VIRTUAL REALITY
Has life really gone that virtual? Am I truly and officially a net freak now? Let me explain. As the Internet opens up news ways of expression, it also opens new channels by which one can be affected or bothered by what people say to you or about you in a public forum. It may be just an email, a comment or a post-if its positive, it makes us very happy, if we think its not favorable, then well, it bothers or upsets us. Should we really be that sensitive to this mode of communication- especially since the risk of being misunderstood is far higher than when communicating in person? I think a sense of overraching trust in humanity at large is necessary while communicating over the Internet-either through email, or blog or any of the million other ways that have sprung up online in recent years. One might say something that is intended in one context, while the other mis reads our statement to mean something totally different. In this situation, one might just say, well, (s)he is having a bad day, or did not mean it or use some such rationalization.
It is interesting how we as users of the internet still operate and react to internet communication like we do in personal communication. I happen to be one such user. I think it is dangerous to not dissociate the internet with personal communication-and one cannot just stop using the Internet-that would be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The internet is a pretty powerful mode of communication, and well to that extent it deserves some credit. However, as a means of communicating the exact metamessage that the sender intended, is something that the Internet has not been able to do yet. Simply put, meta messages are the meaning or the cognitive/emotional undertone that underlie a message.
Having said that, there are also times when what we read on the Internet leaps out to us, grabs our attention and holds us in its sway exactly as the writer intended. In this case, I would think that it is the writer's skill at communication that enables the writing to make such an impact on the reader.
Online communication is thus an interesting reflection on the personality of the user-in good hands, it is a powerful, even inspiring mode of communication; at other times, it is hurtful, discouraging or just annoying. What is the need of the hour is to have a general agreed upon sense on netiquette, basic rules of communication that one might adhere to while using the internet to communicate. By this I do not mean a dry standard way of writing, but basic rules which are flexible to accommodate one's inspiration and creativity while writing. I doubt if we do have or follow any latent/overt rules of communication, but deeper examination of the dynamics of online interaction holds the key to effective (even inspiring) communication.
5 comments:
Thanks for the greetings.
Your blogs are awesome, excellent, I Love it etc…etc.. these are the words that keeps one going in a great phase of action. Yes Cyberspace is powerful, But most of the time it proves to be a junk box with useless information. If u could recall your daily dose of internet usage the first few minutes wud be the most useful, It enriches u with right info, updates u with current affairs, imparts u with great knowledge. But within next few minutes we start making useless online chatting (coz at times it is necessary). In general living in cyberspace or getting addicted to it is not that good. There are lots of research on this at Harvard. Some of the prelim sessions conclude that people who are not all that strong in real life incline towards cyber life. People who cannot make friends in reality claim to have most no friends online but the question is ‘Do they turn up to u when u need them?. No definitely not. Before I just started to Blog my hubby said its for the people who wants to share something with others (But ‘to share’ – it actually means either they are lonely or they always keep looking for someone to praise all their postings?) Iam saying this because I cannot find a single profile in blog which has more than 5 postings in line without any replies from friends (either known or unknown) praising them ‘Wow’. I prefer real life to cyber life it makes more sense to disclose, share info or make great friends. Cheers.
Wah,a reply-reply so soon. So,I think u are like me at home lonely or not working in office?? kidddin.
Its mid night here. Im gonna sleep. Good night.we will discuss soon about networking over net. Bye
Net is an ocean of information! You can get what you want but the first time, beware! Choose your options slowly. Every coin has two sides. Be careful in making your choices and you end up getting only good information. There is always a Spam filter in life. Take what you want, throw the rest in Spam! :)
It all depends on how intelligently u go abt mkng ur choices!
Must tell u tht was a terrific comment on my blog! :)
Why dont u redirect your comments to your mail or something? Tht ll cut this thing of replyin to your comments on your blog!
I totally agree with Fenceless mind here. I believe the internet should be used to strengthen the bonds you already have, by opening additional lines of communication. Making friends on the internet, looking for what you dont have (friends) on the internet, will only lead you to believe that real friends don't exist.
Virtual world has infact caught us by its grip, I cannot imagine a month of my life without it, although idont use it for any useful reason lately.
Its indeed difficult to refine your usage to only useful information, just as studying for all the 5 hours you have after a hard days work.
And just like naresh said, we finally have to make our choices. :)
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