The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 07, 2000, Page 4, Image 4
Quote, Unquote
‘The construction of Greek housing will bring a
^ whole new facet to Greek life at USC.”
Edward Bender, Fraternity Council president
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page 4 l^C 03111 CCOCk Wednesday, June 7,2000
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Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08
Editorial Board
Miranda LaLonde • Editor in Chief
Ann Marie Miani • Managing Editor
Pete Johnson • Viewpoints Editor
John Huiett • News Editor
Mom always said not
to chat with strangers
ith technology readily available to them, some students have come to re
ly on the Internet to keep in touch with loved ones near and far. Many
students with extra time on their hands even take the liberty to enter chat
rooms with strangers. These chat rooms provide a break from the world around
them and allow people to make friends that they would not otherwise interact
with.
Many Internet surfers use their chat room time as a means of channeling the
person that they wish to be. Usually, this goes well beyond little white lies like
perfecting those measurements that you’re self-conscious about or becoming
Mr. or Mrs. Popularity.
While Internet chat rooms provide a wonderful forum for the imaginative
and the quick-witted, many of those “normal” people you are chatting with are
not quite so normal, in reality. There are plenty of sick, twisted people behind that
technological facade.
For example, a Kansas man was arrested this week after the bodies of two
women whom he met in a sadomasochistic chat room were discovered on his prop
erty in La Cynge, Kan. Three more bodies were found in 55-gallon drums in a stor
age locker he was renting 30 miles away in Raymore, Mo.
An autopsy on one of the women showed massive head trauma. Autopsies on
the other victims are expected to show similar results. The man, John Edward
Robinson, 56, met each of the victims while chatting online and arranged to
meet them for sex. Granted, it is not too smart to arrange to meet your Internet
friends in the first place. It is even dumber to agree to meet them for sex.
To think that all of the people you talk to in chat rooms are decent people is
absurd. Of course, not all the people you meet in chat rooms are sadomasochistic
murderers, but you can never be too careful. Just remember, the next time a stranger
sends you an Instant Message, they might not be as innocent as they seem.
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and spring semesters and nine tvnes during the summer with the exception
ot university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed n The
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The Gamecock
Miranda LaLonde Jeff Romig
Editor in Chief Sports Editor
Ann Marie Miani Jacquelyn Poston
Managing Edita Copy Desk Chief
Features Edita Photo Edita
John Huiett Sean Rayford
News Edita Photo Edita
Pete Johnson Will Gillaspy
Viewpoints Edita Online Edita
Student Media
Ellen Parsons Jonathan Dunagin
Directa Graduate Assistant
Susan King Todd Hooks
Creative Directa Creative Services
Kenton Watt Brantley Roper
Advertising Manager Gina Me KeIvey
Carolyn Griffin Robyn Gombar
Business Manager Melissa Miilen
Sheny Holmes Advertising Staff
Classified Manager
Erik Collins
Faculty Adviser
Social Issues
Reach out and touch someone
Okay,
when
did this
happen? When
did we become
so dependent
on technology?
I ask because 1
really want to
know when 1
became so de
pendent on
technology.
Well, let’s
start at the be
ginning; ten
years ago, my
family didn’t
Ann Mane Naaru
is a journalism
junior and man
aging editor. She
can be reached
at gamecockview
points®botmaii.
com
even own an
answering machine. Now, there are 10
ways to get in touch with me: home
phone, work phone, cell phone, voice
mail, AOL Instant Messenger and four
e-mail accounts.
I came to this realization when I
was at the Alltel store Tuesday morn
ing upgrading my cell phone. Yes, I too
fell into the cell-phone trap. When I
bought it, I said it was for emergencies
only.
Yeah, right. You always say that in
the beginning. Then after a while the
cell phone is practically attached to
your ear 24 hours a day.
This happened to me after only
eight months. I have upgraded to not
only a better plan where I have a larg
er coverage area, but I now have call
waiting, caller ID, call forwarding,
three-way calling and call diversion. I
don’t even know what call diversion
is, but I have it. I’m sure that I can’t
live without it.
So now I have all of these features
that I never thought I’d have, but now
can’t seem to live without. I have no
idea what I would do if it couldn’t call
the editor in chief of The Gamecock
on my way back from Whl-Mart to see
if she wanted to go get an ice-cream
cone. Or if the Viewpoints editor could
n’t get in touch with me because he
was feeling productive.
When I do talk on the phone in my
car, all I can think about is my father,
who loathes cell phones in general,
yelling curses at the drivers “yapping
on their phones.”
All right, off the cell phone kick,
let’s talk about computers! I have al
ways said that computers would be the
downfall of society, and Y2K almost
proved me right. But I am addicted
to them none the less.
As I sit at this computer, I realize
something else - 15 years ago I would
probably have used a pen and paper or
a typewriter to write this column in
stead of Microsoft Word on an iMAC
G-4.
I find it hard to remember the
last time I wrote anything of impor
tance (besides entries in my journal)
with a pen. All of my papers for school
and articles for The Gamecock have
been written on computers.
I seem to have a real problem think
ing unless I have a keyboard in front
of me and am staring at a blinking cur
sor. I know. Some of you out there can
understand. Come on, you can admit
it.
The advances in communications
have been beneficial, especially to a
college student. E-mail and AOL In
stant Messenger have made it is pos
sible for students to keep in touch with
friends on campus or across the coun
try. E-mail is a great advance; how
ever, for those who don’t have a com
puter, they might feel as if they are
stuck in a time warp.
I honestly foigot how we used to
communicate before the Internet and
e-mail. Write a letter with a pen and
paper... how ‘80s is that?
So the next time your cell phone
rings or you are checking your e-mail,
stop and think... could 1 ever live with
out this? The answer would probably
be no, but just think about it anyway.
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