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Oh, Puh-LEEZE
Nov. 9th, 2003 03:14 pmOrdinarily I love Carolyn Hax. I just can't help but adore an advice columnist who comes out with lines like "introduce one brain cell to another brain cell and hope you start a trend."
Unfortunately, today she just jumped on one of the cheesiest trends of all - bashing Internet pals. Admittedly, today's writer was going a little overboard (admitting to chatting several hours a night instead of having a social life, as opposed to "along with having a social life.") Admittedly, there are some liars out there on the other side of keyboards. Still, Carolyn's response was one big bingo card of paranoia. She spent one sentance pointing out the safe way of meeting an online contact (in a group, in a well-lit place) and several paragraphs pounding home stuff like: "You can be sure of nothing about this person. Which is why, if you must make Internet contacts -- why, why, why have you forgone making friends in person? -- they should be treated solely as Internet contacts, and nothing more. Not as friends, not as mates, not even as promising prospects."
siiiiiggggghhhhhh...
I lift a glass to all of you dangerous, untruthful, spinmeistering, never-to-be-trusted, never-to-be-met-in-the-flesh unpromising unprospective Internet Contacts who have become very dear friends. Real friends, with faces I've seen and houses I've visited, who've managed to visit me without robbing, raping, and otherwise ravaging me.
You've broadened my world and enriched my life, folks. My deepest thanks to you and my sympathies to Ms. Hax and her correspondant who will never know what that can be like.
Unfortunately, today she just jumped on one of the cheesiest trends of all - bashing Internet pals. Admittedly, today's writer was going a little overboard (admitting to chatting several hours a night instead of having a social life, as opposed to "along with having a social life.") Admittedly, there are some liars out there on the other side of keyboards. Still, Carolyn's response was one big bingo card of paranoia. She spent one sentance pointing out the safe way of meeting an online contact (in a group, in a well-lit place) and several paragraphs pounding home stuff like: "You can be sure of nothing about this person. Which is why, if you must make Internet contacts -- why, why, why have you forgone making friends in person? -- they should be treated solely as Internet contacts, and nothing more. Not as friends, not as mates, not even as promising prospects."
siiiiiggggghhhhhh...
I lift a glass to all of you dangerous, untruthful, spinmeistering, never-to-be-trusted, never-to-be-met-in-the-flesh unpromising unprospective Internet Contacts who have become very dear friends. Real friends, with faces I've seen and houses I've visited, who've managed to visit me without robbing, raping, and otherwise ravaging me.
You've broadened my world and enriched my life, folks. My deepest thanks to you and my sympathies to Ms. Hax and her correspondant who will never know what that can be like.
