Rather than bringing me closer to others, the time that I spend online isolates me from the most important people in my life, my family, my friends, my neighbourhood, my community.

Why is it that drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users?

Anyone can post messages to the net. Practically everyone does. The resulting cacophony drowns out serious discussion.

Here are my strong reservations about the wave of computer networks. They isolate us from one another and cheapen the meaning of actual experience. They work against literacy and creativity. They undercut our schools and libraries.

As the networks evolve, so do my opinions toward them, and my divergent feelings bring out conflicting points of view. In advance, I apologize to those who expect a consistent position from me.

Computers force us into creating with our minds and prevent us from making things with our hands. They dull the skills we use in everyday life.

No computer network with pretty graphics can ever replace the salespeople that make our society work.