What are your opinions on the internet?

Question

I'm in two minds about it.
On one hand I think its a fabulous mine of information where people can voice their opinions to billions of others and make great aquaintances with some really nice personalities.
On the other I think it can be a disturbing seedy world with people promoting and selling junk populated by the kind of people that you hope never sit next to you on the train.

Or is it both at the same time?

What do you think?

Answer 1

Its both, just like the real world there are good and bad people. just like the real world there are people who have more infuence and or power than the rest...

Ideally the internet shoulld be this source of information and a medium for people to connect with each other and build new friendships...But with out the laws of the real world the internet is a crapshoot. there are nice neighborhoods. and bad ones...

I personaly travel all facets of the net from the friendliest social sites to the seedy underbelly of the computer world and just like in real life if you speak the language you probasbly will be ok...

Answer 2

We are often told that the Internet is still in it's infancy. Such a notion is based upon an ignorance of just how old the Internet actually is. The Internet has been around since the late 1960s but has only really been open for public use since around the mid-1980s. Most of the experienced users came on-line from the late 1990s.

The Internet is very much as you see it to be, a train-load of people you'd prefer not to be with. The creation of the Internet was financed by the sex industry - porn. That's the 'seedy' part.

The modern Internet is more of an information highway. Major libraries are now freeing up books and documents which can be viewed and downloaded free of charge.

Since going on-line in 2000 I have found out more about the subjects I am interested in than all the previous years of my life from 1941 to 1999.

I'm now fully retired and the Internet is my village pump, library, meeting house, etc.

Answer 3

The internet itself is like any other invention. Neither good nor bad. It's how it's used that makes the difference.

To me, the internet is the greatest technological invention of all time. Before the internet, the world was a huge place and people on opposite sides of the world could only communicate by snail mail or occasional phone calls as these were too expensive for regular use. The world has become a much smaller place and the places we cannot visit have become alive to us because of it.

Yes, there are those who use it for less than good ends but I would hope they are in the minority.
The internet can do much good in the right hands and we can arm ourselves well against the wrong hands.

Answer 4

Hello,

(ANS) I like your question, in my opinion the internet is a very paradoxical phenomina thats for sure. The internet itself is only a technical medium but its what people do with it, its how its used and why its used. The internet itself is neutral as I see it, but the users of the internet only reflect the whole diversity of the human race.

Meaning every person can use the internet provided they have access of course, which also means your going to see every kind of view & opinion expressed. From the most wise and thoughtful through to the most extreme, sick, weird & off the wall to the down right dangerous. Thats because on the internet you will find ALL the diversity of opinions.

So to answer your question its not just both at the same time, its every kind of opinion ALL the time 24/7!! Dont forget just how vast the WWW is.

DONT think either or but think ocean or vastness of outer space and your getting close. i.e. vastness of opinions & attitudes,etc.

IR

Answer 5

I think that it is not quite so 2 sided, I think it offers a vast broad spectrum, that it cannot be put into great and bad. The great stuff can be bad to, for instance how many hours of our lives are spent here?

It is a wonderful tool to be used by humanity, unfortunately it can be used in many ways, not necessarily for its intended use.

The fact that it is surely shrinking the world and altering the real worlds perceptions and affecting real change shows its power. Whether we can or should control that power is the big question.

I personally count it as a blessing and believe without it I would have a large whole in my understanding of the universe.

Answer 6

I tend to agree with you that it is both at the same time. The only other alternative would be that it was controlled by the US or Chinese governments. If this was the case it would be useless for any purpose. It is already bad enough that China can control the content that arrives in its territories. Also if the adverts, on a more flipant note, annoy you then get a decent pop-up blocker. I have not had any unsolicited pop-up windows for over two years using first Macafee (loads of undetected viruses) and then Norton (very secure if using Windows IE).

Answer 7

Its both at the same time, all you have to do is be very careful what you do and never give out your passwords or details to anyone, and only visit websites that you trust after all the Internet is a virtual world where there are the same risk's just like the real world, so always be on your guard,
safe computing and good luck

Answer 8

I think that the internet is a brilliant thing.
But it is being abused, by paedophiles, child abusers etc.
It has also had a massive impact on language.
People ever day are getting sucked in to this virtual world, I must admit, I use to spend alot of my time on the computer, simply on myspace, msn etc. But now, I try to use for educational reasons, or simply for wanting information on something that I find interesting.
But I am also in two minds.
I think the internet is wonderful but dangerous.

Answer 9

I have worked in IT for 17 years and have seen it grow and develop. Its a fantastic tool and most businesses rely on it these days and its also great for keeping in touch with friends, relatives and doing your shopping etc. The only downside is that it wasn't regulated correctly from day one and there are some shocking sites and big scams going on. The Internet is now that big I cant see anyway that they will ever get it under control

Answer 10

I love the Internet for all the resources it puts at my disposal, but it definitely has its dark side too.

The thing that contributes most to the dark side of the Internet, I think, is the anonymity. People feel safe to do things they wouldn't ordinarily risk doing, and with the added advantage of a broader reach.

In addition to the anonymity, you also have no restrictions on or validation of the content you find. For example, it kills me when I see people asking questions about their health on here - makes me wonder if they'll trust the advice provided by a stranger rather than see a real doctor.