16th November 2008

Pry it from my cold, dead hands

posted in Internet, News, Politics |

I’ve been using email and the Internet (in varying forms) since 1992.

While I’m really not good about replying to emails, I’m very good about sending snippets out and about, to OmegaDad, to GrannyJ, to varying friends and relatives.  A link here (”Oooh.  This is interesting!”), a photo there (”Hey.  Here’s the dotter’s school pic.”), reminders (”Pick up some milk on the way home, and we’re out of cat food.”), a kml file (”Look at the aurora map!”), a YouTube video (usually a funny one).

I read the news online; I have the local blatt bookmarked, so I know what’s going on around Small Alaska Suburb and Big City, I have Small Mountain University Town’s newspaper bookmarked (though I haven’t been reading it much lately, which is an indicator of finally moving on, I guess), I have MSNBC and CNN bookmarked.

Every morning, I check out Nielsen’s daily Top 40 news stories and Technorati’s “Popular in News” listing.

I am on IM during the working day, so I can communicate with my boss and coworkers.

When we move into a new home, one of the first things I do is set up the utilities.  These days, Internet access is a “utility” to me, and it has been for years.

All of that said, read about another child of the connected age, being forced to isolate himself from his connections.

Think about it.  You’re used to the connectivity.  You’re constantly in casual touch with friends, relatives, coworkers.  You’ve even gathered together a community that spearheaded your election victory with “MyBarackObama” social networking.

And now…now…your security officials are telling you you must give it up while you are the president.

Ooog.

I couldn’t do it.  Give up my email?  My IM?  My blog?  No more quick dips into the Internet stream to see what the daily zeitgeist is?  No zipping over to Los Angeles news sites to see what the status of the SoCal fires is?  No link to the weather?

It’s one thing to turn it all off while on vacation; that’s just a week or two.  But for four or eight years?!  Ack.  No.

You’ll get my Interwebs from me when you pry it (them?) from my cold, dead hands!

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 16th, 2008 at 11:22 am and is filed under Internet, News, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 4 responses to “Pry it from my cold, dead hands”

  1. 1 On November 16th, 2008, lisa said:

    Yeah-I started on the Unix system in the Supercomputing lab in Urbana in 1991. It’s a little odd around home because, I got a head start, and jb is 10 years older than I am, so, though he uses computers professionally and has managed listservs-he does NOT comprehend the social/connected part. Freaks him out the timely things I know about our friends from FB updates. We DON’T discuss the blogging. And he makes fun of my withdrawal when we are backpacking. His perspective makes me really aware of the recent shift in our culture. ~lmc

  2. 2 On November 16th, 2008, noreen said:

    It freaks me out too and I don’t really understand this whole internet thing–in fact, I would be considered illiterate. But, I’m on-line constantly and couldn’t stand to be without it. But, there is nothing like reading a “real” newspaper before a roaring fire on Sunday morning. There is no replacement for that. And,I read the story you’re referring to before my roaring fire, with a great cup of coffee this morning. The NY Times is in my driveway every Sunday I love the newsprint all over my hands and the smell of ink on paper. That’s something the internet cannot give me.

  3. 3 On November 17th, 2008, susie said:

    Like you, I’ve been connected for almost 20 years. I can’t imagine quitting now. It’s hard to imagine the shift for someone like Obama - to lose the way he works and connects with the world. I feel like I would wither away…

  4. 4 On November 17th, 2008, 3cmum said:

    I think the point is that the presidency needs to evolve too and enter the 21st century way of working.

    I suspect Obama is the first one to enter the oval office who is used to writing his own emails etc. And I doubt he can go cold turkey either. The UK press reported he will have a computer on his desk.

    I have every confidence that once in office he’ll tell the security staff to figure out a way to make it work rather than just give in. Change as they say is in the air.

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