A personal experience!

After spending approximately two hours today on saving my computer from malware (that is, malicious software), I must confess that I am very annoyed, and I found myself wishing very bad things upon those who create and distribute this software in the hopes of destroying my expensive copy of Windows 7 and collecting my passwords and credit card numbers, potentially causing me financial ruin.  So I don't think I was being overly dramatic when I reacted in a somewhat Samuel L. Jackson manner:



In all seriousness, I was pretty furious at whatever idiot allowed that advertisement to grace his or her webpage.  And before someone suggests that perhaps it was my fault for not recognizing a fake Windows warning, I might add that I was in a hurry to get to class in thirty minutes and I did not notice that the stuff had popped up in my browser.  So I thought, what the heck, better get rid of those 38 (yeah right) Trojan horses!  And in fewer than ten minutes, my computer starts attacking itself, even in Safe Mode.  Eventually I repaired the problem by restoring the system back to last night's status, when I downloaded Quicktime so I could watch a video as I enjoyed my Taco Bell dinner, but that is beside the point.  Anyway, doesn't this look at least halfway legitimate?

I'm certain that this fake ad and others like it have fooled many old people, inexperienced computer users, and absent-minded college kids like myself.  The last thing these kinds of folks need is a scammer sapping their money and resources, what with the cost of Cialis and Lipitor...and textbooks.  For the record, the name of the program that I fell for like a dummy--yes, I will continue to hassle myself over this--is "MS Removal Tool," and if the cyber-criminals who steamed this one up ever get caught and prosecuted, you can be sure I will be mailing them a few bags of various animal waste products when they get settled in the state pen.  Jerks.

- Heather

There is something unexplainably great about...

...animals.

Something about pictures of animals is expressive, fascinating, and thoughtful, regardless of the fact that animals cannot truly show emotion in ways that have meaning to us.  But behold!  Does it not appear as if this cold-blooded reptile is happily smiling at the millions who have encountered him?

Does the "look" on this dog's "face" not clearly show that he is displeased and disgusted with his unfortunate predicament?

Anyone who uses imageboards, Facebook, email, or text messaging services cannot deny that the annoying habit of adding smiley faces and pictures to posts has rubbed off onto them.  Sometimes in formal emails or college essays or even in daily conversation we miss being able to use pictures to express ourselves.  After all, who wants to go through the great trouble of saying:

"Sir, I regret to inform you that I am truly and utterly disappointed, annoyed, and repulsed by your actions.  I am entirely unappreciative of your thoughtless, foolish, or inappropriate behavior and can barely put my anger into words..."

when you can just say:

I don't know.  Perhaps the former would catch my attention, but--ooh, look, a cat!

Is Internet lingo killing us?  My high school English teachers would never pass up the opportunity to point out misspellings, grammatical errors, and overuse of clichés when handing back our mediocre papers, and now they can criticize the use of 'lol', 'IMHO', and ':D'.  After all, my history teacher in the 12th grade did encounter 'u' a lot, thanks to the rise of cell phones and texting.

So, is the Internet here to add new and creative forms of expression to our routine, or will it simply destroy the English language and corrupt our youth in the meantime?  Only time will tell (geez, how many essays have I ended this way in my life?)!

- Heather

COMING SOON: THE INTERNET!

What is the Internet?

When I was a kid, I may have believed it worked something like this:



However, without connection and interactivity you cannot have the Internet.  The Internet, as many know, started as a military service and academic tool for an elite class of society.  Today, the Internet is available to anyone who wants to use it, and it is constantly changing.  It is undoubtedly a very major part of our lives and will continue to be so as it is passed on to the next 'wired' generation.

One of the more fascinating aspects of our virtual world is how well it has managed to integrate with society at large.  There are sites that have spawned millions of followers, such as YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, and the ever-infamous 4chan, all of which you and your friends have either heard of or use yourselves.  Though these were once obscure or fringe gatherings at a time in the past, they, as well as many other growing sites I have not mentioned here, are now great hubs of social interaction.  Forums and imageboards (like 4chan and other 2channel-inspired boards) offer freedom and anonymity, while true social networking sites (Facebook, etc.) focus more on connections within interpersonal relationships.  Obviously, both of these sites appeal to people, together allowing users to have a public profile while living some aspects of their virtual life in private.  Some people have profited enormously from their personal Internet use...

...and others have either failed miserably at best, or had their lives negatively altered at worse.

Anyway, the Internet is a place where pretty much anything can happen.  Its potential for encouraging creativity, individualism and the spread of new ideas is often overshadowed by properties that also allow it to serve as a breeding ground for manipulators, liars, tricksters, bullies, and general criminal activity.  We live in a time when we frequently ask ourselves questions like "Does freedom of speech exist on the Internet?"  These are difficult questions to answers, though we do know that if we are posting on a public forum then the moderation of our speech can be exercised at the discretion of administrators or webmasters (such as censoring offensive language or removing posts containing hateful speech).

The Internet can both enrich and hinder our everyday lives, this much is certain.  But I want to focus on the phenomena that cause us to ask all of those difficult questions and make us think twice about our own online activity.  I want to discuss the trends and media that give us entertainment and incorporate new catchphrases and ideas into our lives.  I want to find meaning and sophistication in the "lolcats" and the grotestque humor that permeates the Web, and I seek philosophy behind the Internet 'celebrities' and sensations that we all unabashedly sit down to watch on YouTube on an otherwise uneventful weekend night.  I want to understand, of course, but most important...I want to add to my own amusement in said entertainment.  Hopefully I can add to yours as well.  This is the goal of my blog.  Cheers, and have a nice day.

- Heather