I love technology, but not as much as you, you see

Our masters supervisor Joe Matthews asked us not to use laptops in class for two reasons:

1) They don’t help you with retention of the lesson material nearly as much as physically writing things down;

2) It places a physical and mental barrier between you and the others in the room.

Also, they’re expensive.

I am becoming overwhelmed with some aspects of technology. For example, emails. Good grief! I get about 10 a day on my home account, and anywhere from 10-20 a day on my work computer. The advertising/spam is a pest, and the forwards are often a waste of my time.

Not to mention the emails I get from people who could have called me. Come on, call me! Let’s talk. Let’s get back to real interaction. Let’s talk more with our mouths, less with our fingers. (However, I do love getting emails from people who live a long distance away.)

Now a blog on the other hand is a fine, fine use of technology. Here is an opportunity to say those things you want everyone to hear, without having to repeat yourself. Here is a chance for you to catch up on me, and for me to catch up on you, without having to email, and without having to use paper.

Back to emails. These things bug me in emails I frequently get:

(1) >>>>>>>>>>>>Forwards that have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>about
>>>>>>>a gazillion of these moronic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>arrows.

(2) Threats: “If you don’t forward this to at least 10 people something bad is going to happen, bla, bla, bla, BLA, BLA BLA!!!!!!!

or

“Now that you’ve read this, you need to forward it to someone you care about or you don’t really love God.”

(3) Petitions: “Add your name to the bottom of the list and forward it if you think abortion is bad bla bla bla.”

(4) Begging: “Billy in Ohio is suffering from leukemia. Send him some money at this address, bla bla bla.”

(5) Promises: “If you send this to 25 people Microsoft will send you a check for $10,000. My friend did this and it works! bla bla bla”

(6) Advice I didn’t look for: “50 household uses for Coca Cola” ot “How to survive a winter storm while camping”

(7) And finally, I’m fed up with acquaintances who forward me sexual or obscene or profane stuff one week and then the next some spiritual, Gospel-based story. It’s hypocritical.