[extropy-chat] RE: AnarchoCyphertopian technologies

[MB]

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005, spike wrote:


> Spam has stolen something from us that many
> extropians are likely completely unaware.  Since
> we tend to be techno-geeks and all our friends
> and acquaintances often are techno-geeky, we
> keep our computers going thru the spam
> deluge.  We set up our firewalls and filters,
> we do what it takes.
>
> However.
>
> Do you have friends and acquaintances who once
> used the internet but fell away?
> [...]
>
> Consequently, when an old friend unplugs her
> internet/email connection, she is effectively gone,
> in another parallel universe, missing in action, no
> practical communication possible, and pretty soon
> she isn't that close a friend anymore.  Spam and
> virii have taken her away from us.

Hm.
I *do* know people who are using their computers (old ones, now) as
typewriters only - they gave up on the net and email because of spam,
virus troubles, and porn their kids would find online.

And some of my friends *have* disappeared - but I hadn't thought it
might be that they stopped using computers.

You're quite right about parallel universes - indeed those would be. I
have letter paper and cards that people have given me over the years,
and other than gift enclosures or birthday cards, I don't know how on
earth I'll use those things up!

It's pretty sad.

Regards,
MB

>
> But here's the point: you didn't even realize that
> we had a mass exodus from email in the past couple
> years.  Your friends and acquaintances kept their
> machines going.  A lot of mine didn't.