ELIZABETH CONFRONTS THE AUTHORS’ ENEMY

Ah, the internet. Gotta love it.

Or hate it.

But I can’t ignore it.

Like the ringing of a telephone, the doorbell, the stove timer, the internet demands attention. Unlike the telephone, doorbell, timer, the ‘net doesn’t have just one task for you and then it goes away.

The internet is endless. A black hole. A great sucking swamp.

A feast for researchers and other idlers.

I once Googled parasitic wasps (don’t ask) and ended up three hours later reading about lost textiles of China’s Silk Road.

Or was it three days later…?

The internet siren sings and I’m lured to click, marvel, click, gasp, click, read, click, print, click, click, click click clickclickclickclickclick. Storms of fact and fancies, opinions and wishes, beliefs and polemics, articles and photos. A whirling deluge of colors and voices and insights until

my brain explodes

Then I look at the clock and realize the ‘net has sucked up hours I’ll never get back.

I take a shower to clear my head.

Vow never again.

Well, maybe once. Just this once. It’s a good cause, right? Research is necessary.

Click.

Click.

CLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICK


What did you once do with the hours you now spend on the internet?