Have you ever thought about if the Internet makes you life easier or more complicated? I have and I still can’t make up my mind if it is worth all the trouble that it has caused me. My debate starts with an ex-girlfriend. She would still be around if she hadn’t found that folder on my computer named “smut”. The contents of this folder were atrocious in the eyes of most people, however I like the shock value of it all, and guess what, it all came from the Internet. (I shouldn’t forget that 4 gigs of smut is a bit excessive) Then again I would have never met her if it weren’t for the Internet, I found her by looking for help with my Spanish, she was posted on our university’s web site as someone looking for a study buddy. I guess in a social way the Internet hasn’t affected me in a positive or negative way. So far we will call it a tie.

Next is my job, well the Internet didn’t help me get that. I don’t know if this is good or bad. Primarily I don’t make as much as my friends who found or were found through the Internet. Also I am forced to work weekends and I have a few other problems that I wont go into detail just in case my boss reads this. On the other side my job has, zero stress, out our front window is one of the best views in the state of Texas, and I work with a hottie that has no equal. I have also made great friends with all my co-workers. All my friends that posted résumés on the web have landed great jobs, well let me rephrase that, they make more money, have more stress, and work with nothing but guys that are stabbing each other in the back to get ahead. Given these circumstances I would say the Internet did not help me here. However without the Internet my job would be impossible. Everyday I use it to download whatever drivers, software or information I need. Once again we will call it a tie.

Just when I start to think that I am not affected in either direction I think about recreational use: gaming, e-mail, and just plain surfing. I know some would say e-mail is not recreational but how else do you classify sending notes back and forth across the planet. I might never win any online games but they are always fun and I have never met anyone who does not enjoy surfing. I hate to think my experience with the net is decided by my frivolous use, but it does break the tie. Looks like the web has been good to me after all.