Have any of you wondered.......about the intersection

[CaliforniaPeggy]

of the cyber world, and the real world?

Today, I had a thread on the video by Aha......Take on Me....

Where a young man straddles these two worlds, one real and one a cartoon.

Seems to me that this video makes an excellent metaphor for the intersection of these two worlds for us......

So often, I experience things here on DU that are so very real to me...

And yet, somehow, they aren't...

But these things cause me laughter, or passion, or pain........

So.....are they real? Or aren't they?

I have no idea!

How about you?

Tell me.......

[TOhioLiberal]

1. My dear CaliforniaPeggy...

...Sometimes things online seem realer than real life. Sometimes it's the opposite. All I know for sure is that is a really deep question!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear TOhioLiberal.........

It is a deep question.....maybe too deep for a Saturday night......

But I feel and agree with your confusion, for sure.......

Thanks for posting!

:hug:

[momophile]

3. all it takes is for one person to feel it for it to be real

that makes almost no sense...

as long as the cyber world draws some sort of emotion, it is as real as any other existence.

To the real world! Whatever it may be!
:toast:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I agree, my dear momophile!

The emotional connection does make things real, doesn't it?

I have felt so much emotion here...........it is amazing!

...it is as real as any other existence.

These words are so very true!

I thank you for them.........:hug:

[momophile]

8. thanks for the hug, CaliforniaPeggy

I felt like I got a keen understanding of the word "real" as a result of being in the Peace Corps. The life I lived in the PC was so different than the one in the US, but it was just as real. What troubled me was that when I talked to people back home in the US, they didn't grasp that the everyday life I lived was not something exotic but rather an ordinary normal day to my host country. As my time passed while a PC volunteer, I began to not relate to Americans back home who lived in such a world of technology and stress and materialism. I struggled with both worlds existing at the same time, having knowledge of each other, but seldom touching.

Then I returned home and went through reverse culture shock. And bought new clothes. And bought a new car. And finally got a cell phone. My everyday life - the one that surrounded me, moved around me, talked to me - was very real again. And I had left that other, very real, life in a third-world rural country behind. Yet, all my new friends were still there, living their lives - the only one they truly knew.

Okay, now I'm just babbling... What I'm trying to get to, again, is that emotions cannot be denied, and if they cannot be denied, then they are real.

:hug:

[hickman]

5. My Dear Peg, They're real and you help.

Thanks.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear hickman..........

I am so glad that I help you.......

They are real, aren't they?

:hi:

[hickman]

22. I know damn well that I'll never be able to return the favor,

so I'll do my best to pass it on. BTW my son was dragging his pole around Henry Ford hospital a few days ago and met a Mom who's son had been beat almost to death and left for dead. His name is D'Artagnan and has been showing signs of comming out of his coma. Please say a prayer or send good wishes into the ether.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. My dear hickman........

Cyberprayers going out right now..........

Thank you for telling me this.......:hug:

[Floogeldy]

6. CPeg

That is deep.

Luv ya,

Floog

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. My dear Floog!

It is, isn't it? You're welcome, sweetie!

:hug:

[Redstone]

7. I hope you're nto expecting ME to answer a deep, metaphysical

question like that. Christ, half the time when I walk into a room, I don't remember what I went there for.

Sorry, Pegster, I got nothin for you on this one.

Redstone

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. My dear Redstone.........

No worries, sweetie.......It's enough to know that you did read my thread.........

:hug:

[hickman]

26. I just blew pop on my monitor damn it.

Redstone, I know of what you speak. I have 2 floors and a basement. Usually after my second trip to the top(bedroom) floor I give up and just jump in the car and go. Somewhere btw 6 and 10 miles away I remember what I was looking for. It's always what ever I need when I get to where I'm going.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

27. My dear hickman........

Look next to your username........

Someone just bought you a star...........

Just sayin'.......and enjoy!

:hug:

[hickman]

31. Well blow me down!

How kind. Just when I thought life had piled on top of me too much, someone does something like this and I realise how good people can be. Thank You who ever did this. I have missed my star I used to have. Thank you, thank you. Now I'm crying. I love DU. i'm so happy to be back. hard to type thru the tears.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. ......

:hug:

[bridgit]

45. welcome to du, hickman...

:hi: :kick:

[bridgit]

9. i post at two other sites, they are career & trade based, they as well...

are more straight forward, straight laced as a function of that. they have chat functions, and i have my pals there as well; we go back & forth about a host of issues, some silly, but many that speak to what we do out IRL...you my recall my friend in biloxi, ms, after katrina; i posted her travail having learned of it on those sites, and it was a heavy one. i did not learn of her status here at DU.

insofar as DU in concerned, i think that on balance admin (and most of the mods) are doing a good job moderating. one site i visit is continually being bombarded not by 'freepers' or 'trolls' the way we think of them here; but by people trying to find in-roads in the various trades, and client bases. now that i think of it, that may be 'a form of' freeper, or troll after all...and they are likewise dealt with swiftly. especially when they bring shit along, or are mean to people

one poli-site i have in mind is a freaking mess. they have imo lost that line, that balance between what is, what is not, what will never-ever be, and this world to which my sense is that you are alluding, Peg

my dearest friend here at DU states it thus, and i'm paraphrasing, 'i see too many over there with terse, purple lips and they need to take a breath' seen a thread today in which prolly 95% of the posters needed to take a deep breath

i laugh cause they're some witty people here. but i also think it's good to recognize that these words we see flash across our monitors, while born or created by folks we care for, are tiny bits of data. you ask a question, i answer; you may even like my answer...but the stimulus is immediate as it pops up on your screen. if you like it, or perhaps especially so; it can be like receiving a piece of chocolate...and as we both know, chocolate can be addicting as it emanates with 'the love thing' which is why we give it on valentine's day, my sense is that even cyber-chocolate can have the same effect :-)

i've seen many here at DU actually refer to DU as an addicition...but i don't want to get anywhere near that conclusion for myself. i jump in and see if any friends are here, any interesting or fun threads, responses to my posts, etc, but believe me...

when DU goes flat-line, and it does...i've got better things to do :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. My dear bridgit...........

You have said a mouthful here.......

Yes, indeed, cyber-chocolate can be addicting, and I am addicted to DU...

And to the associations and friendships that I have made here...

I'm glad that you have been able to avoid the addiction trap........I have not.......

I appreciate your thoughtful remarks a lot, sweetie.....:hug:

[wildhorses]

10. thing is when I get a cyber hug it makes me feel better but,

when I get a hug in real life the sensation of the human touch makes me realize that a person needs human reaction. Without it....life is surreal:shrug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. My dear wildhorses.........

Yes, indeed, I agree.......I've had cyberhugs, and I've had real life ones....

The real life ones are better!

Thanks for contributing........:hug:

[leeroysphitz]

11. I know what you mean californiapeggy.

It seems lately that everytime I log onto DU and spend any real time interacting with the people here a couple of guys with helmets attack me with monkey wrenches.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. My dear leeroysphits..........

Now that's scary! :scared:

[Heidi]

15. I've thought about that, Peggy.

But neither the "real" world or the "cyber" world have any more power over us than we give them. Essentially, I don't believe it's a question of which is real or whether either is real, but how we choose to react to them. :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. My dear Heidi!

How lovely to see you!

Ah yes......the power we give them........I hear that!

I think I can identify with you here......

And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?

It has been much on my mind of late.......hence this thread....

I am comfortable moving back and forth, normally......

Thanks for your illuminating remarks!

:hug:

[Heidi]

20. You are loved, Peggy,

and _that_ is real. :hug: :loveya:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. My dear Heidi........

Thank you, sweetie.......I know, believe me, I do......

And that is why I am here so much......

The love keeps me here......and it makes me sooooo happy..... :loveya: :hug:

[jobycom]

24. Nope, none of us has. But I do wonder what happened to Buntie Bailey

the woman in the A-Ha video! I had the biggest crush on her as a teen, though not from that video. It was from Billy Idol's "To be a lover" video. She's the blond in the middle of the three women in the background. Odd person to have a crush on, I guess, but something about her drove my teenage self insane! I've even found that video online, and it still gets to me. So I guess that the real world and cyberland intersected at that point for me, but all I wondered was whether she'd think I was cute and how I could get Billy Idol's job. Actually, I still want that job.

Um, is that off topic?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. My dear jobycom........

You are never off-topic for me, sweetie.......

And your question is a good one.........

Unfortunately, I have no answers.......:hug:

[Singular73]

28. Integrating the two universi can be very shocking to the system.

Have a few beers, and a bag of peanuts before attempting...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

35. My dear Singular73.......

Definitely you need to be fed and watered before attempting such a shocking integration!

:hi:

[CanuckAmok]

29. I'm more curious about why anyone is discussing "A-ha".

I mean, it's all, like, 2006.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

36. Good morning, my dear CanuckAmok.........

Well, that video seemed like an appropriate metaphor onto which I could hang this thread......

That's why!

Besides, I like that video......... :hide:


:hi:

[CanuckAmok]

50. I like the Family Guy version better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H1NKuZPBcg

I often wonder what Family Guy is like if one doesn't have a vast, vast knowledge of 80s pop ephemera.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

51. My dear CanuckAmok!

That is hilarious! Thanks for sharing!

And, BTW, for getting my thread to flame status.......

I didn't think that would happen....

:rofl:

[leftofthedial]

30. reality is an illusion

it is your dreams that are real

[hickman]

32. Speaking of dreams, did you ever get awakened suddenly,

and realize that every thing was in symbols or geometric shapes, and all were someone or someplace you knew? Maybe I'm just over due for a vacation in a nice psychiatric spa/facility.

[leftofthedial]

33. but everything IS in symbols or geometric shapes . . .

:shrug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

37. My dear leftofthedial........

Now, there you go!

Could be, couldn't it?

:hi:

[buddhamama]

38. dear, Peggy

it is your reality, or perception of reality, dear one. if it is real to you, than it is real.

this is just my opinion of course, but, if you were pretending to be something you were not, or allowing your alter-ego to be "you" here, i don't think you'd feel the way you do.
i do think that being yourself, genuinely you, creates more of an atmosphere of realness.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

40. My dear buddhamama..........

Now what you say here makes sense to me.......

And this is the real me you see.......the genuine me.......No pretenses.

You can ask anyone who has met me off-line.

They will tell you that, even though I am more complex than I seem to be here, that this is really the genuine me.....

And what you say resonates........as to creating an atmosphere of realness!

Thank you!

:hug:

[buddhamama]

42. i have no doubts, dear Peggy

that you are genuine. you can just tell sometimes with people if they're being real or not, and you most certainly are.

i am me here too, more complex as you say, but still very much me. i have no reason to be otherwise, nor would i want to be.

peace and love, dear. :hug:

[RevolutionaryActs]

39. Whoa, that was, like deep, and stuff.

:o

[CaliforniaPeggy]

41. My dear Rev_Acts........

Yeah, like, whoa........it is!

Thanks for coming by this morning, sweetie........:hug:

[miss_american_pie]

43. I think it's as real as one chooses for it to be

And that was worded horribly.

Trying again.

IME here and on other boards, the level of shallowness or deepness in on-line relationships/feelings depend on how willing the posters are to be open and honest about themselves. And since that wasn't much better, :hi: Peggy, hope you're having a good day.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

44. My dear miss_american_pie.......

I am having a lovely day, thank you, sweetie! :hug:

And I do understand what you're saying.......

How open and honest we are in showing ourselves makes our on-line relationships either shallow or deep........

And boy do I ever agree with that!

Your words and meanings resonate with me, so much!

Thank you for them.......:loveya:

[Broken_Hero]

46. I believe our online experience is real

if you have any emotion of any kind, that stems from your online chatting, or use, those emotions are real. I see people everyday on DU posting with emotion, and its very real, be it bad or good.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

48. My dear petersond.........

I agree..........these emotions are real.......

But somehow the experience itself doesn't seem real.......

Or does it? I don't know........

Good to see you today!

:hi:

[Ptah]

47. My mind, such as it is, has been trying to answer your

provocative post, and I am still struggling
to have an answer.

I'm hoping you will let me sleep on it again.

:hug:

I would hug you in real life. :loveya:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

49. My dear Ptah.........

Of course, take as long as you wish, or need!

I am always interested in hearing your input.......

And I would hug you in real life as well, sweetie......

:hug:

:loveya:

[liberaltrucker]

52. To me, it's very real

Whether DU or another meggage board, you're
communicating with another human being.

Basicly, not that different than a phone call.

Just my $.02.

:hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

53. My dear liberaltrucker!

I am so pleased to see you tonight!

I like how you see this question....it makes sense to me!

I think the phone call is somehow more real, though........

But the message board can be equally real, as long as the folks doing the communicating are truly themselves........

And it is easy to be fake when there are no voices or faces to interpret...

:hug:

[liberaltrucker]

55. True enough

Message boards can be havens for hucksters, but
not DU-for the most part. Phone calls are more real
since you can hear vocal inflections, etc. I brought
it up to illustrate the similarities of the technologies.

Here's a cyberhug to augment the REAL one on 8/5.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

57. Back atcha, baby!

:hug: :hug: :hug:

That day will live in my memory forever.......

[Kajsa]

54. Hi Peggy, OK- I'm going to try this one.

Even though I've never met anyone in person
who's on DU, I've gotten to know and love
a good many people here.

I had a change to speak to several members
of another Dem blog on a conference call.
Even though none of us had met in person,
we picked right up on our friendship through
the conference call. There was a lot of laughter
and fond remembrances of things we've shared.
We are friends, period!

I hope this helps!

:loveya:

Kajsa

[CaliforniaPeggy]

56. My dear Kajsa!

Indeed it does help!

For here you have the example that liberaltrucker and I were talking about.......

When folks are honest with who they are on a message board, that carries through into a phone call........

And indeed it is a wonderful thing!

I have been privileged enough to meet a number of DU'ers in person after having come to know them online, and on the phone......

And, without exception, they were all just as they had represented themselves!

It is soooo good to meet DU'ers in person! YOu feel as though you've known them forever......

Because you have!

:loveya: :hug:

[u4ic]

58. I think it all depends

as to what you want the experience to be.

The internet is an interesting mix of bringing people together online, and sometimes keeping them apart (for eg when it's easier to turn on a computer than physically go out and meet people; or that it's difficult to interact with the real life people around you when you're on the net). A double edged sword.

Me? I think it's a community and do care about my friends online here. The friendship may be different than the ones I have IRL, but I think they are still friendships nonetheless.

There are so many wonderful and fascinating people here on DU that I would have never got the chance to meet otherwise. :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

59. My dear u4ic!

It can indeed be a double-edged sword........

Although it has not been that way for me.....

I know that my experience has been like yours......

I have met and been enriched by so many here.......

My life would have been much duller and much less fulfilled if I hadn't become part of DU..........or if it hadn't become part of me!

:hi: