trenchant.org - daily

So I gave up my mostly self-imposed internet ban because I found out this morning that I can't get a cable modem until the spring, because of ancient underground cables. Again, the telecommunications industry screws me over.

I am using a dial-up connection. With a modem. I feel like I was living in a crazy future with super-fast wireless networking and then I woke up from my crazy future dream and the future is definitely not now and instead I'm trying to remember my morse code for the telegraph.

I signed on to AIM for the first time in weeks, and within ten minutes had the following lovely conversation:

LM: ok so who r u?

adammathes: i'm adam

adammathes: adam mathes

LM: i come back from being in Paris for 3 months and I get online to check my mail

LM: and your name is on my buddy list

adammathes: i have no idea how that happened

LM: i dont think i go to college with u

adammathes: i graduated from stanford last june

LM: ok yeah i go to harvard nevermind

I would assume this is probably some friend of a friend, although I can't think of anybody I know in Paris or at Harvard, and by friend I more likely mean passing acquaintance. But when did it become acceptable to start conversations like that? When did everybody decide that 'y' and 'o' were optional letters in 'you?' Besides, wouldn't a quick look at my buddy info, with convenient link to adammathes.com give more of an answer to the "who are you" question than anybody wants to know? And why does this person sound so accusatory?

Although I can't be too upset, because I actually laughed at the last line, and humor value trumps everything.

— February 4, 2003

« older  ·  newer »