The Internet Is Evil! WAKE UP!

[jcnporter]

The internet and the way the internet is being exploited isn't the same thing. If the government or anyone else were monitoring my internet usage, I'd be an idiot to blame the internet. To be honest I don't think anyone on this thread is being an idiot.
I think the right to be free from interference/monitoring applies across all media as a general principle.
I think to see such interference/monitoring as an inevitable consequence or unfortunate inconvenience of using the internet, or any other media, is to think exactly the way 'they' would wish us to.

[Cupz]

Well it is inevitable, isn't it. Just like having a government is inevitable. If you would cut off the head, another one will take its place sooner or later, maybe (probably) with even worse intentions. Truth is, the internet is very easy to monitor, and therefore is always monitored. If its not gov, its amazon. All information goes through multiple nodes, all open for copying, researching and analizing, unless you encrypt that information. Its also, very easy to attack that structure simply by using encryption.
I think the problem isn't the internet, or the fact it is monitored. Its that people don't seem to care they are monitored and continue their monitored habbits. Why go through all the trouble of opening a port on your router for p2p encryption when we can all keep using skype and facebook and have everything we say be forever immortalized on servers open to the highest bidder. Why actually learn how a computer works, when I can pay a shitload of cash to boot up straight into a minimalistic browser that records every key I press (*kof* apple *kof*) ?

But cuuuupz, allot of my friends don't use encrypted p2p software, refuse to look into it, and force me to use crappy government malware just to say hello every now and then.

ITS PISSIN ME OOAFFF!!! There comes a day where I have to cut the knot and say if you want to keep chatting with me, find some encrypted p2p thing you dont hate and I will install it and talk to you through that. I dont mind having to open 40 different peices p2p software if it means I dont have to install anything by apple, facebook, google or microsoft.

[Valotonin]

The internet will take over but society will collapse so as long as you are comfortable with the idea of using plants for medicine and using 21st century knowledge in an outdoor environment everything will be better than okay.
None of this matters as long as you can survive and be happy within nature. I am sorry if anything like this stems from the nihilism of that 'tomorrow's harvest' post I made a while ago the truth is I was quite an unwell person for a while.

Celebrate collapse because it will be beautiful x

[Cupz]

Everybody. AT THE VERY LEAST, delete your facebook and twitter accounts, seriously.

[ShaneAnthony]

But Cupz, people all about dat self advertising and dem likes!!!

[Cupz]

I know right. What the hell are they thinking I mean come-on lets do it guys. Facebook bankrupt overnight, lets do it!

[ShaneAnthony]

But Cupz, where dey gonna show people what they doing or what dey like?

[ShaneAnthony]

Ha! Sorry man, I couldn't help myself. Folks are addicted to it!!! The never ending feed of shameless acts of self promotion, whether it's a photo, a song, an idea, an announcement, a birthday, a recipe or a political/religious view, people can't get enough,,,they gots to get they shit liked!!!

[Cupz]

Puuh that gives me an idea for a social media website. You just upload imaginary stuff and see your stats go up automatically, everything is fake its just numbers that increase on everything you do.

[ShaneAnthony]

That's facebook man. Nothing is real on a 4 inch screen or comp monitor. Once people get out from that world, they will see. They trapped!

[Cupz]

Twoism is REAL!!! *hugs computer screen*

[ShaneAnthony]

Word! We all have a choice on what topics we want to view/discuss here. Kind of keeps you out of shit unless you are asking for it, haha. Cheers man!

[cloud4444]

mm Internet was so much nicer in the 70s

[aquarius]

the internet isnt evil
the internet is just a collection of specifications on how to make bits look like websites
people are evil

You are an amazing person.

[Valotonin]

mm Internet was so much nicer in the 70s

That it was. When it was nonexistant.

Happy first post whoever you are <3

[Techboy]

the internet isnt evil
the internet is just a collection of specifications on how to make bits look like websites
people are evil

You are an amazing person.

You dont need to tell me. I already know it *dances*

[pianoforte]

I've been posting in this thread since the beginning, but until today I hadn't bothered to read through the responses from start to finish. Decided to do so because I've been helping someone with a website on my off-time and I feel that feeling creeping in of wasting my life in front of my laptop... I know someone whose job revolves entirely around sending emails and writing documents, all of which are done on a computer. This means from 6 in the morning until 8 at night, he's stationary and staring at that screen. I don't want to live like that and I am going to do to everything I can to avoid having that mirror my existence.

Thoughts:

Even my friends give my girlfriend and I shit for not having access at home--we don't even have a TV.

The first thing I thought having read that was, "well then what do you do with your time?" My second thought was "holy shit, did I really just think that?" That sounds like a very peaceful existence to me. I suppose you do a lot of reading and talking and cooking, right?

I've been closely involved with technology from a very young age, due to the fact my dad programmed mainframes in the '70s. It always used to be that the technology did what we humans asked it to do, enhancing our capabilities but ultimately being nothing more than an extension of ourselves. A couple of weeks ago I had Facebook messaging me to suggest I send someone a birthday greeting. What struck me was that we've crossed over to a state where we humans are doing tasks for the computers rather than them working for us. I don't need to tell anyone how wrong that is.

You know, I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're absolutely right. The "technology serving humans" paradigm is turning on its head. Particularly when you look at "the IT guy" at any large company, racing out of bed at 2 in the morning in the name of uptime.

Fantastic, but especially applicable in regards to the idea of documentation.

My initial thoughts on this haven't changed. Still love it.

Some thoughts:

I have a love/hate relationship with social networking. I keep a file on my laptop called antisocial.rtf which lists what 'social networks' - meaning websites with a social component, not counting forums - I'm on. It currently consists of:

lookbook
pinterest
facebook
vimeo
tumblr
vsco
flickr
glitche
reddit

Not proud that the list is that long. I plan to remove myself from Lookbook, Pinterest, Flickr and Glitche soon and consolidate some things on my Tumblr. I don't like social networking very much at all, but I do find it useful for meeting likeminded individuals and following artists/musicians/photographers whose work I admire. Tumblr is my favorite by far.

Interesting to look back on this, particularly since I did another "purge" more recently. Currently my list is really just facebook, tumblr, flickr and a selection of email addresses. Each of these has a particular purpose, so I don't feel as bad about it as when I had all those other services like Pinterest for their own sake.

The internet will take over but society will collapse so as long as you are comfortable with the idea of using plants for medicine and using 21st century knowledge in an outdoor environment everything will be better than okay.
None of this matters as long as you can survive and be happy within nature. I am sorry if anything like this stems from the nihilism of that 'tomorrow's harvest' post I made a while ago the truth is I was quite an unwell person for a while.

Celebrate collapse because it will be beautiful x

This is genuinely one of the most beautiful things I've read in a long while, and it really affected me. Thank you.

[Mexicola]

Great articleon The Quietus at the moment about The Conversation, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, post Snowden / Assange et al.

Incidentally, if you've never seen it, The Conversation is possibly my all time favorite Coppola movie. Read that sentence again. I don't say that lightly

Gene Hackman also paid homage to his role years later in the watchable, if less interesting Enemy Of The State.

[gfxtwin]

I recently went to my grandparent's lakehouse and was without internet for a week, and I swear to god I went through withdrawals that felt like what I imagined heroin withdrawls felt like. At first I thought it was just cabin fever or some shit, but as soon as I started reading social networks/messageboards/wiki/watching youtube/etc I instantly felt better. Dunno if its evil, but for me it sure as hell is addictive, lol.

[valleaux]

Man, I wouldn't go so far as to say the internet as a whole is evil. If anything, it's only social media that's detrimental. The only social media sites that I have an account an frequent on are Instagram and Flickr. I just post stupid stuff on Instagram and artsy stuff to Flickr. Forums like this are where I spend much of my time on the internet, since people can get together and talk about stuff, instead of just posting about their days.