Clifford Stoll

As the networks evolve, so do my opinions toward them, and my divergent feelings bring out conflicting points of view. In advance, I apologize to those who expect a consistent position from me.

Here are my strong reservations about the wave of computer networks. They isolate us from one another and cheapen the meaning of actual experience. They work against literacy and creativity. They undercut our schools and libraries.

I sense an insatiable demand for connectivity. Maybe all these people have discovered important uses for the Internet. Perhaps some of them feel hungry for a community that our real neighborhoods don't deliver. At least a few must wonder what the big deal is.

Call me a troglodyte; I'd rather peruse those photos alongside my sweetheart, catch the newspaper on the way to work, and page thorough a real book.

No computer network with pretty graphics can ever replace the salespeople that make our society work.

A box of crayons and a big sheet of paper provides a more expressive medium for kids than computerized paint programs.

Electronic communication is an instantaneous and illusory contact that creates a sense of intimacy without the emotional investment that leads to close friendships.

Computers force us into creating with our minds and prevent us from making things with our hands. They dull the skills we use in everyday life.

I spend almost as much time figuring out what's wrong with my computer as I do actually using it.

Anyone can post messages to the net. Practically everyone does. The resulting cacophony drowns out serious discussion.

It's a great medium for trivia and hobbies, but not the place for reasoned, reflective judgment. Suprisingly often, discussions degenerate into acrimony, insults and flames.

The Internet has no such organization - files are made available at random locations. To search through this chaos, we need smart tools, programs that find resources for us.

Why is it drug addicts and computer afficionados are both called users?