TorqueConverter said:
Andy of Comix Inc said:
IT'S NOT A BILL.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL YOU ALL PLEASE STOP CALLING IT A BILL.
TorqueConverter said:
A wise man one said: The internet makes you stupid.
Crawl out of the basement everypony and go outside and make some friends already. Engage these new friends in important topics of the day and save the internet for the only thing it has ever been good at, hilarious shit posts.
Yeah, nevermind the rapid expansion of international culture, rapid spread of the awareness of worldwide news and the incredible contribution to the arts that come with borderless spread of information, music, video and multimedia. And the huge boon of jobs in the creative industries. Or the amazing independent studios and projects that have cropped up only because information can be spread from country to country as easily as from mouth to mouth. The internet's just for lolcats and dumb people! It hasn't improved anybody's lives significantly at all! Radio and television too. What trite. We should all live in the forest and sing camp songs passed down through generations and consist off of mushrooms we pick ourselves and live life free of responsibility and connections to the world. Sounds good!
Yes and more yes. Lets not forget the amazing arrow the knee jokes, world wide furry awareness, pokemon fan fiction and the ability to beat off to porn within the comfort of our own homes. I mean that last one alone was simply earth shattering. I can protest all sorts of strange things I don't understand and couldn't be bothered with in real life. Sorry, I mean IRL. All thanks to the internet. + 1 internet praising meme to you!
Of course it isn't all roses. But that's the sort of thing that happens when you have a platform every single person on the planet with access to the computer can contribute to. It's a blessing and a curse, and you have to take the bad with the good. Of course you do. That doesn't cheapen the good the internet as done any more than it amplifies how full of shit it is. I mean, this all started with, what - education? The typewriter? Anyone can write a novel. Anyone can draw a cartoon. The internet just made it easier to distribute these things. That's a brilliant thing! It's also a horrible thing, sure, but you can't
just focus on that.
Besides. Most of the things you listed already existed, the internet just made you AWARE of them. People always protested things they didn't understand. People have always had sexual appetites that are considered "abnormal". People always beat off to porn within the comfort of their own home. These things all happened
before the internet. The free spread of information just bought them to your attention. Nothing's
changed.
And I'd argue that it's rather comforting. You have no idea how many times the internet has enriched lives by ensuring people that they're not alone in this world. You may find what they do disgusting, but there are countless others who share their passions and interests. It's made the world a smaller place, and this is a GOOD THING. A
very good thing. It has made living easier for people who would have otherwise had a tough, painful life questioning their own inner existential quandries. You mentioned furries. You don't think it's BETTER that these people have found each other? I mean, the internet didn't MAKE them furries. So isn't it a GOOD thing they have a place where they can hang out free from prejudice, a private corner of the world? It wouldn't be possible without the internet. Instead of living their lives sad and alone, they build up a network of real relationships and friends who share their passions. That is surely better than being confused and bitter.
And consider, say, the advent of online suicide hotlines. People who would otherwise be adverse to killing themselves - a horrible, selfish act - now have an
easy, safe place where they can retreat and seek advice. Surely that alone is worth the memes and the racism? The improvement of volatile lives? And if you don't think so, I'll have to stop this discussion and conclude that you're an idiot and a twat.
