Logan Daily News

Net Watch

It's been several weeks since I last submitted a column. A phrase I first heard used in Wichita, Kansas just about sums it up for me; "I've been busier than a one armed paper hanger in a windstorm". It seems like anybody who is involved in webpage design or Internet marketing has way more work than they can possibly do. Now that the big Y2K fear is gone, everybody's getting serious about using the Internet for their business. The demand for good website designers has certainly exceeded the current supply. The ones that I know are putting in at least twelve hours a day with some more like sixteen to seventeen. This is taking serious tolls on families and a lot of break-ups have already occurred. Weren't computers supposed to make our lives easier and give us more time to spend with family, friends, and actually having a life? Okay, enough of my whining for the overworked web guys. Let's move on to something of broader interest.

Do you like politics? Do you hold a strong opinion one way or the other and would like to tell the world about it? I found a site that nearly became an addiction to me when I actually had time to do anything other than work (oops, whining again - sorry). Before you venture into one of these areas be forewarned. You need the hide of a rhino and an asbestos facemask might help as well. It's a great opportunity to talk with people of totally opposite viewpoints in a forum where they can feel free to tell you how utterly stupid you are to hold your viewpoint. Within the dictates of your own conscience, you can reply accordingly. Tempers and emotions can run extremely high. There have been times when I was so upset that my hands were shaking so bad I could hardly type in my response.

So what's the benefit, you might ask? Well, when you hang around with everybody that shares the same ideas or viewpoints, it's easy to accept things that might not necessarily be true. In other words, if there's nobody to test you, it's human nature to get pretty sloppy in your thinking. Friends or acquaintances that disagree with you might be too polite to tell you the error of your ways. The news and politics forums on the Internet are areas where you can be certain that your ideas will be challenged and where you can challenge others when you catch them in erroneous thought patterns. It will help you to become much sharper and much more focused in whatever stance you take. Okay, so are you ready to join the fray? Once again, this is where adults of all demeanors talk "freely", so language will get "colorful". Check out http://bbs.msnbc.com/bbs/msnbc-politics . This place was an absolute zoo when the "Predator in Chief", as many on the list sarcastically referred to President Clinton, was on trial for a few of his "indiscretions". He is typically a popular subject for many to chat about. Hillary is also a popular subject and one of her more sophomoric detractors put up a "Punch Hillary" website http://www.personalsingles.com/bubbaland/punchhillary.htm that drew so many hits that it nearly closed down the server.

For those of a sensitive constitution that require a more civil forum, go to http://forums.crosswalk.com and join in the News & Politics forum there. Even though it is a closely monitored site and moves much slower than the MSNBC site, it can still get pretty tense at times.

If you consider yourself to be a conservative and are certain you know all the ways to defend your stance, then check out the alt.fan.rush-limbaugh newsgroup. This is where those of a militant liberal mindset that haven't made it through Rush Limbaugh's screening process lurk. They are smart and have a serious attitude problem. Have fun.

Okay, the next paragraph is more for business owners with multiple employees. I heard a great idea from a southern Ohio businessman that makes a lot of sense. He wants to ensure that his employees are ready when the Internet is brought to their desks. Just learning the basics could eat up many productive hours of the employees' time on the job. To aide their workers in developing the skills that will be needed to perform Internet related job functions, they arranged no-interest loans for employees' home computers. They also plan to provide free Internet service as part of their Employee Benefits Package. It doesn't cost much when compared with other benefits, it makes the employees very happy, and it gives them a way to learn all the basics of Internet usage on their own time. They plan to use a local Internet Service Provider that gives really good technical support. Whenever the new users run into problems they will have local people that they can talk to. I'll betcha this guy's plan works pretty well.

Well, my space is about up, so thanks for reading. Remember to stop by and see my web site at www.bobgreen.com. Click on the Logan Daily logo to go to my most recent article. You can also see all of my past articles as well. All of the links mentioned in this write up are "hot" so just click on them to go to the sites that are talked about. Send me your comments, questions, and any neat sites you run across. Surf safe and I'll be back as time permits.