The Internet Brings Me My Little Ponies

I wrote an entry a while back about the new style of interpersonal communication with new media - namely, the lack of personal communication. Frankly, texting, e-mailing, and surfing the net on a PDA during a conversation with someone is a huge pet peeve. I know the academic/business world is wired - I mean, I'm pretty dialed-in, too.

However, there are moments when I see the beauty in the Internet: the series of tubes that connects people.

I have never been to Texas, but in today's mail I received a package from Dava in Waco, Texas. I've never meet Dava and have no idea what she looks like or how she even sounds. But I know of her work - Kimono's Townhouse. I read her updates every week and laugh in a fairly unattractive manner because, well, it's geek humor with My Little Ponies and that makes me very, very happy.

As a direct result of the Internet and its ability to draw people of similar humors together, I received a box from Texas. A very fun box from Texas.

Clockwise from the upper left: A plastic Easter egg, a mini box of nerds, a mini boom box prop from the comic, and a miniature My Little Pony sticker.

This is why I love what the Internet can do - from forums to customer reviews to social media. No, not the free stuff (although, there is quite a bit of it). It connects different people from different places with different lives and puts them on the same platform. The entire concept was once via pen pals and hand held radios, but now it's grown to a tremendous audience of potential acquaintances.

To me, that's pretty cool - even if welcomes people texting in the middle of a conversation.