There are tons of pros and cons here. I think the biggest pro is maintaining relationships w/ family/friends that moved away. In my case, I developed a relationship w/ family that lives in Kentucky, Oregon, and California. I also met some great people from sites like this one. The internet also allows us to research things that we may not know. YouTube has a plethora of nice documentaries that I enjoy watching from time to time, but w/ that we all gotta take things FWIW. The biggest con here is that people have become social robots. Plus as noted above, even though there are nice documentaries out there, there is a plethora of misinformation out there.

(01-13-2015 10:36 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  There are tons of pros and cons here. I think the biggest pro is maintaining relationships w/ family/friends that moved away. In my case, I developed a relationship w/ family that lives in Kentucky, Oregon, and California. I also met some great people from sites like this one. The internet also allows us to research things that we may not know. YouTube has a plethora of nice documentaries that I enjoy watching from time to time, but w/ that we all gotta take things FWIW. The biggest con here is that people have become social robots. Plus as noted above, even though there are nice documentaries out there, there is a plethora of misinformation out there.

not all people are nice....

misinformation runs rampant....

history is rewritten daily....

so many vulnerabilities.....

...so many others that could be listed....

sometimes when one has a weapon that is powerful, it's not always best to mass produce it and offer it to the masses for a nominal fee....it's possible it could become nuclear heaven for those that only need a laptop....

one might think that unleashing the internutz was a good thing in a vacuum....but......

...then there's the following caveat....

[sarcasm] I'm still shocked Al let the dogs out.....(hint: no I'm not)

it's 1984 and most still disregard the long term consequences....the media (social and all others) make awkward attempts to inform.....but the masses are not that bright....

see "Idiocracy..." line in sig......it says it all....

it would be interesting to see anyone post something from the tor land of the deep interwebs.....it's scary how most people don't even have a clue......

personally, I think it's the goddamm antichrist that people think will appear one day....(I'm atheist, so deal with humor)

the cons overwhelmingly outweigh the pro version in my mind......

but I'm only little....

disclaimer: don't get me wrong, I love the ability to communicate freely (for the most part), sift through data, etc...... but there are always consequences for any action....I'm just glad I'm on the front end of this wave....I honestly feel sad for the people downstream.....I just don't see an out that yields a 'true' value long term........as always, this should only be considered op-ed rhetoric....

(01-13-2015 01:03 PM)Crebman Wrote:  Card, isn't is just so obvious that Johnboy is so young he has no experience to compare anything to anything. The best part is that given his vast experience of watching news for what - 3 /4 years - he knows exactly the culprit for the internet being efffed up!

Too G'Damn funny.

Know-it-all whiz kid and we are all just old and stupid - ask him. Johnboy knows is all....................

Reminds me of the time that I told my ex (back in college) not to back her car up on the left side of the yard or she'd sink in the mud since it had been raining. She had the same attitude, then, that john does now, minus the crazy stupid liberal views. So she backed up on the left side of the yard.

It's tough finding a place to hook a tow rope up on the front of a little sporty car.

But, as john will learn one day, if he ever comes out of the coma he's in, my ex learned that day. Sometimes when you think you know more that a wise guy that's been around the block several times, you don't tell him what lies around the next corner when you haven't even made you first lap yet.

(01-13-2015 01:44 PM)john01992 Wrote:  there's a big difference between partisan news media and non partisan news media. there's also a big difference in what a "viewpoint" is. some are legitimate, others are illegitimate. Some sides have 10 solid arguments for their case, whereas its counterpart has only one.

And then you foolishly act that as long as FNC occasionally gives the liberal POV a brief perspective FNC is forgiven for all that they do.

Well I'll be.

(01-14-2015 11:08 AM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-13-2015 01:03 PM)Crebman Wrote:  Card, isn't is just so obvious that Johnboy is so young he has no experience to compare anything to anything. The best part is that given his vast experience of watching news for what - 3 /4 years - he knows exactly the culprit for the internet being efffed up!

Too G'Damn funny.

Know-it-all whiz kid and we are all just old and stupid - ask him. Johnboy knows is all....................

Reminds me of the time that I told my ex (back in college) not to back her car up on the left side of the yard or she'd sink in the mud since it had been raining. She had the same attitude, then, that john does now, minus the crazy stupid liberal views. So she backed up on the left side of the yard.

It's tough finding a place to hook a tow rope up on the front of a little sporty car.

But, as john will learn one day, if he ever comes out of the coma he's in, my ex learned that day. Sometimes when you think you know more that a wise guy that's been around the block several times, you don't tell him what lies around the next corner when you haven't even made you first lap yet.

I've never understood why anyone would park in the grass to begin with.....grass is sacred ground - asphalt isn't....walking shorts distances has become a lost art.....

(01-14-2015 01:05 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 11:08 AM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-13-2015 01:03 PM)Crebman Wrote:  Card, isn't is just so obvious that Johnboy is so young he has no experience to compare anything to anything. The best part is that given his vast experience of watching news for what - 3 /4 years - he knows exactly the culprit for the internet being efffed up!

Too G'Damn funny.

Know-it-all whiz kid and we are all just old and stupid - ask him. Johnboy knows is all....................

Reminds me of the time that I told my ex (back in college) not to back her car up on the left side of the yard or she'd sink in the mud since it had been raining. She had the same attitude, then, that john does now, minus the crazy stupid liberal views. So she backed up on the left side of the yard.

It's tough finding a place to hook a tow rope up on the front of a little sporty car.

But, as john will learn one day, if he ever comes out of the coma he's in, my ex learned that day. Sometimes when you think you know more that a wise guy that's been around the block several times, you don't tell him what lies around the next corner when you haven't even made you first lap yet.

I've never understood why anyone would park in the grass to begin with.....grass is sacred ground - asphalt isn't....walking shorts distances has become a lost art.....

I have a weird driveway that's hard to get out of at night, in reverse, unless you're familiar with it. I told her to use the right side of the yard because it stays solid after a rain, she just didn't listen and thought I didn't know what I was talking about. I think that was probably the only time in my life I ever bothered saying "Told ya." Her reaction was priceless.

P.S. - PLEASE don't tell john0 that history gets rewritten everyday, he might off himself if he knew that.

(01-14-2015 01:15 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 01:05 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 11:08 AM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-13-2015 01:03 PM)Crebman Wrote:  Card, isn't is just so obvious that Johnboy is so young he has no experience to compare anything to anything. The best part is that given his vast experience of watching news for what - 3 /4 years - he knows exactly the culprit for the internet being efffed up!

Too G'Damn funny.

Know-it-all whiz kid and we are all just old and stupid - ask him. Johnboy knows is all....................

Reminds me of the time that I told my ex (back in college) not to back her car up on the left side of the yard or she'd sink in the mud since it had been raining. She had the same attitude, then, that john does now, minus the crazy stupid liberal views. So she backed up on the left side of the yard.

It's tough finding a place to hook a tow rope up on the front of a little sporty car.

But, as john will learn one day, if he ever comes out of the coma he's in, my ex learned that day. Sometimes when you think you know more that a wise guy that's been around the block several times, you don't tell him what lies around the next corner when you haven't even made you first lap yet.

I've never understood why anyone would park in the grass to begin with.....grass is sacred ground - asphalt isn't....walking shorts distances has become a lost art.....

I have a weird driveway that's hard to get out of at night, in reverse, unless you're familiar with it. I told her to use the right side of the yard because it stays solid after a rain, she just didn't listen and thought I didn't know what I was talking about. I think that was probably the only time in my life I ever bothered saying "Told ya." Her reaction was priceless.

P.S. - PLEASE don't tell john0 that history gets rewritten everyday, he might off himself if he knew that.

lmao.....I live in h'burg....you don't have to tell me about dipshite design issues....

regarding the P.S......give him a break.....he is a puppy with sense....people like him are our children's future....just slap 'em when they need it.....

Good post. I think the subject of the Internet, and social media in particular, impact on society is very interesting.

I have a love/hate relationship with it all, to be honest. I think a lot of the pros and cons are well documented.

If the Internet went away tomorrow*, indeed I'd miss it. But I think I'd adapt to an Internet-less society a little better than many people out there, especially the younger ones who've known the Internet since they were born. I had fun with my friends before Facebook and texting. I could do it again.

One major 'con' that doesn't get talked about much is the impact on the office workplace, compared to the previous generation. The onslaught of email communication has made it sooo easy to demand the attention of someone. Out of the office? No problem, just glue yourself to the smartphone and be reached there. Then you have the corporate do-gooders answering messages during vacations (in an effort to look committed). Excessive communication.

Kids used to have a sanctuary at home after school. You could kinda unplug. Now, I gather they're just connected 24/7 keeping up with high school gossip and, sadly, who's bullying who. Is there any "down time" to recharge the batteries anymore?

[* Although I imagine if the Internet disappeared tomorrow, we'd have an economic and stock market collapse so unprecedented it'd take over a decade to climb out of]