Interesting that's it's called a "web". It's like a sticky-steel net, covering the world. And you're so enmeshed in the threads, that you can never get out. The more you struggle, the more tangled you become, so it's best just to lay down and accept it. Embrace your doom, Kids.
An interesting combination of stories in this week's Las Vegas City Life. If you haven't picked up a copy yet, you should. This week the publication focuses on the Internet, more specifically, your glaring lack of privacy. One short, but powerful blurb informs us that the NSA is teaming up with the Chinese government (and others) to fine tune ways of tracking what you do through your online habits.
This weeks main story, really hammers the point home. It cites an incident in which the Review Journal turned over names of readers to law officials. It's a well written piece, and really makes you think, "If I've heard this all before, why does it bother me every time I hear it again?"
It's because you get too comfortable. The Internet is how you stay in touch with the world, even your friends and family. How many blogs do you read daily? How many Tweets do you get? The Internet makes you feel secure. It gives you the grave illusion that you're still connected to the human experience.
Connection may be the crux of this little commentary. Humans are essentially pack animals. We want to be close and together and feel that love-warmth all the time. Even at work. Even at 3:00am sitting on a plane, waiting to pull up to the gate. Even when you're sitting at lunch with a friend, you still want to be connected to those other friends who aren't around. It's this need that's led to chat rooms, Internet connections on your phone and sites like Twitter, which allow you to tell the world what you ate for lunch today.
Precisely because we feel this need for constant connection, marketing firms, criminals and the Government have us by the balls. We love the Internet so much, we can't get rid of it; even though we know it detaches us from reality, and is a gateway for the world into our private lives.
To illustrate the point, I reference another article in this week's City life. Within pages of the huge article explaining how none of us are safe on the web, comes this lovely little piece introducing a new Vegas-based rant site: socialslum.com. It's a forum to which you can go to say all the terrible things you always wanted to say, but haven't ever had the guts to actually get out.
Hate Mormons? No problem, there's a spot for you. Hate fate people? It's cool, so does that guy. Go talk to him. Hate women? So does everybody else. Let's talk about it. It's okay, nobody knows who you are. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about your right to make base comments about other races or cultures. 1st amendment, Baby. I just think, if you're going to talk smack, man up and be proud of it. Anonymous insults are slimy and cowardly.
It's a wonder how a site based on anonymity can even get off the ground. What really worries me is that there's a Drug Slum, on which people openly ask for drugs and suppliers. People will find out about it through this issue of City Life, not bothering to read the articles about the non-existence of Internet privacy. They're going to get busted, and then be outraged.
I don't want to be an alarmist though. Remember, there's more of us than there are of them, and we pay their paychecks. If you don't like what your government is doing, change it.
Until the ball gets rolling, check out this last story in City Life, about how to protect yourself.
Good Luck.
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