Small Pieces

I'll break this into sub headings as the article is a bit long.
Being John Malkovich.
The first part of this article tells a story of "Internet intoxication" which involves a boy who made a comment to another on line person about a future second massacre at Columbine. His defence for this was that he had this intoxication and was acting as a character like his favourite actor John Malkovich. Four months in prison and a three year ban from using the Internet seems fair when you think about the distress that would of been felt in Columbine, the dragging up of old memories would have probably brought many to tears. Hopefully it should act as a deterrent from anyone else making such terrifying claims.
Anonymously Shopping & Learning In The TARDIS
The next part of the article dealt with purchasing a quilt on eBay. The story was told in relation to varying aspects. The first was preconceptions in that if it didn't cost enough it wasn't good enough. Next was the fact that there was no geographical boundary as there would be if buying from a shopping centre. After this the topic of time revealed how the bidding could be monitored in increments measured in hours. Try that at Christies. The anonymity of both the vendor and buyer are an apparent difference from shopping in the real world. Finally the buyer realised how much they had learnt from the whole process about quilts that they had not known before, and all from the confines of whichever room the computer is kept in.
The Web: Modern Day Mayflower
This section compares web surfers as modern day pilgrims. The only difference acknowledged between Internet enthusiasts and those that landed at Plymouth Rock is an understanding of geography. The author talks of the unfamiliarity of the new phenomenon that is the Internet. He then discusses the way this effects us depending on our personality "If we're egotistical, then the world appears to center around us. If we're gregarious then the world appears to be an invitation to be with others. If we're ambitious then the world appears to be awaiting our conquest." The main point to come from this is that the user can improve at will. This means increasing traits deemed desirable and lessening those not.
A Different Type of Social
Comparing two different studies, both reported widely in conventional media, that were poles apart in their findings. The first one basically stated that the Internet was a causal factor in significantly reduced social interaction. The second stating that this may have been so in the physical sense but the net gave a wider social circle to those who participate, therefor showing increased social interaction. Although I don't have access to the exact methodology of both studies, I feel fairly safe theorising that the second study would be much closer to the mark if carried out reputably today. Unfortunately this lack of understanding of new technologies has had a negative effect in many cases the funniest of which involved a rogue politician with a few left of centre ideas. To be honest, this blog is getting a bit long, and the rest of the article is more entertaining than informing so I'll end with a quote that I think sums up the rest of the article nicely "... the Web upsets our expectations".