The bad kids are always more interesting. People are getting along and nothing is happening doesn't make for compelling headlines. :)Or maybe mass media and closer interconnectedness just brings more a~!&&@* behavior to our attention now, but it's always been there.Call me a blue-eyed, naïve optimist, but I actually think it's this. And as nasty as some of the thing happening now are, when you go back and look at what society was like in, let's say 100 years ago, we actually have less violence, are more tolerant of people's differences (be they religious, political, ethnic, or sexual). I really do hope it's just a case of the "bad kids" getting more attention than the good ones.
The bad kids are always more interesting. People are getting along and nothing is happening doesn't make for compelling headlines. :)Or maybe mass media and closer interconnectedness just brings more a~!&&@* behavior to our attention now, but it's always been there.Call me a blue-eyed, naïve optimist, but I actually think it's this. And as nasty as some of the thing happening now are, when you go back and look at what society was like in, let's say 100 years ago, we actually have less violence, are more tolerant of people's differences (be they religious, political, ethnic, or sexual). I really do hope it's just a case of the "bad kids" getting more attention than the good ones.
Meh.
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Agreed, what is UP with these people? What makes them think that this sort of behavior is 'ok' in any way?
Don't get me wrong, I raise my voice much louder and quicker than I should, (I'm a product of my upbringing) ;) but seriously?
Entire planet needs to take one big PROZAC.
I'll have to take a pass on that Prozac. My limited experience with it sent me into a psychosis.
Just give me the Jager and no one will get hurt. :)
Puppies make everything better, especially puppies who are being socialized for service dog work.
Did you just distract me with puppy cam?
<blink>
You did.
PUPPPPPEEEEEEEHS!
Yay, something actually worked out this time! I got into my last course off of the wait list and my schedule is now back to how it was before I stupidly didn't fill in forms on time. Now the only headache left is having to go and stand in the long line at the bookstore to buy my books once the financial aid funds clear. I was hoping they would be available today, but not yet. So it looks like I'll have to go on Monday unless they clear later today. But not having to go to the same class twice next week in order to get the section that works better for my schedule is a major headache off my plate. :)
I'm running into a similar situation right now. Last day to get everything registered for Autumn Semester is today, but my FAFSA hasn't cleared. :/ Classes begin next Wednesday. I may end up having to pay late fees out of my financial aid next Monday or Tuesday. But I cannot avoid skipping a semester; I rely on the refunds to survive for the time being.
Ergh.
I got undressed, where's my Guild Wars now?!
Puppies make everything better, especially puppies who are being socialized for service dog work.
Did you just distract me with puppy cam?
<blink>
You did.
PUPPPPPEEEEEEEHS!
Every time I look in on them, they're sleeping. It's adorable, but I want to see puppy playtime too!
Agreed, what is UP with these people? What makes them think that this sort of behavior is 'ok' in any way?I don't know, but I see a lot of that kind of thing, albiet on a lesser scale. Friends choosing to publicly humiliate friends when they have a problem rather than talking to them privately to work stuff out. Exploding anger coming out of nowhere instead of a request like "I can't deal with that right now, I need you to back off." Email conversations at work degenerating into all caps exclamation mark filled rants with little to no warning.
I do this sometimes. Especially when driving - I will lose my temper very quickly then sometimes. I don't lose my temper very quickly, usually, but when I finally lose it, it can be pretty bad.
Is it that the internet is de-socializing us? Sometimes I wonder. Or maybe mass media and closer interconnectedness just brings more a*!#*&# behavior to our attention now, but it's always been there.
I don't know the (newest made-up excuse) real term for it, but I believe if it's not the CAUSE, it is certainly a contributing factor.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
Combine this with 'and/or' hyper-interactiveness. As lynora pointed out last page, short of turning off your PC, you cannot get away from the crazy once it finds you! And even if you do turnoff your PC, the crazies have already connected to all of your online 'friends', and are still spreading the crazy!
<Takes breath, releases slowly>
Don't get me wrong, I am a great fan of technology. I love the fact that most if not everything that we saw on the original Star Trek TV show (save the spacecraft itself, were still working on that one) now exists in the real world.
Communicators? CHECK
Wafer-thin boards with important messages for the captain to sign? CHECK
Medical scanners? CHECK
Transporters? CH,... Oh, NM
OK ALMOST everything we saw! ;)
My hopefully humorous point being,
"Just because you CAN do something, doesn't always mean that you SHOULD!"
And can someone please explain to me the preference of texting for hours when you could actually be TALKING to the person on the phone?!? I just don't get it,...
{/oldmanrant} :)
Agreed, what is UP with these people? What makes them think that this sort of behavior is 'ok' in any way?
Don't get me wrong, I raise my voice much louder and quicker than I should, (I'm a product of my upbringing) ;) but seriously?
Entire planet needs to take one big PROZAC.
I'll have to take a pass on that Prozac. My limited experience with it sent me into a psychosis.
Just give me the Jager and no one will get hurt. :)
Heheh, Whatever works dude,
I'm OK with the Jager too,... ;)
*Grumbles* Laptop is broke $209 I didn't really have to fix it. *grumbles*
my waking nightmare... Sorry to hear this, friend.
The bad kids are always more interesting. People are getting along and nothing is happening doesn't make for compelling headlines. :)Or maybe mass media and closer interconnectedness just brings more a~!&&@* behavior to our attention now, but it's always been there.Call me a blue-eyed, naïve optimist, but I actually think it's this. And as nasty as some of the thing happening now are, when you go back and look at what society was like in, let's say 100 years ago, we actually have less violence, are more tolerant of people's differences (be they religious, political, ethnic, or sexual). I really do hope it's just a case of the "bad kids" getting more attention than the good ones.
agreed.
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And can someone please explain to me the preference of texting for hours when you could actually be TALKING to the person on the phone?!? I just don't get it,...
This one is not a matter of technological progress. I was never a fan of phone calls, even before anyone expected the cell phones to be so common. I can't exactly explain it as I have no problem with not looking at the person I am looking on, at least I hadn't in the past - but as my hearing efficiency marginally drops with every year I find it helps understanding what the other person is speaking.
In times before the everpresent cell phones lots of people still preferred to communicate by (snail)mail than through phone calls.
Written communication in many ways is more convenient than speaking - one can redact own words, think about one's words (not that everyone makes actual use of that advantage) and has full control over the sending process, unlike in case of spoken dialogue.
Yay, something actually worked out this time! I got into my last course off of the wait list and my schedule is now back to how it was before I stupidly didn't fill in forms on time. Now the only headache left is having to go and stand in the long line at the bookstore to buy my books once the financial aid funds clear. I was hoping they would be available today, but not yet. So it looks like I'll have to go on Monday unless they clear later today. But not having to go to the same class twice next week in order to get the section that works better for my schedule is a major headache off my plate. :)I'm running into a similar situation right now. Last day to get everything registered for Autumn Semester is today, but my FAFSA hasn't cleared. :/ Classes begin next Wednesday. I may end up having to pay late fees out of my financial aid next Monday or Tuesday. But I cannot avoid skipping a semester; I rely on the refunds to survive for the time being.
Ergh.
Good luck! Wading through all of that bureaucracy really sucks. I hope that everything processes swiftly for you.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
See, I really disagree with this. Sure, it's important to occasionally interact with people in the real world so you don't forget how , but that doesn't make what happens online not socializing. Sure there are some people who regress to preschool levels of social awareness in the 'anonymous' world of the internet, but there are also a lot of people who are able to take off their social masks and really express themselves and connect with other people. Those connections aren't less real because they happened through print. In the old days it would have been done through mail. It's just faster now, with more options.
However, I have a special hatred for people using cell phones to call or text someone else while standing right there in front of you. That is de-socializing. The gorram phone is not more important than having a conversation with a real live person. I love interacting online. I prefer texting to phone calls (hearing issues). But common sense and good manners seem to be in short supply for those who just can't put the phone down. :)
I have Taig's picture. I intend to turn it over to INTERPOL some day.
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See, I really disagree with this. Sure, it's important to occasionally interact with people in the real world so you don't forget how , but that doesn't make what happens online not socializing. Sure there are some people who regress to preschool levels of social awareness in the 'anonymous' world of the internet, but there are also a lot of people who are able to take off their social masks and really express themselves and connect with other people. Those connections aren't less real because they happened through print. In the old days it would have been done through mail. It's just faster now, with more options.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
This sooooooooo much. I've gotten very very very tired of people (including my parents) telling me that my friends are not really "friends" because they're too far away from me to meet or connect with in any other way than online.
This sooooooooo much. I've gotten very very very tired of people (including my parents) telling me that my friends are not really "friends" because they're too far away from me to meet or connect with in any other way than online.See, I really disagree with this. Sure, it's important to occasionally interact with people in the real world so you don't forget how , but that doesn't make what happens online not socializing. Sure there are some people who regress to preschool levels of social awareness in the 'anonymous' world of the internet, but there are also a lot of people who are able to take off their social masks and really express themselves and connect with other people. Those connections aren't less real because they happened through print. In the old days it would have been done through mail. It's just faster now, with more options.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
+1 I get a lot of social media complaints from my contemporaries. Many of them in the upper 40+ zone are sounding just like our parents did about TV (It'll rot your brain!). The fact of the matter is, I am more connected now to friends past, present, and virtual than I ever was when all I could do is pick up a phone (which I never do). Plus, virtual connections can become actual ones. I met a lot of folks at PaizoCon that I would have never known except through the Internet. Heck, the real hard-core geeks used to do the same thing back in the day. Check out the correspondence HP Lovecraft left >behind< (100,000+ letters on a typewriter! Tell me ol' HP wouldn't be a blogger if he was alive today!)
Change is scary. Change is also a facet of life. When the next generation is living enmeshed in a web of "reality+" augmentations, expect the same complaints to surface (I remember when all we had was Facebook! AND WE LIKED IT!).
It's the same phenomenon you see when older folks complain that modern music "Isn't as good as it was". It's not that, it's a feeling that the music and things you love are no longer the "it" things. When there is nothing stopping you from digging the new ways, just inertia and fear.
This sooooooooo much. I've gotten very very very tired of people (including my parents) telling me that my friends are not really "friends" because they're too far away from me to meet or connect with in any other way than online.See, I really disagree with this. Sure, it's important to occasionally interact with people in the real world so you don't forget how , but that doesn't make what happens online not socializing. Sure there are some people who regress to preschool levels of social awareness in the 'anonymous' world of the internet, but there are also a lot of people who are able to take off their social masks and really express themselves and connect with other people. Those connections aren't less real because they happened through print. In the old days it would have been done through mail. It's just faster now, with more options.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
Oh, don't get me started. I hear all the time that Facebook friends are more real than my internet friends met elsewhere solely due to the fact that we went to kindergarten or something together. Let's just disregard the fact that all of the REAL friends I could be having on Facebook only add me for a +1 friend count because we have nothing in common besides first grade. Oh, or ask me to play Farmville. Real friendship right there.
Yeah, I'll stick to the "fake" friends from the internet who actually give me the time of day. I've had stronger, realer friendships with my online crew than with 90% of the jokers I've met face-to-face.
This sooooooooo much. I've gotten very very very tired of people (including my parents) telling me that my friends are not really "friends" because they're too far away from me to meet or connect with in any other way than online.See, I really disagree with this. Sure, it's important to occasionally interact with people in the real world so you don't forget how , but that doesn't make what happens online not socializing. Sure there are some people who regress to preschool levels of social awareness in the 'anonymous' world of the internet, but there are also a lot of people who are able to take off their social masks and really express themselves and connect with other people. Those connections aren't less real because they happened through print. In the old days it would have been done through mail. It's just faster now, with more options.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
Oh, don't get me started. I hear all the time that Facebook friends are more real than my internet friends met elsewhere solely due to the fact that we went to kindergarten or something together. Let's just disregard the fact that all of the REAL friends I could be having on Facebook only add me for a +1 friend count because we have nothing in common besides first grade. Oh, or ask me to play Farmville. Real friendship right there.
Yeah, I'll stick to the "fake" friends from the internet who actually give me the time of day. I've had stronger, realer friendships with my online crew than with 90% of the jokers I've met face-to-face.
WHOOO HOOO!!! I have graduated to FAKE friendship!!! ~goes off to celebrate~
What book that has not actually been written yet (fiction, non-fiction, RPG-style fictional non-fiction) would you most like to see written? And who should write it?
(Sorry for sounding a bit formal, but hey, interesting question I thought. At midnight. After a glass of whisky.)
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This sooooooooo much. I've gotten very very very tired of people (including my parents) telling me that my friends are not really "friends" because they're too far away from me to meet or connect with in any other way than online.
My wife and I met online. We've been married almost six years now.
Still naked.
Meh, going to sleep.
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This sooooooooo much. I've gotten very very very tired of people (including my parents) telling me that my friends are not really "friends" because they're too far away from me to meet or connect with in any other way than online.My wife and I met online. We've been married almost six years now.
Do you plan to meet in real life? ;D
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I'm back in New Yawk City baby! Classes are going to kick my ass, but I'm hoping to get a little gaming action in...maybe finally play some PF.
And can someone please explain to me the preference of texting for hours when you could actually be TALKING to the person on the phone?!? I just don't get it,...This one is not a matter of technological progress. I was never a fan of phone calls, even before anyone expected the cell phones to be so common. I can't exactly explain it as I have no problem with not looking at the person I am looking on, at least I hadn't in the past - but as my hearing efficiency marginally drops with every year I find it helps understanding what the other person is speaking.
In times before the everpresent cell phones lots of people still preferred to communicate by (snail)mail than through phone calls.
Written communication in many ways is more convenient than speaking - one can redact own words, think about one's words (not that everyone makes actual use of that advantage) and has full control over the sending process, unlike in case of spoken dialogue.
... that and some of us are hearing impaired. I make less mistakes with comprehending dialogue in this fashion versus attempting to strain on a telephone call w/o the luxury of lip reading.
Good luck! Wading through all of that bureaucracy really sucks. I hope that everything processes swiftly for you.I'm running into a similar situation right now. Last day to get everything registered for Autumn Semester is today, but my FAFSA hasn't cleared. :/ Classes begin next Wednesday. I may end up having to pay late fees out of my financial aid next Monday or Tuesday. But I cannot avoid skipping a semester; I rely on the refunds to survive for the time being.
Ergh.
Still hasn't cleared. Monday is going to be fun. :/
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Agreed, what is UP with these people? What makes them think that this sort of behavior is 'ok' in any way?I don't know, but I see a lot of that kind of thing, albiet on a lesser scale. Friends choosing to publicly humiliate friends when they have a problem rather than talking to them privately to work stuff out. Exploding anger coming out of nowhere instead of a request like "I can't deal with that right now, I need you to back off." Email conversations at work degenerating into all caps exclamation mark filled rants with little to no warning.
I do this sometimes. Especially when driving - I will lose my temper very quickly then sometimes. I don't lose my temper very quickly, usually, but when I finally lose it, it can be pretty bad.
Is it that the internet is de-socializing us? Sometimes I wonder. Or maybe mass media and closer interconnectedness just brings more a*!#*&# behavior to our attention now, but it's always been there.
I don't know the (newest made-up excuse) real term for it, but I believe if it's not the CAUSE, it is certainly a contributing factor.
You can look at it from both sides, de-socialization (because c'mon, no matter how much you actually type, you are NOT 'socializing' if you never actually see or talk to the other person!)
Combine this with 'and/or' hyper-interactiveness. As lynora pointed out last page, short of turning off your PC, you cannot get away from the crazy once it finds you! And even if you do turnoff your PC, the crazies have already connected to all of your online 'friends', and are still spreading the crazy!
<Takes breath, releases slowly>
Don't get me wrong, I am a great fan of technology. I love the fact that most if not everything that we saw on the original Star Trek TV show (save the spacecraft itself, were still working on that one) now exists in the real world.
Communicators? CHECK
Wafer-thin boards with important messages for the captain to sign? CHECK...
I um guess you did not see this then, and yes it is for real.
I have Taig's picture. I intend to turn it over to PLAYBADGER some day.
Make sure you profit handsomely.
What book that has not actually been written yet (fiction, non-fiction, RPG-style fictional non-fiction) would you most like to see written? And who should write it?
(Sorry for sounding a bit formal, but hey, interesting question I thought. At midnight. After a glass of whisky.)
My auto-biography of how I came to dominate the planet through guile and suppression by way of hookers and blow.
My auto-biography of how I came to dominate the planet through guile and suppression by way of hookers and blow.What book that has not actually been written yet (fiction, non-fiction, RPG-style fictional non-fiction) would you most like to see written? And who should write it?
(Sorry for sounding a bit formal, but hey, interesting question I thought. At midnight. After a glass of whisky.)
Sounds like you're plagiarizing Sebastian.
Sounds like you're plagiarizing Sebastian.My auto-biography of how I came to dominate the planet through guile and suppression by way of hookers and blow.What book that has not actually been written yet (fiction, non-fiction, RPG-style fictional non-fiction) would you most like to see written? And who should write it?
(Sorry for sounding a bit formal, but hey, interesting question I thought. At midnight. After a glass of whisky.)
I like to use the term "ghost writing".
I do too. When I'm referring to ghost writing.
Spooky.
Boo!
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Well, the session summary tonight contains the phrase "After we set the Stag Lord on fire..."
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The white circle is a create pit.
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The best part is that the fire was an accident.
I wasn't going to try and do that for another two rounds.
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Mmmm... roasted bandit.
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A wise man knows when to seek counsel, and you have struck me as uncommonly sage for one so young. What ails you?Need some advice on whether or not to ask you all for advice on something, or whether I should just shut up and learn to deal with my own problems. Thoughts? (Only half-joking)
More of a problem someone my age is likely to have. More women troubles.
Choice #1:
Age: 19
Hometown: Wells, VT (4 hour drive from Syracuse)
Occupation: cashier
Musical taste: 50% match
Interests: guns, piercings, Jagermeister
Pros: smokin' hot, upbeat personality, familiar background
Cons: mental issues comparable to my own, dated my best friend less than a year ago
Picture
Choice #2:
Age: 22
Hometown: Moscow, Russia (12-hour plane trip), but spends most of her time in Cleveland, OH (4 hour drive) and Syracuse, NY
Occupation: comic book artist
Musical taste: unknown
Interests: comic books, Firefly, black-and-white movies
Pros: very similar interests, goes to same university, responsible
Cons: neurotic as f!%*, just got out of a bad relationship
Picture
HELP.
Wow. Busy night! ;P
Alright, I'm willing to admit that there are some good reasons for using the 'demons of modern technology' (JK) instead of talking on the phone.
I confess that hearing problems had not occurred to me. (I still have my hearing. It's my eyesight that is starting to get shabby. ANd yes, I blame that on modern tech as well. That, and staring into lights for a living!) ;P
I do NOT claim that cell phones or texting is the devil in electronic format, but I feel that it has had an impact on how we do, or don't, socialize. (For both good and ill) I personally have recently become acutely aware of how difficult it is for me to make eye contact with anyone anymore. (I never used to have a problem with looking people in the eyes!) >.<
Anyway, for me it's not so much fearing the change, as simply wondering, 'Whatever happened to sitting around with my friends playing RPG's or just talking?' It seems like whenever I try to call them, all i ever get is their voicemail. ;P
EDIT- Then again, we ain't in college anymore either! ;P
@ Crimson Jester
OK, you officially win the "Coolest. Link. EVER!" award!
Now I want an Enterprise spaceship!