Low Self Esteem Issue 15: Computer Addicts
Computer Addicts
Written By: Parker Lewis
Jul. 7th, 1997
LSE NEWS
First Of All, I'd Like To Say That You Can Find Issues Of Low Self Esteem On The Following FTP Site: FTP://FTP.EText.Org/pub/Zines/LowSelfEsteem, Thanks To The Operators Of The EText Archives For Giving This T-File Collection A Home. You May Also Request An Issue By Writing EMail To Me At The Following Address: PARKER_LEWIS@HOTMAIL.COM, You May Send Me Mail Concerning Comments, Flames, Or If You Want To Write Something For Low Self Esteem.
ARTICLE INFO
I've decided to go back to my old alias (Parker Lewis), Aphex Twin is too cool of a name for me to use. Ok about this release, a couple of weeks ago a guy here in S. Miguel wrote two articles about "Computer Addicts" (as he calls it). The guy's name is Serial Link, me and Serial go back a couple of years, we were once friends, but now we're foes, maybe I'll write some more about him in some other article, theres alot to say about him. His original articles are included in this archive, have a look at them and have a few laughs (I sure did), I must warn you though, don't read them before a grammar or spelling test, cause after you finish reading the articles your brain will be a complete mess, I think that after reading his article your IQ will drop, after I read both articles I couldn't write or talk correctly, I'm warning you now, SERIAL LINK'S ARTICLES MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY STUPIDITY.
Anyways, I'm writing this article as a reply to Serial Link's articles. Serial Link's articles were negative, he made it sound like being a computer enthusiast was something bad, well in this article, I'll be writing about the positive sides to being a "computer addict". Mixed in this article will also be some rants on life, society and whatever other shit passes though my head. I'll be quoting some of Serial Link's original text, to do this, I'll use '>>' to represent text which was quoted. All the text quoted will be written as it is found on Serial Link's articles without any modifications or corrections.
THE ARTICLE
So why isn't being a "computer addict" bad? Well, in my opinion being on your computer is a good way to disconnect yourself from the rest of the world, much like watching TV, going to the movies or reading a book. It helps you to keep your sanity, let's face it, we live in a truly confusing society, full of worries, confusion, madness, this is the "real world", the world Serial Link says we should never forget, in the "real world" you are a nobody, along with millions of other nobodies who want to be somebodies, in the "Real World" you have no control, society tries to turn you into what they want you to be, teaching you only what they want you to know, not letting you be yourself and explore your own path, everything is planned for you. Not following society's path will get you labeled as an outcast, and society will do everything possible to disvalue your way of living outside society, and try to bring you back into it's control. Getting back on topic, in the computer realm you can escape this monsterous society by entering into a new sub-society, a society where you follow your own path and do what you want, the computer realm is much like reading a book, once you really get into it, you can totally disconnect yourself from reality and enter into a fantasy world, a world where you are truly comfortable in, and where your talents show their true potentials. Computers are the gateway to this other world, computers will relieve the stress of everyday life, give you something to occupy your time, give you something to look forward to after a long day, computers bring you enjoyment, computers allow you to express your talents, etc...
Other computer addicted probably are called Phreaks because they pass alot time in computer making anything useful for them and probably computer for they are the same that a girlfriend.
and
If your computer is your best friend, you are now a phreak guy and you now forgot the real world and for you see again the real things in the world live you need anybody which are more friend than your computer is.
No, I don't think thats true. A person using a computer as a human substitute? I just quite don't see it, computers don't have a body or emotions, they are unable to communicate with you through language, they do not possess the ability to think as a living, and conscience being, and they are incapable of reasoning, these and other factors distinguish man from machine. As for someone thinking of their computer as their girlfriend, they would have to be one sick puppy.
I'm writing because i had a friend called SpEEd PhReak and this guy is the most phreak computer i saw in all of my live
For the people that don't know, he's talking about me, my old alias used to be Speed Phreak
because he was born in Canada, and now lives in S.Miguel AZoReS -Portugal- in small village called Arrifes
Arrifes, S. Miguel, Azores, Portugal, geez why don't you just give them my address and phone number while your at it...
and he dont having alot friends and he talked more people in BBS than in School!
Thanks alot for making me look like some kind of loser, does it really matter if I talk to more people over the computer than in person, people are people, it doesn't matter in which form you communicate with them. Talking to people over a computer does have it's advantages though, in real life, people tend to sometimes disvalue what your saying do to your physical presentation, on a computer, they got nothing else to judge you on except by what you say, and not by how you look.
he pass 3 or 4 years of his live inside a small hall in front of computer,
WHAT!!! I AM INSULTED!!! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!!! I spent much more time then that in front of my computer :)
coding, cracking and making somethings that he likes but he never tell people that he are a really computer addicted or a real Phreak!
I never denied not being a computer "addict", nor did I say anything that contradicts this. Computers are a part of me, I've learned alot from them and they've become a part of my live, to abandon them would be a great loss to everything that I've worked for all these years, although I'd still be able to keep on living, I'd just be a little confused until I could find something else to orient my life by. Does that make me a so called "computer addict"?
=- Cultivate New Mind!? -=
Woah... "Cultivate New Mind!?" Serial is going all philosophical now... get down... :)
When, i organize the Atlantic Scene'96 (1st Party in Portugal -AzOrEs-) my girlfriend went one or two times in 4 days!!
Since when does a weekend have 4 days?
One day i was sick with a big problem and that problem isnt a simple headache or a cold but a very danger of state of exhaustion!!! You know what is it?
I know it well, some times I do get in these states of exhaustion and restlessness when I'm on the computer for too long. When I get this way, I do something else, read a book, watch tv or whatever, within an hour, the problem passes. Sometimes when I get in these states, I do think about giving computers up, and I do so for a couple of days, after which I seek my comfort and refuge back in my computer realm.
never forget the real world like me because if you forget it you are in bad way as nobody knows you exist and you never can prove you are anything
I'd much rather forget the real world, even though it's impossible. Even if you try your hardest to make it in the real world, you are still seen as nothing by the majority of people, drop off the face of the earth, and most of the people won't even give a second thought about you, your loss is their gain, their mentality: "One less person trying to get my share". Human survival has become no different then animal survival, humans are dependent on money to survive, animals depend on agility and strenght, for animals, it's survival of the strongest, for humans, it's survival of the greediest.
Everyone wants to be better then everyone else, they fight to be recognised as superior, so that they can feel good knowing that they're better then others, thus raising their status in the hierarquial (sp?) society. I'd much rather sit at my computer put my ego aside, and just not worry about such things.
If your really into computers then there is nothing to feel bad about, it's something that you like to do and you shouldn't let people try to change you, if people start talking to you about the "real world" then tell just them "fuck you and fuck your real world", thats what I would do :) It's impossible to totally escape from reality, without the "real world" there would be no base of comparison, for example, let's suppose that in real life you always feel like shit, in your own world you feel good, without feeling like shit, you wouldn't know what feeling good is like, one can never experience for example happiness without experiencing sadness, if you never experienced anything other then what is good, you wouldn't get as much enjoyment out of it as you do when you have something to compare it to, it's all about comparison and balance.
Well, the article is done, it didn't come out the way I wanted to but then again, I'm never satisfied, aww well... In the article, I write something, then later on I probably write something that contradicts what I said earlier, thats the way I am, my head is a fucken mess, this is a by product of what society has done to me, so much fucken confusion...
Before I go, I'd like to thank Sarah for inspiring me to keep LSE alive, I'd also like to thank my dog Spike (my best and only true friend in this world), and finally I'd like to thank society for being so shitty and giving me something to write about.
Future topics for LSE: music, drugs, my adventures in the "real world", love and of course more spontaneous cryptic rantings.
blah.... that's it, now get outta here, and leave me alone.... :)
-- Parker Lewis
