I'm tired of the internet

[Roseweave]

The whole social structure of most forums and chat and profile sites and online games just seems so counterproductive to anything for me. The last 2-3 days especially I've found myself face palming at more stuff on random sites than ever. Stupidity seems to be celebrated.

Lately I've had almost no friends online because I simply haven't been able to track down people with common interest who's personalities I can stand. It didn't used to be this bad - are people getting worse? Am I getting more choosy? Since I'm desperate I browse myspace once in a while, but the people on it seem to be getting more and more boring. Also, Myspace doesn't let you search for people WITH common interests that are ALSO in your area, only one or the other. Why do they deny people this basic SQL AND operation?

Also Online, and the source of much drama on profile/journal sites and forums, a lot of meta information gets ignored so people do not recieve that the person on the other end is being upset or whatnot. But some people seem to go out of their way to discard any information that is there, because LOL Internets. There's a near sociopathic approach to the internet in general that's just not doing it any good. Just because arguments are more heated, that people are more loose in general online doesn't mean the person at the other end isn't real and it's okay to do shit like posting that person's address online, or something.

Personally I hate the effect sites like Encyclopedia Dramatica have, teaching people that it's okay to just pick random autistic kids and destroy them, and if you don't agree you're a "butthurt moralfag". It's crazy that sites like that stay up.

Most MMOs too lets face it, are repetitive and ultimately faily shallow unless you already have some good friends to play with. Some people can use them effectively as socialising tools, but it's not for me. It just feels in general that there could be a much better use of the internet. It could be a fantastic communications medium, but it's dominated by /b/tards, egomaniac website owners, religious fundamentalists and ROFL SO RANDOM xD types.

I've long wanted to do something about this, but I don't know what. The internet is obviously a very big place but on the up side, most people more or less merge into the same person like ANONYMOUS so you probably don't need to be "special" to make a difference, just retain some degree of critical thought. I think people focus too much on style over substance online too, the problem isn't so much that people sound like asses, it's that they've nothing interesting to say.

[Mudfuzz]

I remember back when the web was kinda fun and cool, it was a long time ago. I don't really surf any more and I only post on three sites anymore, I don't play and games what-so-ever any more. My online activity has narrowed down pretty much to music stuff [pedals - gear, bands I like or want to check out] and otaku culture I find the rest except for a few odd bits for the most part lame and boring

Anymore I'd rather be doing something.

[V0id]

It's all about money, and that's how it's going to be.

[Roseweave]

Oh man that's great. Thanks very much Devi and I hope we can work together in future. I am sorry for emotionally weighted comments, but you can understand where I'm coming from from the OP, I'm just tired of people online in general.

[FuzzHugger]

As it goes online, so it goes off.

If you're disappointed with people online (which, I completely understand), you're going to be disappointed with people offline.

I see the need to get offline as much as possible (I agree with Devi about the moon and stars out there), but as far being disappointed with people, I think online people don't just give you a representation of people offline, but are literally the same people offline doing things online. Pretty close to 1:1. Maybe 1:1.5, since people will say more crazy shit online. (<--that's the labeling of "online vs. RL" that has people saying things they wouldn't normally say, when they're actually both part of the real world). Sure, you might have a bigger selection of people to associate with online, but they're all just people and they'll act like people.

I get it when people say that online isn't real "life," cause you might not be living life to the fullest online, but they're both in the "real world" (like everything), and I think separating OL/RL is part of human's desire for labeling/compartmentalization. We've seen things online affect things and people offline just as much as the other way around.

I think it's very easy to be pessimistic about people and the way the world works. Keeping our heads up and doing our best to change things without getting down about it, or getting uselessly angry about it, is difficult. But I'd personally rather try that, than let it bother and distract me...that's more of a time-waster than being constantly online.

[Roseweave]

The problem is offline I'm very unlikely to find anyone who shares my interests. It's okay to say that if you live in a big city or a country that doesn't completely blow in terms of diversity, but here, honestly, most of my IRL friends I met online to begin with.

[Brettski]

There's a lot of free (after you pay your ISP), amazing information on the internet. I learned how to solder, paint and assemble my own guitar effects from sources on the internet in about two days, and that's certainly not the first skill I've acquired from the interwebs. There are countless articles, step by step pictorials, and videos so no matter how your brain normally assimilated information, there's something there for you.

Socializing on the internet is another story altogether. I've found that it's a lot better to hang around small groups of (relatively) like-minded individuals like those in this forum than to be milling around with the general population. Consider a real life parallel. When does one mingle with countless strangers in an effort to communicate on some level with a sizable number of them? Clubs. I don't know about you, but I can't stand to be in a club environment for more than about a half hour, once a week at the most.

Recklessly engaging in conversations with numerous unknown people can be enraging and disheartening. You don't do it in public, why do it in private? Right?

[FuzzHugger]

Haha...I hear you Roseweave. That sucks. I live in a college town, but its actually still a verrrry small place.
Anyway, my response there wasn't supposed to be preachy or even directed at you--it was more my personal "blah-blah-ing" on the general topic.

[Mudfuzz]

Here is a random pict that fits the topic that I am posting for no apparent reason

[Gunner Recall]

The whole social structure of most forums and chat and profile sites and online games just seems so counterproductive to anything for me.

It just feels in general that there could be a much better use of the internet. It could be a fantastic communications medium, but it's dominated by /b/tards, egomaniac website owners, religious fundamentalists and ROFL SO RANDOM xD types.

This could be said about humanity as a whole. Mankind is overrated.

[Roseweave]

Here is a random pict that fits the topic that I am posting for no apparent reason

I guess it doesn't help my social standing that I set my phone to go "Meru Meru" every time I get a text...

[Mudfuzz]

It depends on what social standing you want and if you care if you have on at all really......

[Roseweave]

It's just that the high pitched voice annoys my dad, really.

[Mudfuzz]

Try running it through a octavedivider

[Roseweave]

I filtered off the high end a bit and reduced the volume a little, it's not so bad now. Also I cut off the bit at the end, I can't even understand what it's saying.