Friday, August 5, 2011

Confessions of an internet junkie number... I've lost count.

***
Irrational

It does not take much to sit here
in front of this white space

staring at zeros and ones
that resemble letters and numbers.

It takes a certain amount of nerve
to speak to an unknown audience

of one, or millions (or none).

What does it matter,
that one response

or zero, that dreaded void
that you waste a few minutes

staring into,

trying to decide what it means.


***

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are exactly right. It is a dreaded void. For what reality is real? It may be amusing for a time but eventually all you have left is a dreaded void. You've communicated this so perfectly in your prose. It so makes me want to turn to things I can touch and scent and hear and know they exist in my physical reality, because these things help us play our acts. Amazing! The acuteness of the difference between the two! Great communication!

Ravenblack said...

I do think it's a bad idea to stay on the internet all time, there's a tendency to read too much of things that aren't really there and there's more incidences of misunderstanding and being misunderstood. It really is just all words, all print and space.

I force myself to go out a few times a week so I don't end up goggle eyed and crazy. I think we need "real" stimulation in life and it does us good.

Ravenblack said...

Oh I seem to have left out: thanks for your insightful comments as always, Cindy.

Anonymous said...

life is happening beyond the computer and there's a huge number missing it. great thoughts in here :)

Ravenblack said...

Thank you, bendedspoon. :)

Unknown said...

Great summation of internet life. Really good piece here, the irrational in bold is highly intriguing to me as it really does a one word capsule of what you describe. Great write:)

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's an interesting alternate reality, isn't it. I think many of us can relate.

Ravenblack said...

Thanks Fred. :)

Victoria: yes, I think part of why its so addictive sometimes is that it feels like a whole other dimension to explore and mine.

Anonymous said...

An abstraction which codes another abstraction, thought provoking poem. I think it matters that there is a person behind the words, comments, codes. We aren't AI providing a deeper experience of solipsism for the viewer but humans trying to find meaning, connection, and community in a way we're not quite psychologically equipped to handle. Stanford has a virtual reality lab that raises all kinds of interesting questions. Virtual reality has been used to successfully treat PTSD and reduce prejudice. In the end this alternate reality will hopefully more fully integrate into our 'real life' so that we show up more humanely on-line and gain some perspective and sense of global community in our daily life. Thank you for bringing forth an interesting set of ethical issues with potent verse. Your comment on my work was very insightful and helpful and I left you a reply if you're interested. Thank you.

Ravenblack said...

Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Anna. Very interesting stuff, that virtual reality lab at Stanford (I went and googled it up to learn more). I've always wondered if any institution is seriously studying the behavior of people on the internet. I guess cyberspace, with all its freedom and wonder is truly a new frontier which we created for ourselves but have yet properly adapted to. Some of us are ourselves, some of us see it as a sort of place to be whoever.

I will return to your blog to read your response. In fact, I love reading the comments and your response to them; I always learn something or gain from them. I often do return to look for author responses to comments. :)

Anonymous said...

There are also psychologists that blog about cyberspace and social scientists who write about it. I show up as myself online, real name, real avatar (though in Technicolor), and real sentiments. I behave with the same ethical constraints and concerns. Many people treat it like a role playing game or want/need to protect their identity as you've stated. Also, I find it is more difficult on-line to read intent. We get most of our social cues from body language. In addition, cultural differences are confounded sometimes. Often I have to research to understand a person's cultural viewpoint and then there may still be misunderstandings. I'm brand new to blogging so this is great stuff to think about, thanks again.

Ravenblack said...

Misunderstandings do happen more often in online conversations more than in real. One of the main frustrations and disadvantages of online only communication.

I'm most honestly myself in thought and opinion when I'm on here than in real life. In fact I feel no real need to be dishonest. But I choose to go by a nick and hide my true face until I get to know a community better. :)

dsnake1 said...

you do have a brilliant post here and what you are saying is very real.

i think the transformation brought on by the internet to our lives is amazing. habits changed, the way we seek knowledge changed, and not always for the better too, witness the emergence of cybercrime.

i enjoyed this insightful work. :)

Ravenblack said...

Thanks dsnake! Appreciate your visit and comments as always.

Anonymous said...

The meaning of things is very subjective. Numbers should be objective, still, just like you so well said, I wonder if this particular case is to be trusted...

Ravenblack said...

I think it's impossible to say. Thanks for your thoughts, seabell. :)