What is the internet for, if you're speaking to a newbie

[Phlegmak]

So, you're speaking to someone who doesn't use the internet, and doesn't know much about it. He asks you what is the internet for? What's your answer?

So, my answer is:

• Social networking for interests of yours, like tattoos or video games
• Email
• The world wide web is something like an encyclopedia for a variety of subjects, such as geography or history
• News such as CNN or BBC
• Listening to radio shows
• Recipes (the old answer to this question)
• Free pornography
• Download free software (this is big)
  • Game demos
  • Freeware games
  • Operating systems
  • Office type software, such as OpenOffice
  • Sound editors and music editors for musicians
  • Computer programming utilities
  • And a vast plethora of utilities for every imaginable thing you can do with a computer.
• Instructions for certain things, such as playing an instrument. I guess that can go under "world wide web".
• Telephone calls over IP
• You can use the internet like a phone book (I haven't used a paper phone book in over 7 years)
• You can check which movies are playing at your local theater without having to call them. In fact, many phone calls for information are no longer necessary when you can look up information like the hours a place is open on the internet
• Entertainment, on good ol' fashion humor sites

If you think the internet is only for pornography, you're dumb. I'm saying this to help prevent some idiot from posting that goddamn song, "The Internet is for Porn!"

So as you can see, the internet is for many things. Usually I have to tell this to old people. When I do so, I do not mention "Free pornography" as one of the things the internet is for.

 

[The Yankee]

A chance to see perspectives outside those of your hometown (no matter how multicultural and expansive your place is, even NYC would have limitations on such information and views).

What you do with such information and how you filter it is, of course, up to the discretion of the viewer. That can be good or bad, but it is what it is.

 

[Shadylookin]

the internet is for pornography

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yeah, the internet is mostly for porn. But not completely.

If you are explaining it to the elderly, tell them about up-to-the-minute news and lots of websites with pictures of cats in "amusing" poses.

Or send them here and see if they can handle it.

 

[The Yankee]

The internet is lolcat domain.

But for newbies, there is the information angle that's probably paramount. But it can also function as a means of entertainment and communication. Whether it's with that 16/F/CA FBI agent or with their family, it's all there.

 

[Phlegmak]

the internet is for pornography

Actually, it's not.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

I'd say the Internet is for information, pure and simple.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I'd say the Internet is for information, pure and simple.

Pretty much agree. It's an easy, free way to distribute information and comunicate. Whether or not that actually occurs is debatable.

 

[MobBoss]

I'd say the Internet is for information, pure and simple.

I heartily endorse this thought.

 

[West 36]

I'd say the Internet is for information, pure and simple.

agreed. and forums for cool people like us. and porn.

 

[robo-snickers]

if its a girl thats new on the internet, you know what you can get

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

The internet is for attempting to show moronic right wingers just how stupid they and their positions really are, and then realizing that they are mentally incapable of rising above their partisan hack tendencies or grasping reality.

Moderator Action: Warned for trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[The Yankee]

if its a girl thats new on the internet, you know what you can get

Chris Hansen at your doorstep?

 

[Shadylookin]

Actually, it's not.

searching "the internet is for" in google returns 421,000 results
searching for "the internet is for porn" returns 289,000 results

if we base this on a democratic system 69% of the vote goes to the internet is for porn and the remaining votes are scattered about among various other candidates.

If we also examine the fact that porn won 69% of the votes the irony should be enough to bring down a large mammal.

 

[robo-snickers]

Chris Hansen at your doorstep?

i said girl

 

[Japanrocks12]

never send to know for what the internet is for; it is for thee.

 

[downtown]

hahaha, that internet is for porn song is actually really funny.

 

[EconomistBR]

I'd say the Internet is for information, pure and simple.

For information and for porn.

 

[Shylock]

What is the internet for, if you're speaking to a newbie

Good God y'all!

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

Just kidding. Seriously if it wasn't for the internet I would have like no friends at all. I have a friend over the internet and we've taked to each other almost everyday for the past 3 years, my real life best friend hasn't said a word to me since late June. My Myspace presence helped break the ice with my current girlfriend (who seems to have gone about rebuilding the ice, but that's another story) because she saw me on her best friend's page and knew that I wasn't a total creep.

Ah internets, what would I do without you?

 

[The Yankee]

I'll say this much, it has given me the opportunity to explore more about politics and talk about it. But that goes back to the information and communication angles.