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Chris Jonsson Special to the Ebbtide There I was, sitting at my computer trying to type out another article for class when I heard a popping sound coming from behind me. I turned to see what the cause of this could be and saw Benjamin Franklin himself sitting on my couch looking a bit bewildered. "Hello," I said to him. I was sitting before one of our founding fathers and all I could think to say was hello. He responded with a nod and stood to come closer, putting on his spectacles as he did so. "What is that box that sits before you? Why does it glow?" he asked. I turned my attention back to my computer and scanned the blank document I had been looking at for the past hour. I responded by telling him that it is a computer and I went through a quick demonstration of some things that a computer can do. I did see him smiling wistfully at my printer, probably thinking, where were you when I needed you the most? I showed him some of the many other marvelous things that this "labor saving" device could do. Bookkeeping on Excel got a polite smile, but when I showed him e-mail and explained to him the workings of the system he sat up and paid very close attention. He nearly fell out of his chair when, in just three and a half minutes, I sent myself an email from one account to another on a completely different server. I complained to him that while e-mail was quick, it is almost too quick. In a work environment everyone sends every thought to every one else, just because it is so easy. Despite my grumbling, he assured me that e-mail would make a revolution 10 times easier to plan. After our wonderful experiment with e-mail I showed him the Internet. With a wry smile, I took him to my favorite Internet site: Blackboard.com. I showed him the classes I was taking on-line. As much as he liked looking at my class site he wanted to know about the general interests of today. So began our Internet surfing. He would ask me a question and I would in turn type key search words into Google* in order to find the answer. A dozen cups of coffee, of which he had more than I did, and eight hours later, he removed his spectacles once more, rubbed his nose, leaned back in the chair and sighed. In our attempt to answer his questions, we looked at everything from transcripts of congressional sessions, to the Britney Spears home page. So what did Benjamin Franklin have to say about the Internet? "It's vulgar. It seems there is no shame for some of these people. What manner of corruption is this? There is no truth, nor scruples, nor moral guide to any of these things. How can one know whom he is talking to or even if what they see is true. There are things in here that God did not intend for public viewing." Unfortunately, I had asked him his opinion right after we stumbled across a porn site. After his blood pressure returned to normal and his complexion returned a more healthy color I asked him again. "Ahem. Given the varied nature of the Internet, I would strongly limit its usage, allowing only those who are possessed of a higher moral character to peruse its content. One must be able to withstand the surprises that might be faced at any given moment." © 2002 Shoreline Community College™ |