The Eclectic Lapidary is currently undergoing renovation.
We'll have new issues soon!
INDEX
|
In my years on the net, I have found two constants in a world of continually changing conditions.
One
People love to flame each other. There's nothing better than a good flame war. Normal people who wouldn't offend anyone will become flaming lunatics on the net. Why? Well, it's the marvelous anonymity that the net offers. I can't see you, can't hear
your voice, don't know where you are or who your Momma is. What could be better than that? You can become the "Flame God from Peoria" if you want and no one will ever know it's really you. The feeling of freedom is so good as it oozes throughout your
body that you become the Supreme Commander of your net connection. You are empowered to say anything you want and by golly you do. Just let some poor fool post something that disagrees with you. BANG! You get on the keyboard and fire off a note with
flames streaming down the phone wires. Would you say the same thing to a person in your office? No. Absolutely not. Heaven forbid that you should be so rude. Your Momma would whop you repeatedly for such behavior if the person that you offended
didn't smack you soundly first. But, in the darkness of your computer niche, with your zillion baud modem waiting your every bit, you again become "Flame God from Peoria" (or wherever). Why? Because you can, knowing all the while that you shouldn't.
Consider it stress relief for the 20th century weenie. Oh well.
Two
People love to spam each other. What is spam? The uninformed, and probably better off for it, think it is processed meat in the grocery store. But, to the net junkies...it's pure bat guano. Spam on the net is illegal, unwanted, or unasked for email
that is usually sent to fifty thousand of the sender's closest friends. Whether or not they want it, it still comes. Just like the postman. The enthusiastic newbie on the net block will quiver to share his newfound idea, offer or whatever with the
world, and common sense will disappear in an electronic poof as the message flashes round the world. The glory, the fame, the money! Just think of the possibilities! Oh well. The informed, and usually evil, offender just plain enjoys spoiling the fun
for everyone as he sends his obnoxious electrons into the world's mailbox. The truly evil will delight in creating chaos. But, this is getting harder for them, fortunately. There are ways, my pretty offender, to find you. Justice is not far behind.
Thank goodness for that.
With access to the world at your fingertips, it is tempting to do things that you wouldn't do in person. Resist, be strong. You can do it.
Watch for Jan Noble's "Reflections of a Rockhound" in the January, 1997 issue of The Eclectic Lapidary!
|
|
Copyright, 1996 by Jan Noble
|
Writer, traveler, contract E/M designer, rockhound and Mom are only a few of the descriptions that apply to Jan Noble. When not on assignment, she lives in Atlanta with her
husband, two daughters, ten cats and two dogs.
Jan is a genuine lover of geology and enjoys taking her
children with her on field trips when ever time permits. She
always has rocks in her pockets and time to hear a good story.
Besides filling her time with rock hunting, writing and work,
she tutors her youngest daughter in home school. She's a
loving mother and talented writer.
You can reach Jan at inthewind@mindspring.com.
|
|
