Last Saturday my hard drive was replaced, so I had to wait until Monday for Res.net to put me back on the network. I thought I would go crazy. I was without Internet, without e-mail and without AIM.
It was bad enough that on Friday the week before, we were without these modern communication techniques due to the power outage - this was double the time and double the torment. I needed my AIM. Even if I'm not always communicating with people, I need the ability to do so, and with the convenience, speed and ease of AIM.
Sure it's endearing to actually hear the voice that you're talking to, and know that they dialed your number and sincerely wanted to call you. It's a lot easier and lazier to IM someone, and takes less guts.
But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. There are so many people I talk to on-line that I know I'd never talk to on the phone. If I did, I wouldn't talk to them nearly as much. I have gotten to know so many more people through that little IM window. And I can talk to them at the same time, without having to press call waiting buttons and make people wait. What isn't there to love?
The Internet also allows for another wonderful form of communication: e-mail. I love getting e-mails. I type "webmail.tcnj.edu" into my web browser all the time, anxiously hoping for a bold-faced subject to indicate I have a new e-mail. Of course getting actual letters in the mail is great too, if you have time to wait for them.
We have the ability to send things to one another in seconds, and we need it in today's fast-paced society. We can communicate with whomever we want without having to lick a single envelope, pick up a single pen or wait more than a second or two until sending a letter.
We can even send e-cards. This form of card-sending is one of the best parts of online communication. It's possible to have music, animation, interactive games or whatever you desire in your card. There is an e-card available for every occasion, whether it's to tell someone you're thinking of them, miss them, love them or wish them a happy birthday.
Yes, it's still nice to get cards through snail mail. The Hallmark store will always be one of my favorites. I'm notorious for always checking the backs of cards for that Hallmark seal of quality. But having that crown on the back of a card isn't what makes it special - it's the time a person took to pick out the card. And there are millions of cards to pick from online.
Just because you send someone an e-card doesn't make it any less special. It doesn't mean it's any cheaper either-while many sites have a small free section, the rest of their cards are usually for a fee. And there's always a page at the end of the card with the sender's message that you can print if having a material keepsake is what warms your heart most.
