1.30.2012

The Idiocity of the Masses (or why are Yahoo! Answers so stupid?)

This one really struck a chord.  If there is one thing I cannot stand it is internet pollution... you know, all those sites that were written by random people who know nothing or next-to-nothing about their topic all writing articles to hopefully make $0.05 if someone clicks on their link to Amazon.com or wherever.  I absolutely hate it!!  Search Engine Optimization drives me crazy.  I like it in theory, because in THEORY it means that the quality information should come to the top of your search, and maybe most of the time it does... but then there are all those other times when you google something and get page after page of USELESS filler text designed to get you to click on an ad.  ARGH!  (I think you all get the point... I really don't like this.  If you write these articles for the web, well, at least now I don't have to explain to you why I think that your job is bordering on unethical in an intellectual way.)

So that brings us to today's article which had me in stitches!!  "Like bubbles rising to the top of the septic tank..."  I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!

Driving Under the Influence... of Facebook!

Letter 24 -




First page... lost in cyberspace!  Not really, but on another computer... argh






Letter #12: Filing Stories without the Internet, No Simple Task

Page 1: (missing)

Dear Marisa, 

Today you get pretty paper! I wanted to typewrite this letter to you but something went wrong with my Smith-Corona yesterday and it is all wonky. I'll do my best to write neatly. I haven't written any of these letters on the computer because there's the tendency to edit and then I over-think what I am trying to say. So, I find the pen or typewriter best.

There is no question that the Internet is an incredible tool. I had hoped to file two articles before the fast began but I didn't finish them (in one case, start) before I went off-line on January 1. Both were due January 15. So, in my true deadline-loving nature...