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Internet Casualties

Interesting list of things (fifty no less and not even counting those in the comments section) being killed by the internet. For those of us who clearly remember life before internet, we are able to tell the difference between then and now. It is not often that new technology so fundamentally alters our way of life, impacts almost every aspect of it. A lot in the list is facetious (perhaps deliberately so) but there are some interesting items too :

The dead art of politeness - the free for all style slanging matches that go one in the comments section of articles on hot button topics, would be impossible to imagine in the pre-internet time. Today it is the accepted standard of behavior on-line. You are not expected to hold back or be considerate of the feelings of other handles and avatars.

Dead time - Having nothing to do really does not exist for anyone with an internet connection. People will fiddle around on their Blackberrys and iPhones compulsively for the entire duration of their idle time - an elevator ride, waiting in the doctor's office or pauses in conversation. Engaging someone's attention for more than a few minutes is a battle that the internet almost always wins.

Lunch break - I know I have not had one in the workplace in the last ten years unless there was a team event or I went out someplace with co-workers. Lunch is when you get a little downtime to use the computer for leisure rather than work - that is the main event with eating relegated to a minor, supporting act.

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