some people think the internet...

samuraisloth · 29th June 2006, 01:23 AM

is a good thing/bad thing, AOL's recent discussion advert thing

I can see the good and bad aspects of the internet...but do the good outweigh the bad?

humndislocation · 29th June 2006, 02:26 AM

Bad thing.

In the days pre-internet, you'd have this one guy in his basement, who got off on some weird fetish, like shitting in nappies, but it was pretty harmless, because he'd never meet anyone with the same fetish, to validate his insanity.

Now with the internet, these people can form their own little communities online, and convince themselves that they're normal, and that anyone who makes fun of them is just like the nazis persecuting the jews.

Hecate · 29th June 2006, 02:43 AM

I think it's a good thing. You get to see humanity and all its varieties, the full spectrum, and although I agree with what Bryan says, you can't have the good without the bad.
And what's better than truth?
It may be really shocking sometimes but I think it's important that humanity can see itself for what it is, rather than the images that have been constructed to make people conform.
I am drunk. But I think that's right.

Püke Fyst · 29th June 2006, 03:04 AM

could only be a good thing, some people always want to shoot the messenger. it's no more a bad thing than phones or tv or even speech, just another method of communication. for every slob who has lost all other abilities to communicate with human beings how many others has it given a voice to who otherwise couldn't communicate at all? there are always people who will use new technology to do terrible or unsavoury things, split the atom-make a bomb, harness electricity-make the electric chair etc it is a matter of whether the good outweigh the bad, i suppose, but in the case of the internet i think it does. as for perverts i doubt anywhere near as many would have been caught without the internet, even potential paedophiles are being exposed now, which could never have happened before. yes, it gives them a way to network with each other, but they have to expose themselves to an extent to do that, and as a result can be found.
i too am drunk and am always right when i'm drunk

samuraisloth · 29th June 2006, 02:07 PM

for me the internet is generally a good thing

its braw for looking up information and is far quicker than lookign through books, journal etc. As with the above comments it is an excellent means of communication and people generally are able to enjoy freedom of speech (just look at those happy bunnies on stormfront)

yes i can see the negative aspects of the internet and the sinister things it is used for such as child pornography and by no means am i waving the yay for that flag.

what would be interesting is to see if and by how much the internet has aided the prosecution of child sex offenders. I know that the police do use the internet as a way of identifying paedophile (sp) rings but is it a case that had there been no internet then these people would have been less likely to be caught?

*Lyndsey* · 29th June 2006, 02:13 PM

Id say the good outweight the bad for me.
I can speak to my mates more easy online (i.e. at work hehehe), can look up interesting stuff I probably wouldnt bother researching if I didnt have internet access, I can weedle away boring nights or whathaveyou playing online games or watching movies/listening to music that Ive "obtained" online.

Only bad stuff is probably internet drama. Its way easier to get caught up in it online, which sucks, coz 99% of the time I cant help myself : P

xglitter-me-upx · 29th June 2006, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samuraisloth

what would be interesting is to see if and by how much the internet has aided the prosecution of child sex offenders. I know that the police do use the internet as a way of identifying paedophile (sp) rings but is it a case that had there been no internet then these people would have been less likely to be caught?

I think if the interweb didn't exist more effort would be put into catching them other ways, I'm sure alot of effort goes into catching them other ways too even with t'internet.

I remember SA did a weekend web about a paedophila message board. Pretty sickening.

For me the internet is a good thing. It gives me a chance to talk to people about things other than what's the programme listing for cbeebies that day.
I also like how I can debate things with people about subjects my real life friends might not know about/be interested in.

One thing that really annoys me though is going to a company's website and trying to find a contact number and only being given email addresses or those complaint forms. It's like they think people don't use phones anymore.

Hecate · 29th June 2006, 03:07 PM

I think without the internet paedophiles would have been more likely to slip under the rader. The rate of prosecution has increased, partly due to people pushing for that actively, but also through offenders being caught with indecent images on their computers. Previously, the main way for them to be caught was through an accusation, which usually needs more witnesses/victims to also corroborate the evidence, and only now have offenders from the past (for example the 1970's) actually been brought to justice. This is definitely partly through more awareness and sharing information related to the internet, with people being able to communicate freely, which has had a knock-on effect within society, releasing this crime from being a taboo subject, never to be spoken about.

vivouk · 29th June 2006, 03:32 PM

Contact is a definite problem. Getting an email or being involved in an MSN conversation is cool, but it's nothing like a phone conversation, a face to face meeting or a letter.

Obviously if a friend lives thousands of miles away, then email etc. is great. If you're living in the same city, it's a bit silly and I have a strange feeling that kids (i.e. pre-teens) using the internet today are not going to know what non-call centre phonecalls are like and will probably never sit down and write a letter.

Internet drama is hilarious and depressing at the same time.

Rebelius · 29th June 2006, 03:56 PM

why are real letters any better than an email? they cost money (paper, pens, envelope, stamp), the address is more complicated (how many of your friends' postcodes do you really remember?), they take longer to get there and sometimes get lost. Emails are just the same as letters, they're words on a page, it's just that it's electronic. and if the email means a lot to you, you can print it out and it's just the same as a typed letter.

also, if i have a lot of information that i want my mum to get before work in the morning the next day, the only way to get it to her is the internet. I don't have a fax machine, neither does she, and the post doesnt arrive until about 3pm.

sending an email to someone in the same city is no more silly than sending a letter to them.

And MSN is better than a phone conversation because it's FREE and it doesn't give you brain cancer either.

the internet is a good thing.

vivouk · 29th June 2006, 06:10 PM

GAH EMAIL IS NOT THE SAME AS A LETTER.

It's just not. You can print out an email, true, but it doesn't arrive that way. The vast majority of emails you get are just words on a screen. I'm talking about proper handwritten letters here.

MSN is not the same thing as a phonecall. You don't hear the other person's voice for a start. The introduction and improvement of webcams can help, but most of it will be text based. Just like how the introduction of video messaging is only a fraction of millions of texts we send.

I'm not saying the internet is a bad thing because of this, just that it can isolate us even more than before. A friend was telling me he can have all this heavy relationship chat on MSN and it genuinely terrified me. Don't even get me started on the oxymoron of 'online community'.

to UGS obviously.

P.S. I had a 45 minute phonecall and it cost £1.50. You can barely buy a sandwich for that amount.

Rebelius · 29th June 2006, 06:47 PM

yeah, but you can buy a loaf of bread and a packet of ham.

and you could have a 10hour MSN conversation for free.

I just don't get why people thing a letter is any better than an email, are you 80? it's words on a page, whether it arrives electronically or by some guy putting it through your door. what's the difference? it's still someone talking to you by writing down their thoughts.

go on, get started on online communitys too - they're fantastic, through forums and online gaming i've met hundreds of people with common interests that i'd never have met if the internet didn't exist.

29th June 2006, 01:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
samuraisloth Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: viva las dundee Posts: 2,410 Band: spam purse...given we are still to unite properly	some people think the internet... is a good thing/bad thing, AOL's recent discussion advert thing I can see the good and bad aspects of the internet...but do the good outweigh the bad?

29th June 2006, 06:10 PM	#11 (permalink)
vivouk Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 352	GAH EMAIL IS NOT THE SAME AS A LETTER. It's just not. You can print out an email, true, but it doesn't arrive that way. The vast majority of emails you get are just words on a screen. I'm talking about proper handwritten letters here. MSN is not the same thing as a phonecall. You don't hear the other person's voice for a start. The introduction and improvement of webcams can help, but most of it will be text based. Just like how the introduction of video messaging is only a fraction of millions of texts we send. I'm not saying the internet is a bad thing because of this, just that it can isolate us even more than before. A friend was telling me he can have all this heavy relationship chat on MSN and it genuinely terrified me. Don't even get me started on the oxymoron of 'online community'. to UGS obviously. P.S. I had a 45 minute phonecall and it cost £1.50. You can barely buy a sandwich for that amount. Last edited by vivouk : 29th June 2006 at 06:12 PM.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
KJ's India Trip 2005	kj	Features	11	26th December 2005 04:56 PM
reading rooms question	Egoslave-Caldo	Gig / Eve

29th June 2006, 02:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
humndislocation Hardcore is serious guys Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Dundee Posts: 6,009 Band: Blasphemous Necrorapist	Bad thing. In the days pre-internet, you'd have this one guy in his basement, who got off on some weird fetish, like shitting in nappies, but it was pretty harmless, because he'd never meet anyone with the same fetish, to validate his insanity. Now with the internet, these people can form their own little communities online, and convince themselves that they're normal, and that anyone who makes fun of them is just like the nazis persecuting the jews.

29th June 2006, 02:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
Hecate Don Kate (UGS Mafia) Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: somewhere Posts: 2,477 Band: Vulsellum	I think it's a good thing. You get to see humanity and all its varieties, the full spectrum, and although I agree with what Bryan says, you can't have the good without the bad. And what's better than truth? It may be really shocking sometimes but I think it's important that humanity can see itself for what it is, rather than the images that have been constructed to make people conform. I am drunk. But I think that's right.

29th June 2006, 03:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
Püke Fyst Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 230 Band: Vulsellum	could only be a good thing, some people always want to shoot the messenger. it's no more a bad thing than phones or tv or even speech, just another method of communication. for every slob who has lost all other abilities to communicate with human beings how many others has it given a voice to who otherwise couldn't communicate at all? there are always people who will use new technology to do terrible or unsavoury things, split the atom-make a bomb, harness electricity-make the electric chair etc it is a matter of whether the good outweigh the bad, i suppose, but in the case of the internet i think it does. as for perverts i doubt anywhere near as many would have been caught without the internet, even potential paedophiles are being exposed now, which could never have happened before. yes, it gives them a way to network with each other, but they have to expose themselves to an extent to do that, and as a result can be found. i too am drunk and am always right when i'm drunk

29th June 2006, 02:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
samuraisloth Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: viva las dundee Posts: 2,410 Band: spam purse...given we are still to unite properly	for me the internet is generally a good thing its braw for looking up information and is far quicker than lookign through books, journal etc. As with the above comments it is an excellent means of communication and people generally are able to enjoy freedom of speech (just look at those happy bunnies on stormfront) yes i can see the negative aspects of the internet and the sinister things it is used for such as child pornography and by no means am i waving the yay for that flag. what would be interesting is to see if and by how much the internet has aided the prosecution of child sex offenders. I know that the police do use the internet as a way of identifying paedophile (sp) rings but is it a case that had there been no internet then these people would have been less likely to be caught?

29th June 2006, 02:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
Lyndsey Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sundee Posts: 5,285	Id say the good outweight the bad for me. I can speak to my mates more easy online (i.e. at work hehehe), can look up interesting stuff I probably wouldnt bother researching if I didnt have internet access, I can weedle away boring nights or whathaveyou playing online games or watching movies/listening to music that Ive "obtained" online. Only bad stuff is probably internet drama. Its way easier to get caught up in it online, which sucks, coz 99% of the time I cant help myself : P

29th June 2006, 03:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
Hecate Don Kate (UGS Mafia) Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: somewhere Posts: 2,477 Band: Vulsellum	I think without the internet paedophiles would have been more likely to slip under the rader. The rate of prosecution has increased, partly due to people pushing for that actively, but also through offenders being caught with indecent images on their computers. Previously, the main way for them to be caught was through an accusation, which usually needs more witnesses/victims to also corroborate the evidence, and only now have offenders from the past (for example the 1970's) actually been brought to justice. This is definitely partly through more awareness and sharing information related to the internet, with people being able to communicate freely, which has had a knock-on effect within society, releasing this crime from being a taboo subject, never to be spoken about.

29th June 2006, 03:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
vivouk Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 352	Contact is a definite problem. Getting an email or being involved in an MSN conversation is cool, but it's nothing like a phone conversation, a face to face meeting or a letter. Obviously if a friend lives thousands of miles away, then email etc. is great. If you're living in the same city, it's a bit silly and I have a strange feeling that kids (i.e. pre-teens) using the internet today are not going to know what non-call centre phonecalls are like and will probably never sit down and write a letter. Internet drama is hilarious and depressing at the same time.

29th June 2006, 03:56 PM	#10 (permalink)
Rebelius Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 7,220	why are real letters any better than an email? they cost money (paper, pens, envelope, stamp), the address is more complicated (how many of your friends' postcodes do you really remember?), they take longer to get there and sometimes get lost. Emails are just the same as letters, they're words on a page, it's just that it's electronic. and if the email means a lot to you, you can print it out and it's just the same as a typed letter. also, if i have a lot of information that i want my mum to get before work in the morning the next day, the only way to get it to her is the internet. I don't have a fax machine, neither does she, and the post doesnt arrive until about 3pm. sending an email to someone in the same city is no more silly than sending a letter to them. And MSN is better than a phone conversation because it's FREE and it doesn't give you brain cancer either. the internet is a good thing.

29th June 2006, 06:47 PM	#12 (permalink)
Rebelius Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 7,220	yeah, but you can buy a loaf of bread and a packet of ham. and you could have a 10hour MSN conversation for free. I just don't get why people thing a letter is any better than an email, are you 80? it's words on a page, whether it arrives electronically or by some guy putting it through your door. what's the difference? it's still someone talking to you by writing down their thoughts. go on, get started on online communitys too - they're fantastic, through forums and online gaming i've met hundreds of people with common interests that i'd never have met if the internet didn't exist.