I have spent the last hour reading these threads. This low stakes dialogue is replete with opportunities for investigation. It is worthy of AOIR and its brain power. Ellis Godard's dissertation contains a phrase which has application (paraphrase) "We are all half blind on the Internet." The illusion of privacy here seems to be a longing to be anonymous in a crowd; a longing to be recognized without intimacy. The protest seems to come from having this illusion discredited. Also, I have observed that young people tend to confuse acquaintantship with friendship. Being half blind, this confusion is exaggerated. Back to my goats, Reid ________________________________ Dr. W. Reid Cornwell The Center For Internet Research P.O. Box 6369 Breckenridge, CO 720.212.0719 (phone) 970.485.5109 (mobile) wrc@tcfir.org http://tcfir.org