LancesWorld.com Journal

Isn't it interesting in this digital age how we can communicate with people in so many new ways? I mean, it is now possible to send people messages in seemingly innocent ways, but with explicit motive. For example, the online journal/blog such as this one. Let's just say that I know person X is an avid reader of the LancesWorld.com journal. A safe assumption for about 30% of the world and 80% of the US, I would say. Further, let's say that I know person X wants to go see movie T. Additionally, I know (because I know everything) that they are going to want me to go see movie T with them, but I think movie T looks terrible, so before they are able to ask me if I want to see it, I can post something in my journal that talks about how much I absolutely hate movie T, and that the last thing in the world I would ever do was go see movie T. By this simple blog posting, I have effectively communicated to person X that they should not ask me to see the movie. I have successfully avoided a personal encounter with person X about movie T. Isn't the internet age wonderful - it has completely eradicated the need for personal interaction. Our personalities are no longer useful to us, only our ability to spell and form grammatically correct sentences. I mean, I may as well get married to someone over the internet. I may never even have to meet the person. The ceremony could be entirely online. The best part of the whole thing is that we can be married and not even have to live in the same city. The Beatles line "love is all you need" is no longer accurate - now "internet is all you need." Wow... brilliant.

I'm also completely fascinated by people and their AOL Instant Messenger away messages. Let's see some of the choice messages that my friends currently have up:

1) "Do you want new wave or do you want truth?"

2) "sick in bed. boo. I have the worst immune system ever."

3) "I am away from my computer right now."

Let's consider these one by one:

1) What does this mean? Do I want new wave or do I want truth... well, I suppose I want truth. But does new wave necessarily exclude the possibility of truth? Apparently so. To me, this message tells me that my friend is in a philosophically unstable condition at the moment and that I should avoid trying to have a meaningful conversation for the next few years.

2) Sick in bed. I do feel bad for people when they are ill, but this message has an ulterior motive. It isn't an attempt to garner pity; rather, it is sending a clear message to everyone who reads it - don't bother me. Don't call me to do anything with you, don't send me a message to cheer me up (I won't even see it, fool), don't drop by to see me. The list goes on.

3) This one is original. Away from your computer, eh? Basically, this message says, I have far more important things that I am doing with my life. I don't even have the three moments it takes to compose an original away message. I don't even know why I'm signed on, and I don't even know why you are bothering to check my away message. Do you think I even have you on my buddy list? What's your name again? Larry? Leonard? Landale?

(My apologies to any of you reading this who may have just had your away message unnecessarily torn apart.)

Now it's your turn - what is my ulterior motive behind this post? There must be one, right?