I really have to agree (for the most part). I didn't feel like the writer of this article really knew what it was like to be "connected" to the internet. You can't establish your own online presence in a week, or be "happy and social" without much of a presence. For the most part, people that -use- the internet got slowly addicted to it and sucked in. We didn't just up and decide to start spending the vast majority of our waking hours (and hours that should be spent sleeping) online. As we created our online persona and got friends on the internet, we were drawn in -- gradually spending more and more time online. If this person actually knew some places on the internet where he could talk to people (irc, icq, muds, etc..) the time would have been more easily spent and I think it could have even been far more productive. If I had to live locked up in my dorm room with no personal communication, I think I'd handle it better then this guy. Cabin fever (from lack of physical activity) would probably be my only complaint. In the end though, its good to have a real life.
Slashdot Mirror
I really have to agree (for the most part). I didn't feel like the writer of this article really knew what it was like to be "connected" to the internet. You can't establish your own online presence in a week, or be "happy and social" without much of a presence. For the most part, people that -use- the internet got slowly addicted to it and sucked in. We didn't just up and decide to start spending the vast majority of our waking hours (and hours that should be spent sleeping) online. As we created our online persona and got friends on the internet, we were drawn in -- gradually spending more and more time online. If this person actually knew some places on the internet where he could talk to people (irc, icq, muds, etc..) the time would have been more easily spent and I think it could have even been far more productive. If I had to live locked up in my dorm room with no personal communication, I think I'd handle it better then this guy. Cabin fever (from lack of physical activity) would probably be my only complaint. In the end though, its good to have a real life.