I think that the computer safety angle is an important one for a lot of otherwise sensible people, and there is also a fear of cyberstalking. This may look silly to us, but fear is a potent driver for people when they are dealing with the unknown, and The Internet ranks as Very Unknown.. I don't know about NZ (having left there in 1998), but my observation of life in Sydney is that many, if not most, people limit their engagement with new people (consciously or unconsciously). If this is true in f-t-f environments, why would they seek out the company of other new people online? I was driven online by not finding people whom I wanted to connect with in my f-t-f environment in a provincial city. It changed my life in ways I don't want to go into here. But most of my family, workmates and people I knew socially thought I was crazy to make the changes I did as a result of online connections. I found this bizarre and frustrating, for reasons I'm sure you'll understand. Do you think that will change in time? In other words, is it, at least partly, generational? (I am 55, so am very unusual in my age group - in this as well as many other things!) M-H On 28/11/2006, at 7:14 AM, John Veitch wrote:
If people are going to be on-line they need to understand the value of and the importance of three simple things. 1. Know how to keep your computer safe. 2. Find and join groups of people who share your interests (Both on- line and off-line). 3. Join and participate in a social network on-line.
About 50% of people can't do number one, about 80% of people are not doing number two, and about 95% of people don't do number three.
These three things are basic to on-line engagement. If you are going to learn to think more deeply, more widely, and to more purpose, you need to be connected to other people. The promise of the digital age is a fraud if you as an individual can't become part of it. That means you MUST be able to participate, not merely be a consumer. You have to develop your own brain. You can't buy one at the supermarket.
Regards John
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John Stephen Veitch http://www.ate.co.nz Should we be talking? Can I help? Google me
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