Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Internet is not God... and other thoughts.

In response to the tragically humorous comic Nancy posted... Sigh. I don't think I've come to terms with the death of newspapers yet. I think once I don't have a paper to hold in my hand, then I'll realize the tragedy. There is just something about the crackle of the morning paper when you open it up first thing, coffee in hand (or orange juice--that's better for you). You feel like you're part of the world. For some reason, I've never liked reading the news on the Internet. Sure, watching news clips and broadcasts on the Internet is fine. Because viewing them on TV, the Internet-- what's the difference? But reading the news? There's something dizzying about the whole "convergence" of it all. When news sites mash all their clips and shovelware together with a crash-course in mediocre Web design and then expect readers/viewers to make sense of it all... Well, it's a bit daunting and it makes my brain hurt. Call me a grandma if you like, I don't mind. Though the Internet is wonderful and makes my life a whole lot easier, I'm all about maintaining the few authentic elements of life. And it's important to remember-- the Internet is not omnipotent, or at least it shouldn't be. The Internet is not God.


P.S. Speaking of grandmas... How are they going to read newspapers if papers are disappearing into an online vortex? Neither of my grandmas have the Internet, nor do they know how it works. I'm just sayin.

1 comment: