In the early 90's when my former bffl(best friend for life) sold me her Commodore64c-I never thought nor could imagine how my life would transform itself.
I knew NOTHING about how to use a computer. My second hand puter came with lots of wires a monitor, and was heavy as hell. I can remember the excitement of riding with my pastor and his wife to go pick it up.
I didn't know computers had so many wires and such to hook it up. I paid $600 bucks(she gangted me, I know) and I wanted in to the world she described to me. Talking to people from all around the world!
I had a pen pal who lived in Alice Springs, Australia. He and I had met on a NYC bus. He looked like the spitting image of Andy Gibb and we struck up a conversation. From there we just wrote to one another.
Back then there were no unlimited and free nights and weekends and the thought of owning a cellphone was just a dream. But we stayed in touch for years just writing our thoughts with pen to paper.
I somehow learned how to set that computer up. When I hit the power button-my world forever changed.
I had this wilderness game(If I could find the online version I would be eternally happy)and you had to think about your next mood. All of the choices were in multiple choice form and whatever you decided would either advance you, have the indians capture or kill you and whatnot.
I had fun for HOURS with that game. Then my former bffl asked me if I had tried going online yet. I saw that Prodigy diskette-but shoo, I thought it was just another game.
I stuck that diskette in and twenty minutes later I was online with people! I didn't like it. Plus, it was $4.99 an hr! Back then I preferred to pass my boring hours at work talking and laughing on the Party Lines. At least they people were more real to me as opposed to reading and waiting for people to reply.
In 1996, I finally realised that my computer was booty. I purchased a pc with a little fifteen inch monitor. AOL had UNLIMITED internet access for just $9.99! I could "surf" the internet as much as I wanted and there more places to visit online!
AOL had a chat, but I wasn't partial to typing to white people. Not being racist, but I wanted to communicate with black folk. There were so few of us online at that time that you quickly learned who were the sistahs and brothas.
I watched the black sites open and shutdown. I moved along the messageboards with the cyber associates I had bonded with.
We had offline Meet and Greets. Folks from all over when they came into town, you hooked them up and vice versa. Hooking someone didn't entail SEX. It was showing them your town. If you "hooked up" in a sexual manner that was something entirely different.
Then the costs of the computers began to fall. Rent A Center was renting computers to anyone who wanted one.
A different eliment started logging on. The good people started backing off and away from online. The criminals, drama queens and kings began their irreversable reign.
Now anyone and everyone comes online.
I can honestly say that I haven't had any personal horror stories, but I witnessed plenty. Folks faking their deaths, childrens deaths, pregnancies. I had read about people who were murdered in real life and or raped. I have seen the marriages disovle over cyber cheating and real life sexing.
I have personally had guys try to play on my weaknesses. But I thank God for my parents and A Current Affair, Hard Copy and other news magazines for alerting me about what to look out for and how to use COMMON SENSE 101.
Oh, the playas live online and they count on you falling for them. I am too paranoid of thinking about the idea of meeting the black version of Jeffery Dahmer or Ted Bundy.
For the pat ten years, I have left the internet where it belongs-online. Yeah, these are the same people I pass everyday without one thought about what they do behind closed doors.
I have learned that if I don't email chain letters to at LEAST ten people that an alien monkeyshark will eat off my toe next to my pinky toe. People who send chain letters should be lined up and shot in the groin. Ever find yourself counting the amount of people you have in the address box to make sure you have your ten people covered? Ever have to forward a chain letter to twenty people and you realise that you don't have twenty saved addresses?
I have been waiting on the ever elusive Bill Gates to send me my check for forwarding my emails to twenty of my closest friends.
I have learned that coca cola can clean my toilet as well as eat away at my kidneys, so I am glad that I am Pepsi drinker. woooo hoooooooo
I am torn about eating mutant chickens from KFC, but I can't turn away from the original cooked chicken.
When I go out to have a drink or two, I cover my drink so that I won't wind up in Mexico as a sex slave because Iamamentalcase37's cousin baby daddy uncle moms cousin had it happen to her. If a guy approaches me, I instantly wonder if he is being nice to me just because he thinks my kidneys are sexy? If I turn my head will I wake up in a bathtub full of ice and a note?
The internet has also educated me. I am a good Christian woman. I don't buy from Proctor and Gamble nor Liz Claiborn because they went on Oprah and bragged about supporting the church of satan. Doesn't matter Oprah doesn't have any show to support this and has disclaimed it because four months down the line she will suddenly remember that show but is too afraid to air it again for fear on the evil one sucking the life out of her.
The call it the Worldwide Net, and they never lied. I am trapped in a world full of nutcases.
No comments:
Post a Comment