Sick Of The Internet Yet?

from the we've-had-enough dept

Looks like more than a few people are starting to jump on the internet backlash bandwagon. Two new studies show that some people are getting a bit tired of some of the less than enjoyable aspects of online life. They're not shutting off completely, of course -- but that doesn't mean they're happy. First, is a study showing that people are a lot less trusting of online transactions, and many are cutting back. This is probably a good thing, really. People weren't nearly skeptical enough before -- and that opened the door for scammers. The second study, however, may be more interesting. A survey (unfortunately, not enough details given to understand how reasonable it is) says people are increasingly finding internet-based communications less personal, and they wish people would pick up the phone and actually talk sometimes. Of course, this is spun to suggest that email and text messaging were used as ways to avoid real communication. They're leaving out the other side. Absolutely people use these methods to avoid other types of communications. Sometimes. And, sometimes, they use it to stay in better contact or to have more personal communications with people than they could otherwise. It's just a tool and different people use it in different ways to communicate with others. The method itself isn't "less personal" or "more personal" on its own -- it's how people use it.
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  1. identicon
    a, 28 Oct 2005 @ 10:05am

    Nice

    Nice write-up

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    crystalattice (profile), 28 Oct 2005 @ 10:41am

    No Subject Given

    I consider email to be like "time-shifting" communications. If you can't talk to someone immediately, then you can send an email that can be read at a convienient time.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Ron, 28 Oct 2005 @ 11:13am

    Sick of internet stuff

    I think that more and more people are really getting tired of things like SPAM, viruses, and popups. I know I am. The internet used to be a place where you could go to find the information that you wanted without being bombarded by popups and the volume of SPAM that you see in todays version of the internet. There have always been viruses, but not anything near the volume of today. I just wish there was somewhere I could go without advertisements being thrown in my face. Can't get away from it on the net anymore. Heck, when I go see a movie the first thing that I see on the screen is advertisements. Leave me alone already!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Neosin, 28 Oct 2005 @ 11:26am

    Re: No Subject Given

    works great for biz... time shifting would be the best way to put it for me

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    amazon10x, 28 Oct 2005 @ 11:36am

    Re: Sick of internet stuff

    Without ads we would be stuck having to pay for subscriptions to everything.

    Think about it; I know I would rather see a couple ads than to have to pay 4.99/m to be able to search the net with Google.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Ron, 28 Oct 2005 @ 11:52am

    Re: Sick of internet stuff

    I don't have a problem with Google's ads, they are not taking over my whole darn screen or popping up 15 windows that I have to get through see what I want. But to go to say, CNN.com and see two Dell ads, one taking up the first 4 inches of my screen is a little much. The ads are just a part of my point. Pop-ups and SPAM are the bigger issue. Pop-up and SPAM authors are worse than politicians and the media in my opinion.

    Oh yeah, add spyware to the argument too. Spammers, and Spyware authors should be exiled on a distant island, removed from society.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Stoned4Life, 28 Oct 2005 @ 11:58am

    Less Trusting

    First you have to wonder if it was trustworthy in the first place. Just because you start talking to someone online regularly, unti you meet them in person, you have no idea who they are. As it is, searching for information is sketchy too. Unless you can certify that your source is reliable, any information you find on the internet is biased if not twisted altogether.

    Just gotta watch out, use common sense on certs, and stay away from the porn ;)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Tom, 28 Oct 2005 @ 1:12pm

    No Subject Given

    I have a lot of friends overseas so I find it great I can keep in touch with them without spending god knows how much money on phone calls and text messages.
    Sometimes I think you can reveal a lot more through instant messages and emails, I don't know why that is but a lot of people seem to open up more through this medium (in my experience anyway).
    Of course I'd never surrender being able to pick up the phone and hear someone speak, but I can also do that with VOIP these days as well.
    Still, I'd much rather talk to the person in reality, but when I can't do that the internet is a great way to mantain relationships with friends.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    James, 28 Oct 2005 @ 1:20pm

    Re: Sick of internet stuff

    nice. I am with you, but I would like to see it cleaned up a bit - maybe even treat internet usage like a licence where you cant get on without some positive ID. Could stop some spam and scamming... who knows, but I still am a huge fan of the net. I think it is possibly the greatest technological invention in my lifetime (at least that I can think of right now)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Blitze, 28 Oct 2005 @ 1:36pm

    Re: Sick of internet stuff

    I would agree that it is one of the greatest inventions... I personally love the internet, and the viruses. If you think about it... nothing good comes without something bad. (in my opinion) And besides i love fixing computers

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Kat, 28 Oct 2005 @ 4:12pm

    Internet... more personal?... mayb, maybe not.

    I feel that the internet is a great way to stay in contact with people that you don't get to see everyday. It's a lot faster than 'snail mail' for one thing. ... Although, it is wonderful to receive real letters now and then as well.

    My significant other is from (and lives in) Australia, and I live in the United States. I don't get to see her very often in person, so the internet is our main form of contact. We can use our webcams, and programs like google talk, or Skype, or any number of other free programs to talk to one another, voice to voice. If not for the internet, we'd have to rely on snail mail to communicate with one another, and wait upwards of 7-11 days (maybe more) just to get a letter from one another.

    So I for one, think that the internet isn't getting in the way, as far as people being personal with one another, it helps me out quite a bit in my situation. But, like a few others have said... I think it all depends on how people utilize it.

    I do agree that pop-ups, and spam, and virus's are all a pain in the hind end... but.. there are ways around these things, to a degree. ...

    Personally to avoid alot of spam in my inbox, whenever I have to use my email address online to sign up for something, I enter one of my old email addresses that I still check from time to time. All my spam goes there. I give my email address for every day use, to my friends and family, and they are pretty much the only ones I ever get mail from.

    as for pop-ups.. there are programs you can get to block most of those, so you don't really have to deal with them very often... and as for viruses... an internet protection software package with anti-virus can help drastically reduce the amount of viruses you are likely to get... some even have spyware blockers and removers.

    I guess it all just sort of depends on how much you're willing to learn, and search and sometimes possibly spend, to be hassle free.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Jesse McNelis, 28 Oct 2005 @ 10:09pm

    I hate phones

    I much prefer direct person to person communication over any other kind. I really hate phones, So I usually use email and IM to avoid having to use a phone.
    Phones are really rude, they intruted on the current activities that I'm doing, instead of waiting until I want to communicate with someone.
    Phones are no more 'real communication' than IM.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Bob, 30 Oct 2005 @ 4:57am

    Email

    As a service technician many of my older clients will not even use email for the simple purpose of communicating. They will check it occasionally to see if they've received any, but will not write email. They tell me they simply don't like it, they prefer phone or personal contact instead.

    And forget about online transactions, its enough that they even turn the computer on to check their email.

    On the other hand, email is useful if you have difficulty talking with someone, it can be a good ice breaker. Or when communicating with someone when a phone call would be inappropriate.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2005 @ 9:08pm

    No Subject Given

    To shift the topic just a little, email is the way to go in business. The telephone is extremely important, and should not be replaced entirely. However having something written out in text goes a long way to removing miscommunications. When a client or a provider tries to say "this is what I asked for", there is nothing more sweet than forwarding their own email back to them. On the telephone, you have to be wary in business. People tend to like to put your neck on the line to keep theirs, and will often say anything to do so.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 5 Feb 2009 @ 10:22pm

    the Internet use to be a tool,now it seems to be a way of life for many kids not to have interaction with other people other than the web, They believe "if its on the web" its true. Even my sister, fairly educated. takes blogs. articles , etc as gospel, just because its on the web. Just a reminder. Think! research and have your own thoughts.Remeber just because your on the net, YOU are not invisible or more powerful . thx

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 5 Feb 2009 @ 10:33pm

    the Internet use to be a tool,now it seems to be a way of life for many kids not to have interaction with other people other than the web, They believe "if its on the web" its true. Even my sister, fairly educated. takes blogs. articles , etc as gospel, just because its on the web. Just a reminder. Think! research and have your own thoughts.Remeber just because your on the net, YOU are not invisible or more powerful . thx

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jun 2016 @ 3:30am

    Re: Re: Sick of internet stuff

    Paying wouldn't improve their services. Come on...they're information harvesting and profiteering already. BBC in UK is a fine example. TV licences so that they didn't display ads, but of course, now they have ads too...and TV licences.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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