Today my
ex-girlfriend almost got her net access removed. Her parents are worried that she's
spending too much time on the
internet, with these
people who aren't real. When I heard about this I had the
fortune to be at a computer, and actually managed to get the
rant out before the anger left. As I'm sure you all know,
You can't rant when you're not angry.
I'm putting this up here in it's original form in the slim hopes that some parents might actually take heed, although I have a feeling that isn't that large a problem here.
I really am wanting to hurt your parents right now, verbally, physically, mentally, whatever. Doesn't really matter. If I could just get 5 minutes at the right time with them I would give them a very angered view of what's swirling around my mind... Argh, they are attempting to control ever single fucking portion of your life! Other then weekends all you're allowed to do is sit around you fucking house, and go to school. Egads! If they're going to complain that "you can't make real friends on the net" and that such bullshit, they should at least have the decency not to cut you off from your other friends!
Argh! I'm in a very ranty mood. I mean, what do your parents know about the society on the internet, the internet as it is now didn't even exist when they were kids, how can they possible know what long term effects it might have on people? They can't! The closest thing that existed back then were BBSes, and I know tons of people who grew up on BBSes, lots of successful, and rich, and happy people, lots of perfectly fucking great people.
What is it about the Internet? What? Oh no, I can't see your face when you type, oh no, I can't hear the tones in your voice when you type. Well I've got news for those morons. I'm positively sure that all of you can imagine the tones in my voice perfectly. And I'm sure you all know at least one person who you can read the writings of, both literally and emotionally... you know the difference between them ending the sentence with a period, or with a '...' and the words they use can portray it on numerous different layers.
We're not stupid here parents. We don't just see a new person and decide to trust them, we wouldn't do that IRL either, and it would be more dangerous in real life! If I tell someone my life story online there is no chance that they are going to get pissed for some reason, draw a knife, and kill me.
You can find anyone online, every type of person, and every experience. And because of that we get a primarily bias free community wherever you go. I can tell people my dark secrets without worrying abut them judging me, and if they do judge me, it is easier to get over. I don't know the person; they aren't going to tell my parents of my addiction to crack (I'm not actually addicted to crack). If if I have a problem I can go to one of many places/people and I will get support, and ideas.
HOW IS THIS A BAD THING???
Update:Wow, I already had a copy of this rant (not the exact same one, but close). Let it be a lesson to you, if you stop updating your website, try to remember what you have put on it. For comparison sake, I will add the old rant here, be warned, I was young, this might not be good. This node will know also be an example of (de?)evolution of thought throughout the years.
Warning, the only editing I will do is linking.
"GET OFF THAT DAMNED F#%KING MACHINE." Those words have been heard a lot around my householdlately, the scene usually consists of me sitting here at my regular position on the computer, either surfing the web, or playing a game, or chatting on mIRC/ICQ. Mom standing around with that look in her face... Oh no, I think, not again. We then go over a nicely rehearsed arguement, that I will not bore you all with here. I think the problem is that she doesn't understand, she thinks I don't get enough mental stimulation, or some sorta shit like that. These days that's all that parents seem to be good for, yelling at us for things that we are doing, which have magically become bad, without any research into what we are doing. Supposedly if we do something enough, it turns out to be a waste of my time, could have fooled me. Now, I can't talk for other people, but I can talk to myself. The thing I do the most on this computer, is talk to other people online. Now, my darling mother seems to think that this is both a lack of mental stimulation, a waste of my time, and something that denies me any contact with other people. Now read over that, and ask yourself if that is very intellegent.
"Denies contact with other people:" What I do the most on this hunk-of-junk, is TALK to people online (it doesn't have power for much else). I meet new people every day, and talk to at least 10 people on a daily basis.
"Lack of mental stimulation:" At this very moment, I am helping someone search for something, and trying to help someone who is feeling sick. Yesterday, I helped someone find the eMail address of the Bastard that got her impregnated, and ran off, with some of her money. I have talked people out of suicide, and other stupid mistakes... and she trys to tell me that has no mental stimulation?
"Waste of my time:" Do any of you think that any of the stuff there could be describe as wasting my time? I thought not
This is a problem that has been affecting us younger people for a while now, adult's don't seem to understand that we aren't kids, that we actually mature, and learn faster then they did when they were kids. we know about sex, and violence. We know about politics, and what kind of choices we have for the future. Most importantly, we know that we really don't like being pushed around, we get enough of it at school, and we don't need it at home too.
Oh, and adults that might happen to come across this, don't look so surprised when we use your own arguments again us. We listen and learn as well as anyone else, and we really don't like having you make up loopholes that let you get out of them. And remember, we are going to be the people who care for you in a few years, you really don't want to piss us off.