Why I Hate the Internet

I've got a beef with the internet. Yes, I realize that I spend a large portion of my life using the internet. Yes, I realize that my beef is not really with the internet but with the way people misuse it (but its still the bad vehicle).

So here goes my rant of the day. Its bad enough that so many people avoid social interaction at all costs, but now these people can say "I talk to people on the internet". Yes, I talk to people on the internet. But when I can, I prefer in-person social interaction.

When I was growing up, you would hear people talk about how you shouldn't ask someone out over the phone-its better to do it in person. Now people develop whole relationships in chat rooms. At least over the phone you can hear intonations in people's voices. You can't see their expressions but at least you can hear them. The internet is so ambiguous.

Like, for example, this blog. I use it to express my emotions quite often. I try my best to give hints when I want to stress a word or bring attention to a sentence-I change the color, bold, italicize, etc. But its still not really the same as hearing me say it in person.

That's not even the bad part. Me putting my emotions about the day or the weather or the internet don't really need to be that clear. Its when people are trying to convey how they feel about another person that it gets murky. Especially when more than one person could read what someone has said and think it meant for them. Whenever I have something to say where I don't want to directly look at Joe Blow and say, "hey Joe, you ____", I try to make sure that it is undeniable that I am talking to Joe. Too many people don't make that effort.

So, that's my beef. Don't be so frickin' ambiguous when using the internet.

I guess you might have a better appreciation for all this if you knew what it was like to be dumped in an email....