I love the Internet. I rely on it for news, corresponding with friends and acquaintances, recipes, business, research, and fun.
The Internet can be used for the good of humankind and it can also be used a weapon to influence with incorrect information. Our current political climate is a sad example of the latter.
My most recent beef isn’t with the Internet, per se, but with the people whose fingers are way too eager to Google something you tell them so they can let you know they know the who/what/where/when/why and give their unsolicited opinion/judgement.
Recently, I was on the phone with a friend letting her know some good news happening with one of my creative projects. I suddenly became aware of the faint rhythmic sound coming through the phone of fingertips carefully tapping ever so lightly on a keyboard. In her attempt to tap lightly, the tapping sound seemed to echo even louder.
I knew exactly what she was doing... she was Googling everything and everyone I was mentioning.
What followed were her veiled questions, those calculated nonchalant questions to get more information to make her search easier. She thought she was being attentive and engaging, but I knew otherwise.
The next time we spoke, she ever so slightly geared the conversation back to our last conversation. She asked more pointed questions and this time she weaved in information she found on the internet, some of which was untrue.
I decided, in that brief moment, to have a little fun, to seek a little Internet revenge.
So... the little prick in me started mentioning “new details and new people” even though I was telling a big fat lie. What followed was that familiar sound again. Her stubby little poorly manicured fingers frantically tapping away trying to keep up with all the “new” information I was sharing at a fast pace.
Tee-hee... I did my best to conceal my giggling at her Googling...
Why couldn’t she just be happy for me, and let me enjoy the moment, the good news I wanted to share with her? Did it make her feel important being able to add her two-cents? Did she not think I did my due diligence and that I didn’t need or want to hear her lackluster research results?
I learned a huge lesson with this experience... to never give information out that I don’t want Googled.
In other words, I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut.
As for her, well... she’s been deleted.
Comments