The Internet is a double edged sword. In it's creation, (just ask Algore who created it) it was filled with promise of bringing the Library of Congress into your home, global communication, education possibilities, expanding the work at home job market, and would revolutionize how we did business as a Nation.
Well, it's done some of those things, but the internet has become an extension of the reality driven tv shows on virtually every network these days, or perhaps, the tv shows are a result of the internet. Everyone these days is seemingly connected to high speed mass media in some form or another. Each and every local tv news channel has some sort of portal so you can take a picture on your phone and send in images of the latest disaster in your area, car wreck, brush fire, robbery, whatever. Viewers now have become vidoeographers, without being on the staff payroll. But hey, in this age of Americian Idol, MySpace and Youtube, you never know when you might get your 15 minutes of fame. You might beat up a fellow cheerleader and then come have Dr. Phil come bail you out of jail just to put you on his show. Such celebrity.
In the internet's infancy, people were wondering how they could make money by putting up a website. These days, people put up a website in order to make money. Nationally, newspaper subscriptions and readerships are down, that forces the papers to increase advertising rates, and, Shazam!, the creation of a globally free site called Craigslist. Now, Craigslist is a wonderful concept, but just as all other meeting portals on the internet exist, this location seems to be a cyber squatting location of folks who are ready to post false messages, (see the story about the gentleman in Oregon) or those ready to pounce right out of the gate as soon as you post something for sale. This day and age, given the current economy, lots of folks are lurking on a computer somewhere, wanting to see what you are selling.
This past week, I posted a few items there for sale, and as usual, within minutes I had several responses. It was the usual response, I'll take the free items, I'll be right there, never to show up. The items I posted for sale, everyone wanted to know my address, and they'd be right over etc. Needless to say, after all the items were posted, 20 plus responses, I only finally communicated with one person who picked up a desk for her son for free who was a single mom.
While everyone is consumed about identity theft these days, these postings on craigslist, if you are selling things from your home, pose a greater danger in my opinion to your personal safety.
As the economy suffers, as gas prices skyrocket, as unemployment continues to increase, people will become desperate. Bank robberies are up, drug store robberies are up, strong armed robberies are up, people stealing gasoline is way up.
In this world which we live in these days, the "Americian Idol" attitude, if I can just make it to the national stage for 2 minutes, I'll make money somewhere, from some media source, someone will want to interview me, my name will be in play, it doesn't matter what repulsive thing I've done, America will pay me for the story, prevails. These behaviors are in your local community. Might be a local priest, minister, Pasteur, school teacher. A local sports coach, or a local athlete, and things have just gotten out of control as to saying, everything they did was a result of something else, they had no control, etc.
No one wants to take responsibility for anything anymore, everything which happens in your life is the result of someone else's fault. Slip and Fall, call 1-800 whatever, have a crash, call 1-800 whatever, are you a dog bite victim, did the door hit you on the ass as you left Albertson's grocery? If so, YOU can make a bunch of money! Just come see us!
As the dollar continues to decrease in value, oil skyrockets, housing is at a standstill, people become more desperate, and I believe the division between the ultra rich and the poor is going to become widened, and at some point, there will be the same civil unrest you see in other countries right now over food, happening in this county before the end of this calendar year.
So, for those of you selling things on Craigslist, be prepared, give only a cellphone number, no address, and if you are selling something, meet the buyer in a parking lot somewhere, out in the open, if possible, bring someone with you.
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