a grumpy Gus right now. Don't bother me about it. I already know. :grumble:

Oh blademaster, the world's smallest violin is playing just for you. Why the cry for attention? Just make a thread and vent about whatever's on your plate, rather than be aggressively passive aggressive.

For the rest of you, try to say "aggressively passive aggressive" eight times fast :) ready set go!

And this post was brought to you by....
http://img.labnol.org/di/periodictableoftheinterum5.jpg

The answer to all your questions. :wizard:

But no, really. The Internet was a lot more fun 5-10 years ago when it didn't feel like you were being studied and watched whenever and wherever you went. You could search for anything silly and not feel kind of creeped out by the fact that Google isn't adjusting your search with every keystroke, making you aware that it's more in control of you than you are in control of it. How so? It tries to predict your mind, and when it gives us the right thing and we click it, it's data that can be studied. And it can all be traced back to us. I'm kind of comfortable in this forum, a lot more comfortable than I am on Facebook, because I don't feel like my shit is going to get back to me since in the real world I'm Baz, but here I'm Magmar ^_^

[shazza]

Magmar, your periodic table of the Internet reminded me of this (http://xkcd.com/802_large/).

Let's imagine that TPM is one of the small isles in the bottom-right forum section. :)

[Telume]

Magmar, your periodic table of the Internet reminded me of this (http://xkcd.com/802_large/).

Let's imagine that TPM is one of the small isles in the bottom-right forum section. :)

TPM is probably comparable to the size of Nauru

Internet's both, it can be a good thing when you use it the right way and a bad thing when used the wrong.

Honestly it's all up to the perception of the person using it, if you think it's a bad thing then that's exactly what you're gonna get.

[shazza]

I asked this question in a troll esque manner; however, now this is in Misc I'll elaborate on what I meant by bad. By bad I do not necessarily mean the means in which it is used -- e.g. piracy, child pornography, distribution of private materials etc -- rather the growing dependence we have on the Internet for interaction and constant connectivity, mainly stemming from MSN and text messaging and escalating with social networking, which is in actuality resorting towards being disconnected from reality. Such dependence for online interaction is leading to an ineptitude in traditional socialising, consequently resulting in an increase in social seclusion and mental health issues, due to the lack of practice -- who needs practice when Facebook, instant messaging, and mobile phones provide all the means for conversing? These digital tools provide everything needed, and even have advantages than real life interaction: you need not reply instantly and rely on pondering your thoughts, have the ability to backtrack etc. And with the internet blossoming, internet linguistics are rapidly becoming more popular that it may very well lead to a generation inept at the English language. Moreover, applications such as Microsoft Word aid in how to spell words correctly that it will not be deemed as crucial by the child not to learn words -- as the current and future generation of children will be unprecedentedly savvy at computers.

Generation Z will be the first true generation where growing up in the world of the modern Internet is all they have known. Many will be extremely gifted; however, technology is – and is only going to increase – conversely an escapism for low self-esteem, and a lazy tool for learning.

Having said that, I am all too familiar with the advantages and wonders it has brought. I do wish, though, that internet addiction would be classified as a stand alone disorder rather than interlinked with gambling or video game addiction disorders.

[Blademaster]

I dunno who made those element tables and maps, but dayumn.

[MasterMew]

The internet is a great advancement in technology. However, every great advance has its setbacks. Two hundred years ago, people didn't die in car crashes because they didn't exist. But we don't stop driving them. The internet opens the door for a lot of awful people to do a lot of awful things, but overall there are a lot of great things that the internet brings to the table.

And in regards to being "post happy", I think the forums could use that. It's not like the old days where you had a very active forum 24/7, there's not a whole lot on here anymore and any life that can be brought to this forum to keep it vibrant and alive I think should be welcomed and not discouraged.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

TPM is probably comparable to the size of Nauru.

TPM is smaller than Finland? No way!


Having said that, I am all too familiar with the advantages and wonders it has brought. I do wish, though, that internet addiction would be classified as a stand alone disorder rather than interlinked with gambling or video game addiction disorders.

At least they don't interlink Internet addition with alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Or do they...?

[Magmar]

No, but I think they can interlink term papers, midterms and group presentations with increased cigarette smoking, drugs and alcohol use. I wouldn't call it "abuse" since you're "using" them for exactly their purpose.