Internet ke side-effects!

Well, I've got to say this: Verdana Small Bold (the font I've been using for my last few post) is so awesome and cute, although I've kinda grown fed up of it. Anyway, being to college after some intermittent holiday has been fun, seriously. You see, too many holidays can so get to your nerves (too much of a good thing, I guess.. :P). Anyway, it was a nice repose to get to the college and-what do you call "dum karna" in English??-do that to my classmates and a couple of lecturers. Anyway, feels good to be listening to "Viva La Gloria (Little Girl)" as I fire away my thoughts through my fingers on the black keyboard (man! wasn't there too much information in that sentence?). So, what is this all about? Hmm...by now, if you have been reading this blog for sometime now (yeah, right, I assume people all around me are job-less) know that I have this incorrigible habit of thinking about things that usually don't concern me (although they interest me immensely... ;)) and rubbing your noses into my thoughts. So, what got me thinking was -  is the Internet really a boon?? Well, feels some hypocrisy here? I do too, I hate hypocrites but then, one needs to face the truth and of course, everything has its pros and cons. So, anyway, for my eulogy on the Internet, click here.


So, here comes the dirge. Yes, it is more of a mourning than it is a tirade because the things make me more sad than angry. Well, I have no idea where to start this. Well, right from the start of my experience with the Internet, there was one looming demon that hasn't seen any end, even today (as far as I know, that is). That is the abuse of the Internet as a communication medium. I've regularly heard stories about people (mark this notation: people) who cause emotional, monetary and/or security troubles to others. This includes but is not limited to people who send spoof mails about bombs (I don't even know if it is allowed to say the word in a blog :P) or other epidemics or any other personal issues (it is very comforting though, that spam filters of your mail servers keep them away from you) and of course, good riddance. Anyway, somehow, fake profiles on Orkut or some silly e-mails aren't what entice me into this post. It is a bit more personal and close to the heart. It is about the way the Internet has affected some of our lives. This gives me the scary visions of "The Matrix" where machines (computers in this case) control the lives of humans. I'll do that in a new paragraph though :P.


So, everyone goes gung-ho about all the benefits of Orkut, Facebook, Communities  (online of course...). I do too, hell, I still do, but it needs to be kept in mind that, there are limitations to any advancement. Well, first, let me make this very clear, I derive this post from experiences and personalities of various friends of mine and you may comment on the effects on me in the comments section if I haven't dealt with them. If the people whom I refer to (not by name, of course, that shall never happen on this blog, Insha Allah) are reading this post, please don't mind...actually, mind. Then try to change the things about you, but no hard feelings. What are friends for? :P


So, the 2nd paragraph from where I said i'd be starting :P. Anyway, first, the waste of time, the biggest side effect of Internet. Although one might argue that, Internet is meant to time spend on, I beg to differ. Yes, it isn't waste of time if you are trying to study. Yes, it isn't waste of time if you are discussing something important with your friends. Yes, it isn't waste of time if you are talking to family and the most cheesiest of all: it isn't waste of time if you are blogging :P. But, coming to the other side of it. Everything else other than the things I mentioned above is virtually waste of time, unless you consider something that's good for you (like Adam Smith says, and I paraphrase, what's good for you is good for the group you are in...). Try to change the world, yes, but don't do it at the cost of your feeling good. So, that was about wasting time. (in retrospect, this seems a bit rich coming from someone who is online 24x7 on Facebook, nevertheless true...)


Then, online communities and chat. I'm all for them, but the same rules as above apply. Well, I know some people who literally live in those communities. If something new happens in a sporting event they like, there is like this big fuss about getting online and discussing that with the "comm buddies". And, stop living ion communities. C'mon guys, we can be deeper than that, try to do something constructive than filling up community spaces, what say?? And then don't get me started on this chat culture (sounds a bit oldie, but still...). Hell, I've people say "lol" instead of actually laughing out loud at jokes. When they read something funny on the chat, they no longer smile, the reflex is the same morose expression followed by the reflex action of the fingers reaching for colon (:) and close parentheses ()). That's something that freaks me out, if it's funny, laugh, damn it! Then there is "OMG" for surprise and some other obscene stuff for other things, and all with the same morose expression while typing (although the recipient doesn't see that...)


Anyway, I've spent like, a loot of time on this post, gotta eat too, right? Anyway, try and think of ways the Internet is spoiling your life, and do tell me!!


Bye!!