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c9What does it mean that despite repeated, obvious failures to become important, people keep trying to create online communities that emphasize the connections between complete strangers? Friendster, Tribe, Six Degrees, hell even LiveJournal does it. Do we have this deep unconscious need to connect with people? Make new friends? Hook up?
Something about strangers is very alluring, leaving aside the whole "we're all one big happy family on this spaceship Earth" melosappiness. You know it. Your partner, whatever their perks, just doesn't make your heart beat the same way they did when you first met them. First kissed them. Not that it's a bad change, just that there's something adrenalizing about someone new. Watch dogs when they meet -- even they behave completely differently.
Can the Internet connect us with more people? Do you have any connections that feel strong despite your having never met the other person? On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.
Vinny and I met over the Internet -- he sent me an email which, upon reflection, was kind of shocking in its sexuality. :-) We emailed for a few days pretty much nonstop, then chatted on the phone for days nonstop, and then he bought a plane ticket to come visit me. I think it was slightly different because we went to the same school, we were just summer-jobbing separately. I think our online connection (or remote, not necessarily online) allowed us to connect differently than I might have with someone I just screwed around with on the first or second date. But all this makes me wonder.
Do U Wonder 2?
Something about strangers is very alluring, leaving aside the whole "we're all one big happy family on this spaceship Earth" melosappiness. You know it. Your partner, whatever their perks, just doesn't make your heart beat the same way they did when you first met them. First kissed them. Not that it's a bad change, just that there's something adrenalizing about someone new. Watch dogs when they meet -- even they behave completely differently.
Can the Internet connect us with more people? Do you have any connections that feel strong despite your having never met the other person? On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.
Vinny and I met over the Internet -- he sent me an email which, upon reflection, was kind of shocking in its sexuality. :-) We emailed for a few days pretty much nonstop, then chatted on the phone for days nonstop, and then he bought a plane ticket to come visit me. I think it was slightly different because we went to the same school, we were just summer-jobbing separately. I think our online connection (or remote, not necessarily online) allowed us to connect differently than I might have with someone I just screwed around with on the first or second date. But all this makes me wonder.
Do U Wonder 2?
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no subject
Date: 2003-10-07 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 12:23 pm (UTC)I once saw Ursula Franklin speak, and one of her memorable quotes was "A chatroom never gave anyone a hug." It seems to me that for every step the Internet allows us to make towards social connection, we take two towards social isolation. We all know people who are more comfortable contributing to an anonymous discussion than meeting face to face; I'd say we all fall into that trap at times. And we feel less guilt about saying bitter and mean things with the electronic ether barriers to protect us from our listeners. In some ways we're probably eroding the core human element to our interactions.
The irony of saying these things in a livejournal post does not esccape me.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 01:24 pm (UTC)Hah, we're all just as bitter and mean in real life as in a chat-room! :-P
no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 03:06 pm (UTC)I assume that you mean at a perfectly healthy and normal 76 beats per minute?