Comments on: Random Thoughts About The Internet: What I’m Doing With It, What It’s Doing To Us, How It’s Changed Me, Etc.

By: Mrs T

Mrs T — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:49:57 +0000

Of course, some time is wasted, but I find it great for building friendships with folks with common interests. The best message board/forum is for the blood type diet (dadamo.com). I am constantly learning & helping others thru that one. I learn better in small chunks, so going online is helpful to learn things.
It is also as prayer conduit. I ask for prayer & get prayer requests that I can pray for on the spot.
It is great for networking. It saves time in phone calls to e-mail.(I don’t get put on hold & others aren’t interrupted at critical times.) Letter writing takes too much planning; e-mail zaps the info or question to the person. If there is a misunderstanding, e-mail is faster to clarify it.(I would be too lazy to write another letter!)
I am new to facebook & love it. But I limit the amount of friends & add them slowly.
The ability to get much info easily can be a blessing or a curse. If I were younger, it would be difficult to manage that. But at my age, I limit the main topics I indulge in. Right now they are nutrition/alt. med, politics, gay issues, & religion. I am a big fan of the Marin Foundation & keep up with that. I’m sure that organization wouldn’t grow so fast without the internet!

They say that users of this media are introverts & loners. I am a people person who thrives on interaction with others. But I can’t do that often in a big city with long winters, with most women friends working, & a protective husband! But I sure do enjoy my internet community as it grows!

Sure there is evil stuff out there, but there is so much good, that I haven’t had a problem with that yet. Pray I don’t as I know the enemy tries to trip us up, especially if we say we don’t have a certain problem!
I’m sure there is more, but that’s it for now.
Mrs “T” Chicago

By: Headless Unicorn Guy

Headless Unicorn Guy — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:00:13 +0000

Students should publish with some awareness that they are students, and not pontificate like they are professors. — IMonk

On the Internet, nobody knows if you’re really a dog.
Or a student.

By: iMonk

iMonk — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:56:03 +0000

Dave R: Not everyone who reads this blog is in the U.S.

By: Dave R

Dave R — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:05:50 +0000

One interesting excercise is to read the time stamps of earlier comments. I keep hearing about how we don’t get enough sleep in this country…

By: Memphis Aggie

Memphis Aggie — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:12:02 +0000

Hi Imonk,

I just read another blog where Marian devotion was being argued. It made me appreciate the even handed, serious but diplomatic inter-faith conversations that are made possible by your moderation. Thank you.

By: Steve Scott

Steve Scott — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:32:39 +0000

Michael,
I believe all this to be like a two edged sword. It cuts both ways. Technology simply cuts the time involved in assimilation of information. I have used it to learn much needed things more quickly. Yes, there is some time waste, but even that can be put to good use.

Many people I think have simply shifted their time wastes from TV to internet. Ratings are down, internet use is up. Greater freedom has resulted, both the freedom to do good and evil.

I’ve read many testimonies from people who dived head first into Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc., who have realized they don’t work for them. So, there is some discernment out there and some real soul searching. On the other hand, idle net chat has turned into some real fellowship for me, face to face.

Also, I blog about things I don’t talk to my wife about first. But she reads it. It’s awkward having that “birds and bees” talk with her, you know, “Honey, I want to discuss with you how your view of lapsarianism affects your ecclesiology.” She reads it and sometimes it leads to conversation. It has drastically cut down on that question, “what are you thinking?”

Finally, I admit talking to strangers about certain things, because I know I won’t be judged by prejudices of those closer to me. Strangers can often be better listeners.

By: PB

PB — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:22:53 +0000

I realized a few weeks ago I had a choice. I could use my newly stable, post-house buying, post-marital challenges, post-grad school free time to learn how to write the novels that have been rattling around in my head since a teenager…or let my life be sucked into a cacophonous abyss of tweets, blogs, second lives, facebook games and other nonsense. Something tells me my finite time on this planet could be put to better use with the former than the latter. I unsubbed over half my rss feeds and plan to dump more (not iMonk though–you have at least one devoted agnostic reader and you are extremely thought provoking and challenging, especially when I disagree with you). In addition, twitter has been dialed back to a dull roar, and facebook gets checked a lot less. I use one service that syndicates updates to all my social sites, but honestly I fond I have a lot less to say, now that I’ve taken the advice of a good friend who is also a published author, unplugged my modem, and spent at least half my evenings with BICHOK (Butt in chair, Hands on Keyboard). And if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m gonna do that now. Thanks as always for the reality check.

By: Living Together, Not Just With Each Other « Landan’s Corner

Living Together, Not Just With Each Other « Landan’s Corner — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:12:36 +0000

[...] Internet Monk has a good post about the internet and how it affects us. Link [...]

By: iMonk

iMonk — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:20:09 +0000

Students should publish with some awareness that they are students, and not pontificate like they are professors.

By: Jethro

Jethro — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:25:44 +0000

I don’t get the part about theology students. Are students not supposed to publish, according to your religion?