Together Alone

[hippydave]

I've just discovered that a good friend, named Rich, had a really nasty accident last night and is currently laid up in pretty poor shape in hospital. It's really brought it home to me that sometimes the internet is a bit of a double-edged sword where friendships are concerned: I'd almost certainly never have met Rich were it not for the internet,

Comments

[tiggereh]

Very Very apt, Dave. It's shocking how things like this happen. I mean, I wouldn't know you if it weren't for the internet (Thank god for the internet?), nor would I have met lots of my friends as well.

It does seem to replace human interaction. One lady I know who lives 5 minutes from me - if it weren't for Facebook, I'd have no idea what was going on with her. How odd, when you stop and think about it. It's one thing where there is great distance involved, but another if I could pick up the telephone with no long distance charges, or walk to their place.

Overall, I find the internet to be more good than bad. Good, as I can stay in touch with friends far far away. But bad, as it's the world's greatest timewaster.

Now you've got me introspective...

[psychochicken]

I like to think that it *augments* human interaction. Sure, I'm in a coversation here with two people I only know because of the internet, but we all make effort to spend time together when we can and given our geographical separation that's only really possible to organise with the help of - you guessed it - the internet.

As far as Rich is concerned, I was shocked by the news today about someone I have met in person only a handful of times but have conversed with hundreds of times. The thing I took from the handful of face to face meetups is that he's the thoroughly nice guy in person he appears to be online, and that means I feel like I know him really quite well. When I meet someone in person and they're very different from their online persona (for better or for worse) I don't get that confidence.

[hippydave]

PS to the below: It's *great* to see you blogging more regularly again, Leigh... :-)

[hippydave]

Yeah, I definitely fall into the category of "$Internet_good > $Internet_bad", though several such incidents as this, where something appalling/great has happened to someone I interact with regularly but rarely meet - even though they really don't live that far away - and I've been unable to help/share. Yes, the web is great at assisting us in making new friends, getting to know new people... and Neil makes an excellent point about that being in many ways the best possible outcome for those of us who live hours/continents apart. My point was more about the people who live an hour or less away, who we may interact with regularly but rarely see in person. Not the net's fault, per se, more our own, but does the ease with which the net assists interaction between people make us lazy about such things? Is it an easy option? Sometimes I wonder if it is - and wonder about my own culpability in making it so