Internet Zombie Epidemic

Over the past couple of days I have spent an uncomfortable amount of time on the internet....doing what exactly...I'm not sure.

I didn't accomplish anything. I played stupid games, chatted occasionally, checked my MySpace. I lost have my weekend to the internet and I didn't even do anything of interest. It is ridiculous how much time I spend just surfing; not even doing interesting things...at all

The internet has become my new way to waste time. I feel like I am turning into a zombie sometimes...just staring at my screen at like 2 O’clock in the morning not even sure why I am awake anymore.

Perhaps there are others like me. Individuals who feel as if their brains are melting, like they are losing time they can't account for. This is a call to arms my fellow Surfers.

This could be an all out epidemic, we must spread the word....People everywhere will be staring at their screens drooling, mumbling about eating brains and stumbling around without motor skills in a matter of days if we don't act quickly.

WE SHOULD PREPARE AN ARMY!!! There isn't much time! The entire world could already be infected...Time is of the essence, we must act quickly.

But...uh...could the impending battle wait a few seconds while I check my FaceBook?

Why don't you watch this video while you wait.

The Amazing Information Source that is the Internet

I just wrote an entire paper on aspects of the bible without ever having to physically search for a quote.

I cited 19th century Atheists

Found opposing view points

And located bible verses on various topics with ease.

It is truly amazing what one can do with the internet...and I think I am just beginning to realize how amazing. I have insane amounts of information at my fingertips at all times of the day. I can search for information on Japan, Ancient Israel, and 19th Century England as if I were in a massive library all without leaving the comfort of my own dorm.

It is truly amazing the amount of information our generation has at its fingertips. I can barely imagine having to write papers before the internet's invention due to the frequency in which I use it.

This causes me to wonder whether books will one day become obsolete. Will all texts one day be available on-line? Will things no longer be published at all?

Even though I am a firm believer in progress and the internet...I have to say I hope not. I do not want to lose books as a medium. I love the feel of paper between my fingertips and the thrill of putting a book down after a week of reading it. The loss of books would be a sad day, even if the internet is easier and more efficient.

Hopefully we never lose books, even if it would save trees.

Literacy A "Lesser" Kind...makes me think of aliens for some reason...

The term 'Literacy A "Lesser" Kind' makes me think of Close Encounters of the Third Kind for some reason. Although, I suppose the internet generation and our reading are like new kind of being. Our generation thinks differently, comprehends differently, and apparently reads differently because of our access to the internet, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

In my opinion, no. We, as human beings, are meant to change. We are meant to develop new ways of doing things. Just because we are not thinking, comprehending, and reading as college students before us have, doesn't mean we do so any less efficiently. We are creating a new way of learning. Scanning, picking up the details and going back for more if it is important, paying attention more so at some points than others; it is simply our way of doing things. I could argue that it is, in fact, more efficient. Instead of trudging through endless details and unnecessary points we are able to pick up on the main issue. We can quickly comprehend ideas in less time if necessary.

That is not to say that skimming everything is the way to go. Our ability to scan should not impede our actually reading process if use correctly. I for one often read things in full that our on the internet. When it comes to literature, articles, and various other mediums that require study, I can focus with the best of them. I can read just as well as college students before me. The only difference between us is that I can also scan (perhaps more efficiently, perhaps not) and I know when to employ both.

I could be one among few who can do such a thing, but I doubt it. I have faith in my generation. We are pioneers of new media. We are learning, evolving, and succeeding where no other generation has. This development should not be hampered. Technology should not be taken out of schools to further 'traditional reading'. By doing so, the educational system would be depriving millions of students the ability to learn a new way of doing things.

For those who worry about the integrity of reading and education falling, I believe a compromise should be reached; both types of reading can co-exist peacefully. Maybe the internet generation just needs a little guidance to do so. I believe that students should learn how to employ both types; examples of when each is appropriate should be given. By doing so, neither one nor the other will fall into disuse.

Just like in the end of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, both sides should return their captives, create a communication between the two, and co-exist despite their differences. One does not have to destroy the other.

To Censor or not to Censor...That is the question.

After reading The Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace, I really began to think about whether the internet should be censored or not. On the one hand I believe that we all should have the right to free speech and self expression, but on the other hand...the internet is a dangerous place; children can be lured away by predators, private information can be found, and people can be driven to suicide by what is written.

Should we censor the internet to protect those who could be hurt by it or should we allow its content to be unrestricted?

By censoring the internet, we could stop 14 year old girls from being fooled by predators over MySpace, we might be able to keep credit card information safer, and we may be able to stop some suicide attempts...but would it be worth it. Would safety be worth a lack of expression, the discontinuation of sites such as MySpace and FaceBook, and the number of hits on Google being reduced to mere thousands as opposed to the googolplex it is said to have?

My answer is no. Censoring the internet could save lives. It might protect information. It may stop some suicide attempts...but really lives will still be lost, information will still be compromised, and people will still commit suicide. Without the internet predators will resort to other ways, thieves will do things the old fashion way, and suicide will only be caused by other things. In my opinion, censoring the internet because of 'what could happen' is ridiculous. We can't restrict ourselves creatively based on 'maybes' and 'what ifs'. Doing so would only harm us as a culture.

Of course some censoring is needed. Rules need to be made and followed as with any other media, but anything further than what we have now would be a great injustice. We as a country would become a detriment to our own development. The internet is the future, and to censor it would limit our possibilities. Despite the dangers, even with the downfalls, the internet must remain uncensored.

We cannot fear what could happen, as Marie Curie once said "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." And that is exactly what we must do. We must understand the internet; its limitations, dangers, and advantages so that we can fully appreciate and benefit from it.

If you have the memory of a gold fish....

This is a goldfish

If you have the memory of goldfish like the one pictured above (despite the fact that it has been disproven...I still liken forgetful people to the fallacy of the three second goldfish memory), perhaps Megan Reardon has found a new way for you to remember. In Rebecca Blood's interview on why she blogs, Reardon said that she started her blog, Not Martha, in order to remember things.

Reardon uses it to keep track of links, ideas, projects, and notes she is working on. This all started because she formerly had a tiny apartment with ideas strewn all over the place (lip-balm recipes taped to her fridge etc.) This obviously wasn't going to work, and out of necessity comes invention as they say. She began to blog to free up space. No more loose papers and ideas strewn about!!

Personally, I think it is a great idea. I have a terrible memory for everyday things and I often forget stuff I want to remember. I lose links, misplace objects, and overlook events I am supposed to attend. If using a blog can help Megan Reardon remember, then maybe everyone with memory issues should do the same.

Although if that were the norm, there would be millions of asinine blogs floating around that no one would be interested in; like this one(…oh wait...that is already happening...and I am contributing...)Not everyone can be as lucky as Reardon.

She gained a following despite the website originally only being for herself. Now she provides how-to crafts, recopies, links to interesting sites, and various other treats to those who are interested. She was even placed in a magazine and a few pattern books due to her blog. Which is pretty spiffy, especially considering it only began as a way to remember.

Adventures with Corinne

Welcome to my blog. Here you will find my catastrophic, chaotic, and often times crazy thoughts on various topics. I have never done this before, so let's see how it goes.

It'll be like an adventure!

Hopefully there isn't any monsters lurking about, because I have never been very brave....

Anyway...Enjoy!!!!