In my last column, I talked about the frustrations of online communication, and the ambivalent feelings I had about the online experience. This month, I'd like to get into a bit more detail about newsgroups, email and "web surfing." Umm..sans poem. ::grin:: that particular muse eluded me this month.

Not so long ago, the "net" was a lot more complicated to access, requiring a rudimentary knowledge of server languages (UNIX in particular) or at the very least, an understanding of how to set up various email, news, and browser packages. Setting up your own access was a lesson in networking, protocols and addresses. Because of this, only those folks willing to struggle to learn the ropes actually made it online. There was a degree of respect that came with actually accessing successfully, and because of this, users were prone to jealously self-policing newsgroups and email. "Netiquette" was established, and "newbies" were either quickly indoctrinated and used the proper procedures or found themselves "flamed."

This changed with the advent of better technical support, more transparent and user friendly programs, and of course, services with their own interfaces, like AOL. The sheer volume of new users arriving in the past three years has made it impossible to isolate and reprimand the "net abusers." With the arrival of free email and web space, spamming programs, punting programs, and hundreds of other disruptive and annoying utilities, keeping the net environment constructive is a thing of the past.

Services like AOL, who established a "guide" system to help monitor chat rooms and eliminate the deliberate annoyers, are kept busy day and night answering calls for help from people who would just like a chance to communicate effectively. The numbers of people willing to pay for a service, just to vent their personal anger or to gain pitiful attention by being obnoxious online, are growing exponentially. Personally, I think the addition of an "ignore" option in the AOL chatrooms was brilliant. Now, if someone could only come up with an "ad ignore" for the internet...or a "spam ignore" for your mailbox.

Attempts have been made at mail filters, but most are easily circumvented. As fast as you can type "Don't let any mail with XXX go into my box," someone is sending you a letter with the innocuous subject line "Hi!" and which contains the latest teen porn URL. I'm always baffled by this kind of tactic. Isn't it the purpose of advertisers to identify users and establish a market group, and then mail to only those who are truly interested? If so, does it make sense that you would have to hide your advertisement headline in order to get someone to read it? A few years ago, a simple letter to the sender's Internet company would be enough to earn them a reprimand or cancellation of service. With the advent of anonymous mailers even that recourse has been made worthless. A users only choice is to delete, delete, delete...and even that can backfire on you. A few times, I've deleted mail because I didn't recognize the sender, only to find out that a friend had changed their address, or someone was sending me a poem or letter I really wanted to read.

Then there are banners. Few things aggravate me more than searching desperately for information, only to have to wade through a hundred banners and self-serving "click-me" icons. Not to mention the sites like "geocities.com" that pop up a new ad page in Netscape each time you hit one of their sites or use the "Back" key. I don't know about anyone else, but I know I'm not tempted to try products after having an annoying obstacle put in my path. On the contrary, I've learned to avoid "geocity" sites like the plague and will most often purposely leave a page without accessing the rest of the site when I find a plethora of banners.

The exception, of course, is when I actually go looking for a product, or for a sale item on the net. In those cases, I'm aware that I am entering the "marketing zone." I can even tolerate banners when they make some kind of sense. For example, a poetry site might have a banner for a self-publishing firm. At least it relates. On the other hand, a game page with porn banners or any site with one of those random banner utilities is earmarked for "no return." My feeling is that if I don't click and go, then perhaps I will contribute in some small way to their demise. I often wonder if they really work. Does someone actually go to a site looking for information on their favorite game and get diverted to the latest personal ads page or the hottest new travel options online? Personally, if I need either, I'll find the page on my own...when I need it...provided it isn't hidden behind two tons of unrelated hype.

And how about the newsgroups? I used to download from the clip art groups regularly...until I began to find copyrighted fantasy art and nude - and worse - pics included in my auto-downloads. There are appropriate newsgroups listed for the above, but with the latest spamming utilities in hand, why bother to read? Just hit "all" and send away...yeesh. I've given up newsgroups entirely.

Add to all of the above the lack of any standard for web pages. Is anyone else tired of pages they can't access, elitist "I'm using the latest technology, tough luck if you're not" pages, or javascript error bombs? Add the endless newsgroup spamming, the ubiquitous joke/chain letter/latest stupid virus scare mailing lists and the unwanted and sometimes dangerous attachments from strangers, and it's a wonder I find any reason at all to go online.

But where else would I find those rare and wonderful kindred spirits scattered all over the world...that wonderful nugget of information that solves a thorny problem I've had for weeks, or someone intelligent to talk to on those nights when sleep eludes me? What library is so full of knowledge and so handy to use? What other medium allows the user so much control over what they actually access? How else would I find all the incredible new art and ideas and thoughts that fuel my own creative engine? Isn't the good worth all of the bad, and more?

Therein lies the ambivalence...and between you and I, I don't expect I'll be signing off for good anytime soon. Of course, one can always hope for a change for the better, eh?

(Copyright 1998 by Denise Ruiz - No reproduction without express permission from the author)

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