Class wrap-up

      I think the best skill I have attained from my participation in this class is a inquisitive nature about my interactions online. When I first became acquainted with the internet I was not at all prepared for how my personality would be affected by the inhuman quality of online conversation. I allowed myself to be more rude and cantankerous than I would ever be in-person, and I was even somewhat judgmental before I started taking rhetoric courses. This class has especially educated me in the proper and educational means to converse online, and I feel less regret about the things I post now.

     The inclination to utilize technology for my education has also been heightened by my new appreciation for the growth in knowledge that the internet has sparked. A sense of community, however, still is riddled with complications. I feel that people are less capable of developing interpersonal relationships or getting to know each other from online conversation. I think humans need more from dialogue than the internet can provide, but things like Skype that give facial expression is a good step in the right direction.

     Sometimes I wish I could escape the internet, and I have in many ways by moving into a large community house (co-op). I enjoy the ability to seek conversation from other people, next door, rather than looking for it online. There is something so enjoyable about interacting with people that do not necessarily agree with my opinion, and being able to hash it out in-person, among others.

Leaving OkCupid

      It is refreshing to be done with my Cybersubculture project because I didn't like being so integrated into a community I didn't believe in. I also felt as if I was deceiving people and felt like a voyeur taking advantage of their community. In summary, I really enjoyed the capacity for online dating to introduce me to people I would never otherwise encounter, but disliked the comprehensive nature of creating a profile. I felt as if the profile was too much, and the website demands too much interaction which does not actually contribute to a good understanding of who that person is. 

     Now, however, I do not feel it is intentional that people misrepresent their identity. In fact, I think most members are genuinely motivated by the desire to find a mate, and misrepresenting oneself does not foster a good relationship. I think most people know that too. I do worry about predatory members that manipulate the website and people desperate for affection to seek unwholesome things like cheap sex or a free ride. Based on the nature of the website, and the commitment necessary to be a thriving member, I do not think these people make-up a very large portion of the population. 

     Despite all the research I did about people I really don't think I got a very good idea of who they are from their profile, and I would have to take it into real life to have a better understanding of the members.