Pieces of Crystallized Internet

[forsyth]

As pervasive as the Internet is, and as much I use it and have used it, it still doesn't feel quite real. It's just words on my computer screen most of the time, not, you know, actually real. So every so often when I come across a piece of the internet in real life, it's still kinda weird. Not because the things aren't cool or anything, it's just kinda like when I find out other people have actually heard of bands I like. I mean, obviously other people must like them, it's just somehow odd.

For example, Urban Dictionary has a book out. Of collected entries from it. It's a crystallized portion of the Internet, out of date already I'm sure. But I look at that and it's this paper and ink version of something that's just existed as photons and encoded magnetic stuff. And somehow, I find it kinda weird.

Or the Onion collections, though the Onion is a real fake newspaper anyway. And then there's a couple children's books I've seen based around ninjas, monkeys, robots, and/or pirates. Or books like The Pirates! in an Adventure With... Obviously, there's lots of writers on the Internet, and lots of people my age who've been exposed to all the same influences who're writing and doing things now. It's just somehow weird. Kinda like my private world of goofy weirdness is being trapped on pages and exposed to who knows what sorts of people.

Comments

[peterchayward.livejournal.com]

Do you ever have an argument with someone in real life over what happened over the internet?

I have, and it's weird. It doesn't feel like you're arguing over something real.

[forsythferret.livejournal.com]

No I haven't, but that's exactly what I was gettting at.