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Atalanta's Golden Apples

    by Daniel Rubin
    Published 

There's something I was going to do.

It was before I found myself reading various predictions about the next Phillies closer, a piece on why Hooter's could flop in Germany, speculation about whether A.D. Amorosi is really a vampire, something both funny and smart about Bob Woodward, and something both depressing and smart about the man who would sell Knight Ridder.

It was before 18 tricks to teach my body, checking out the origin of this New Zealand men's room picture (above), finding a cheat sheet to help avoid voice message purgatory, and reading more about the rocket scientistdevoted son who dumped his mother's ashes on the Eagles's 30-yard-line.

Ah, yes. It was going to finish this post on how The Internet Will Make You Stupid.  Jeanne at Body & Soul was reacting to a LA Times opinion piece that blames the Web for killing literacy and teaching bad research habits.Jeanne has a different take. She actually likes the crab-like sideways excursions. But:

I find that the more I read online, the less I read off. I don't think it's even a matter of using up my reading time. It actually destroys brain cells or something, because if I've been doing too much online reading, I lose the patience for following a sustained or subtle argument, or reading a complex novel. One of my reasons for frequent blogging disappearances is recovery: I need to get away from the fast and facile and let my brain heal. It actually feels like recovering a bit of humanity that I forgot I had.

Jason
Posted 11/29/2005 12:23:08 PM
In a manner of what you read online, yes, it can limit your exposure to intelligent written conversation, which can lead to decreased vocabulary and knowledge, which gives the overall appearance of declined intelligence.

Like thoughs sights with all the mispellings and numb3rs 1n th31r werds.

But they're not even the problem.  It's that the internet is the media for everyone, and I mean, everyone.  It's how you classify "everyone"... if everyone was brilliant, the internet would have nothing but brilliant stuff on it.  However, "everyone" is not brilliant.  "Everyone" isn't dumb, though, either, but "everyone" tries to tailor their sites so that "everyone" else can read them.  :)  News sites, info sites, blogs, shop sites... everyone.

I think, anyway.
sarah
Posted 11/29/2005 12:53:59 PM
spending more time online hasn't made me stupider. if anything, it's made me more informed. it's where i get my local and world news. it's where i find out about books i want to read (though i find those through many outlets).
albert
Posted 11/30/2005 10:54:17 AM
damn that batrhoom is clean.  the urinals look like they're cut onyx and brushed aluminium.  and how do you think they got the models for the photos?  can you imagine the craigslist ad for that one?