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SPIDERWEBS: I Am, Therefore I Chat BY SHEILA FRANKLIN |
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SPIDERWEBS: I Am, Therefore I Chat BY SHEILA FRANKLIN |
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"It was (the 60's) a great common denominator. No one had to be good-looking or smart or rich; we all just accepted people as they were. It is similar in cyber. People from all over meet and connect. They can be living in a trailer or a mansion, but they can still connect."
About the Book
There are millions of people in the nineties turning to cyberspace to find a community in which he/she can be a part and not be judged by looks, physical appearance, or lifestyle. Each sits alone in front of a computer chatting to an individual or room full of others who are also sitting alone, looking for company. Spiderwebs: I Am, Therefore I Chat is a book about chatters and their lives on the net.
The net has opened up a whole new world where anyone can end their sense of isolation. There is even software available that can simultaneously translate foreign languages on a chat page. In a time when societies face increasing isolation. Often the only contact people have with the outside world is through their place of employment or via the news media. Through the media one sees a world divided into factions that are often at war or facing a crisis. There is no opportunity to personally interact with people.
In the blink of an eye, a computer monitor is turned on and two strangers meet. They get to know each other and exchange ideas and a relationship is formed. This delicate association binds them to each other and yet can be severed with an instant disconnection of electricity. Hence the title "Spiderwebs" is created.
These chatters are not the stereotypical computer "geeks". For example, an expectant mother will relate to her chatfriends from the time she first discovers that she is pregnant through the time of delivery. Her friends in the chatroom become "cyber-aunts" and "uncles" to the newborn. Chatters talk about their jobs, family and friends, lovers (or the lack of one), hobbies, music, or a recently released movie.
When major events occur around the world, chatters hear a wide range of opinions on the subject. During crises situations, i.e. the recent hurricane in Central America, they may meet others involved or those with family members directly affected by them. The recent bombings on Iraq exposed chatters to debate on both sides of the issue.Although a few of the books found on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com are in part about chatting, they mostly focus on one aspect of that world, that of the age-old mating game. They concern themselves with topics such as "how to meet your next mate on the net" or "instruction in cyber-sex". While this is an aspect, be it a big one, of chatting, there are many who chat about other aspects of their lives. Spiderwebs: I Am, Therefore I Chat covers the entire range of people's lives on the net.
