I've been on the internet for too long, maybe. I was an early adopter; back in the early 90s I subscribed to the very first service, run by - of all folks - Sears, and can't remember what it was even called. Then AOL. Then the general thing we all use now.
You know what? I think maybe I was happier before I ever went on the internet. I'm not sure that the internet has added very much to the quality of my life, though I've certainly spent a bajillion hours on it. I have no idea what the attraction is, when I could be talking to my wife instead. Oh wait, she likes to watch TV. I don't like watching TV unless there's a football game on.
I guess I have an excuse.
Today I visited a football site for my alma mater to see if there was recruiting news for the football team. Why? I don't know. I don't know these kids. And what was the hot topic? "Bands people hate." I mean, people go to a football site to talk about bands they don't like. Really? How does that make life any better? Do people really need to antagonize one another over music they don't want to listen to?
I would rather eat dog poop than even see a thread with that title, because the idea that there are thousands upon thousands of brainless morons for whom ragging on artists is an entertaining thing to participate in makes me sick.
People say the most horrible things imaginable about people they don't even know. They feel free to do it. They like to do it. I know a young figure skater who won Olympic gold medals, and you wouldn't believe the comments people post about her, to her face, on her internet pages. Really?
There are hate sites. Sites for every kind of religious hatred, terrorism, and other nonsense. How does hating make anyone's life better? "I know, let's find a bunch of like-minded a-holes and express our hate for stereotyped people we don't like, won't that be fun?"
There are sites for stupid people, apparently. This would be any site frequented by people that I, Les, in my unique and ultimate wisdom, think are stupid. This would be the majority of sites, by the way.
Even on sites I love - for example this one - there are frequently posts that make me want to do this:

"Then why do you bother going on the internet, Les?"
"Because in real life my friends aren't all that into guitar stuff, though I can't think of another excuse."
You know what? I think maybe I was happier before I ever went on the internet. I'm not sure that the internet has added very much to the quality of my life, though I've certainly spent a bajillion hours on it. I have no idea what the attraction is, when I could be talking to my wife instead. Oh wait, she likes to watch TV. I don't like watching TV unless there's a football game on.
I guess I have an excuse.
Today I visited a football site for my alma mater to see if there was recruiting news for the football team. Why? I don't know. I don't know these kids. And what was the hot topic? "Bands people hate." I mean, people go to a football site to talk about bands they don't like. Really? How does that make life any better? Do people really need to antagonize one another over music they don't want to listen to?
I would rather eat dog poop than even see a thread with that title, because the idea that there are thousands upon thousands of brainless morons for whom ragging on artists is an entertaining thing to participate in makes me sick.
People say the most horrible things imaginable about people they don't even know. They feel free to do it. They like to do it. I know a young figure skater who won Olympic gold medals, and you wouldn't believe the comments people post about her, to her face, on her internet pages. Really?
There are hate sites. Sites for every kind of religious hatred, terrorism, and other nonsense. How does hating make anyone's life better? "I know, let's find a bunch of like-minded a-holes and express our hate for stereotyped people we don't like, won't that be fun?"
There are sites for stupid people, apparently. This would be any site frequented by people that I, Les, in my unique and ultimate wisdom, think are stupid. This would be the majority of sites, by the way.

Even on sites I love - for example this one - there are frequently posts that make me want to do this:

"Then why do you bother going on the internet, Les?"
"Because in real life my friends aren't all that into guitar stuff, though I can't think of another excuse."