Posts of the Week
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Personal Information and the Web jcos - 09:01pm Jun 25, 1997 PST (#1 of 5)
We are creating media which will interconnect humanity to an unprecedented extent and everyone talks about the triumph of the individual and how will we "protect" privacy. McLuhan's concept of the global village was more than an understanding of the connection of the planet. He meant our social relationships would also be those of the village, where nothing was private, everyone was known. You want privacy? It imploded with the developmen of electronic media. The real questions we need to be asking are about power and who has the ability to wield information in a detrimental fashion. Large aggregations of power, be they private or public, will become an increasing problem and the greatest threats to personal liberty. Freedom has never been what you can do behind closed doors. True freedom will be attained in the next century as it always has, with openness, respect, tolerance, and diversity. 12 Step Programs. Salvation? Social Club? Or Both? Gosta H. Lovgren - 07:40am Jun 26, 1997 PST (#42 of 51)
I have had some considerable experience in, aroound and involved in drinking. It was a significant factor in my environment in childhood and early adulthood. Am a very potential alcholic myself and was a heavy episodic drinker as a single man ("One is too many and 1,000 aren't enough"). Knew/know plenty winos, alcoholics, heavy/light drinkers. Always puzzled me why (including myself though I really enjoyed it and the fellowship and the fun). It wasn't until I was in the dentist's office I realized why many people drink (though not myself). I believe it's because drinking puts them in control. You can have a lousy life, a lousy job, everyone tells you what to do, feel as though you have very little control over your life. You can't seem to get ahead, everybody else giving orders, advice, no one listening to you, everybody else in control, not you. But when you drink, YOU are in control . "You might be able to tell me what to do all day, but goddammit if I want a drink on my way home and on my own time, I'm gonna have it." Not for everybody maybe, but for many I think. Friends from Work Tony Quiroz - 11:49am Jun 25, 1997 PST (#10 of 21)
It's interesting the way we allow work to shape our relationships. I understand the concerns regarding friendships in the workplace, and have dealt with the "problems" first hand. The breakdown seems to occur when protocol gets bypassed by one or the other, which should not be the case. In my case, it was relatively easy to iron out these problems, but I can see where others might want to avoid this entirely by simply not making friends of co-workers. I actually met my live-in girlfriend on the job. How about dating fellow employees? That can certainly be a questionable move. I generally considered this to be a major "no no," but decided that it had been so long since I'd met someone I genuinely liked, that in this case I wouldn't let work make my decisions for me. But then, I also left the company within a few months of this, and was aware at that time that I'd probably be doing this. If my plans were to stay there, I might have acted differently. And, I might still be single. Very interesting the way we let work shape our relationships. . |
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