by Edward Raymond

Created on: February 09, 2007   Last Updated: September 04, 2011

From search engines to blogs and review sites, we are inundated with a cornucopia of facts about those areas of life that we love and even a few we don't. Social networking sites that allow us to find others who share our interests and share opinions are gaining popularity.

I watch my teen daughter go from MySpace to AIM and back with the excuse of homework and see logs of searches for bands, lyrics, and videos to boot. When questioned directly and summarily sanctioned for excessive use, I have observed classic symptoms of withdrawal. She will substitute AIM by monopolizing the house phone as well as using her cell phone. She will become slightly irrational as her irritability grows.

For me, it is web comics, newsgroups, Helium, and open source sites. I cannot get enough of the antics in my favorite comics. There is always a new topic to read in my preferred newsgroups and bulletin boards as well as questions to be answered. Helium poses an even more insidious draw for me, as there are forums and a multitude of topics on which to write, rate, and read. Some entries are trash I'll admit, but look around and you will find humor, sage advice, and other true gems. Open source sites can keep me busy for months as I pile through reviews of new releases and dream of what can be accomplished with interaction between the various offerings of software. If the net is my cornucopia, open source is my open bar! It is, however, only easily found and downloaded from the internet.

So, I tip my hat to Al Gore and the others who started it all with ArpaNet and shake my head in exasperation that a twelve step for this addiction has not been founded yet. Perhaps someday, but 'til then, I've more free beer to sample and too much community cheer to enjoy.

Good luck and good tidings, merry internet to all!

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