I love the Internet. I have loved it since my first online experience, back in those early, primitive days when AOL was the only online portal available to the public.
The Internet was filled with scientists, which is where it really all began, college professors, and other intelligent computer users--geeks if you will. God I love geeks! Every time I logged on to the Internet, I learned something.
Today, the Internet is becoming a horror. My email inbox is choked with jokes, inspirational messages, words of wisdom, and political rants with a large percentage that amount to no more than the latest Fox News BS.
ENOUGH ALREADY!
The Internet helped elect our President, because he and his handlers were bright enough to tap into the technology available to them. And that practice was not lost on every nut ball and wacko from Alaska to Mexico who wants the next taxpayer-funded gig to make them rich.
With so many political wannabes online, learning is much more difficult and I no longer have faith in things I read.
The result of having everyone use the Internet, the result has diluted information resources and watered-down content. Advertising is worse than it has ever been with startling windows that pop up from seemingly nowhere just to startle and annoy me. They are never in an obvious place, so it is difficult to know how to turn them off. I usually just hit the mute button on my keyboard until I can find which of my multiple windows contains the offending ad and where it is located.
Even my beloved Google is no longer what it was. Being number one no longer means much as far as quality is concerned. Too many people who think they are writers who are more interested in search engine optimization and correct keyword placement than research. Plagiarism runs rampant online. Worse yet, the content that writers steal and copy is often times incorrect.
I'm tired of email jokes by well-meaning friends. So many of them think they understand my sense of humor. I hate to admit this, but my sense of humor is often times commensurate with what is going on that day. What I may get a kick out of one day may annoy me to the hilt the next. For the most part, I just don't have time to read jokes all day. I am a writer. I use my computer for work, not jokes. Besides, if I want to read a joke, I will Google 'jokes' where I will find just what appeals to me at the time. Funny, I never do that. Maybe I don't have time for jokes!!!
Then there are those inspirational messages with the beautiful music and glittery shapes. If I needed inspiration, I would turn off the computer and read a book or watch TV or look out the window. If I wanted to see NASA photos, I'd search 'NASA.'
My inbox is filled with newsletters, correspondence, and other items that are essential to me. There is no room for jokes and well-meaning inspiration.
But the worst is the political crap. I consider myself a student of politics. I love it. Trouble is, most of the junk that is sent to me is from people who know nothing about politics, and brazenly claim to hate it. So send me political emails?
One word of advice; if you don't like politics, don't forward political rhetoric to me and above all, don't send me spam that is verifiably wrong.
One last message...
If my inbox is any example of the kind of election season we are going to have, I cringe. We get the government we deserve. But I don't deserve it. Do me a favor, if you are not bright enough to understand the issues, don't vote.
