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Friday, 19 June 2009

Everything I know, I learnt on TV

So I am back - finally sorted out the many, many, many problems with my laptop and ready to start posting once again.

OK, the title is completely incorrect (how could it be when I don't even have TV) but it's so catchy I couldn't resist using it. When I say TV I'm including film, tele and fiction books. Basically it occurred to me yesterday as I was watching 'Angels and Demons' - much better than I was expecting by the way - that if I hadn't read the book or saw the film I wouldn't have any clue who the Illuminati were or many of the laws of Vatican city. I'm not saying any of this information is necessary in life but it is that sort of general knowledge I mean. It's the sort of thing that they don't teach at school because it's not necessary; and so it is either learnt through discussion, or in most cases, through fiction.

Almost everything that classifies as general, world knowledge, I have aquired through this medium. Take Doctor Who - before the last series I had no knowledge of Pompeii. I had never come across it yet everyone seemed shocked that I didn't know. So I'm most certainly not condemning it though of course the fact that the information is conveyed through fiction can be a problem, when it isn't clear what is and what isn't factual.

So that's the ramble for today - look out for more posts on their way soon.

Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Communicating without the internet

Sorry I haven't written a post recently but am having internet difficulties with my computer - am writing this on a friend's laptop. But one thing I have noticed since this problem is I seem to have a lot my time on my hands - do I really spend 3 hours a day doing nothing online? Not that I'm filling my time with anything much more useful or important. What has entered my mind is that I'm not really talking any less to any of my friends or family. All those contacts I have on my facebook and I never really chat to any of them except those I talk to via text or over coffee anyway. Does having internet really make a difference? I suppose in fairness that a few of those friends I never would have met without the wonders of the internet. Many of those I have met online, I now don't talk to. Many of those I met in life I now don't keep in contact with at all - other than an extra contact on my facebook. I guess therefore the internet hasn't really changed anything other than the way in which we can keep track of who we know or knew and it's a lot easier to get in contact with someone you've lost contact with and are now searching for - all it takes is writing their name in a search engine. So things are the same, they are just done in a different way.