We'd like to give a warm welcome to our new "Digital Lifestyle Editor", Sharon Kour. Check out her first article below...

"The socially inept are getting a new lease on life, albeit a virtual one. The Internet, once the domain of hackers, crackers, and the like, has, for a while now, been attracting the “other” type. Social butterflies can hang up their cocktail dresses, because the new cocktail room is now the Internet."

Direct Link:
http://www.futurelooks.com/display.asp?i=90&p=1

The article was an interesting read...hadn't really thought of that stuff before. What would have made the article more interesting if Sharon shared her point-of-view or added something to the article for more of a personal touch! :)

I did read over the article a couple of times because I didn't have a clear idea of what the article was saying, at first. In the end, I treated it as an essay that did not have concrete facts.

I think the Internet has not helped people improve people skills (not to mention language skills). It's too easy to hide behind a computer and make yourself out to be a person that you're not. But yes, having a way for people to interact with others in another medium has opened the door for closer (personal) relationships despite geographical boundaries.

Here's some more feedback from one of our readers:

"Hey there!
I read your "Cyber Lovin' : Gender Relations in Post Internet Relationships " article and liked it very much. I actually got to it via a link from www.overclockers.com and expected a computer hardware review and thought cool! Finally a girl writing about hardware! :) The thing is that the description of the disocialisation phenomena you´re talking about isn´t new at all.

I do think that you are right about the current state of things. Having a personality behind a witty nickname is much easier than being that person, and although i would never like to live in a place where meeting online is synonymous with "getting together" or dating, i must admit, conversations do flow easier over the keyboard.

Bottom line: I think that most guys (that are into computers) are just to preocupied with the technology to see past the computer screen and that mostly girls are the ones that are raising their voices about what it does to ones social life. I concluded that from reading a few other articles with a theme similar to the one you wrote and they were all written by women. (I do know that chatting is equally popular betwen both sexes)

I prefer taking my dates to the cinema or the restaurang or some other nice place, and I like to actually be with my family when i see them, those things will never change. So instead of presenting the facts how do we go about and make people meet face to face instead of in the chatrooms? I think that most things go in waves. What is popular today, is not popular tomorrow (just look at bell-bottoms :) ) Although i do think that it will get much worse before it gets any better. But then again, it is getting a bit crowdy on this little blue ball, maybe internet really is THE contraceptive for the modern world?

P.S. i apollogise for any misspellings and bad grammar, english is not my first language."

i read the article too, thought the way it was written was really good. though, i would have to agree with amanda in that it doesnt seem to be very clear...i did read it twice, personal points are a great way to add a clear statement... anyhoo, i like the concept, and idea alot...

i sent this link to firewire and he suggested i post it here for everyone to read as well as for sharon...maybe another article can come of it...

http://asia.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml;jsessionid=G2UN1TKYPMU5MCRBAE0C FEYKEEATGIWD?type=topnews&StoryID=645063

But remember editorials don't always list facts..

Originally posted by Splitfyre
But remember editorials don't always list facts..

That's correct, but articles are supposed to contain facts. And "Gender Relations..." is listed as an article!

Hellooo boys and girls.

First of all, thanks for the critiques, I really appreciate the input. :)

It's great to write for you guys, so feel free to tell me what you want to read about. Suggest to me what you think would be interesting. In any case, I look forward to hearing from more of you.

Sharon

I tweaked the categories and created a new one for Editorials.

Sorry...

Originally posted by RosieTulips


That's correct, but articles are supposed to contain facts. And "Gender Relations..." is listed as an article!