Sirens Song

It’s almost as if she’s been waiting for you a thousand years. Her dangerous curves are infectious, and even the slightest indulgence can spell trouble for the humblest of souls. She’s no wallflower, that fact is painfully obvious. In fact, she’s about as “in your face” as anything you’ve ever experienced. No, she’s not for the faint of heart, but her song of seduction draws you in nonetheless. She’s been called everything in the book but you don’t care and you won’t care. She gives you everything you want, everything you need, and all she asks in return is an adventurous spirit and a stable connectionâÂ?¦.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

This isn’t about a woman (sorry, guys). It’s about the phenomenon called the Internet. If you are reading this, you are likely one of about a zillion daily explorers, browsing from page to page, site to site, looking for that special something to answer your question or quench your thirst for knowledge.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

OK, ok, so it’s not really new to you. I mean, you’re out there every day researching papers, subscribing to ezines, downloading files and maybe even perusing something a bit more, um, adult in nature. But now that you’ve been infected with its mystery, you can’t stop, can you. You open a browser and up pops your home page, complete with celebrity gossip, weather, the latest news or your horoscope. Maybe your home page is something of your own design. After all, we’ve become a bit more creative now that the Internet is intertwined into our lives, don’t you think? Who knew you had it in you?Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

She’s a moneymaker as well as our creative canvas, our Lady Internet. Barnes and Noble and Amazon have made millions with her. She was unkind to pesky newcomers back in the nineties, but they didn’t have what it takes to keep her satisfied. Oh sure the people came, hoping to ride her skirt tails into the upper crust of society, but our Lovely Lady knew when she was being had. With very little effort and a smile on her face, our Lady Internet stabbed her virtual spiked heel through the heart of the inexperienced, the searing blood staining dreams even to this day.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

What gives us pleasure is often also laced with pain. The hackers and crackers of the world – most of them still babies themselves – release into her nasty viruses and spyware designed to bring her or her visitors down to their veritable knees. Eventually the world catches on and tougher defenses and patches are installed; containing the infection if not alleviating it altogether. But they keep trying, those developers of malice, until someday, their faces splashed across TV screens and the front page of our newspapers, they can say, “I brought down the Internet.” Like you, we shake our heads in disgust.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

The Internet is so ingrained into our lives now that we seem compelled to take her wherever we go. Our PDA’s, our Blackberry’s and cell phones can access her, keeping her at our fingertips whenever we need her, and apparently we need her a lot because we see her in our meetings, our restaurants and even in our cars. We need her on vacation and we need her on the weekends when the watchful eye of our employer can’t see us grace her more questionable pages. Why do we need her so much?Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

Students need the Internet to research papers and homework. Nowhere on earth – the Encyclopedia Britticana included – is so much information available for research. Should your course require an extensive paper on the spending habits of Croatian consumers, you’ll find it on the Internet. Just open one of the many search engines out there and type in your subject matter. Likewise should you have particular challenges with a particularly complex calculus problem, bring up a calculus or math site and you’ll likely find the proper method for solving the problem. It’s all there in living color.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

I don’t know what your thoughts are about the adult entertainment industry, and I’m not here to judge. I can say however that this industry has taken what was once left for dark theatres or quarter peep shows and put it on the Internet; free for the most part, for viewing in the privacy of your own home. Some have moral questions about whether this sort of thing should be allowed, but because our Lady Internet has no boundaries, she is free to do what she wishes with those interested in participating. Sure there’s a bit of imagination involved, but at home, who cares?Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

Love her or hate her, our lovely siren will continue her song to the masses and they will listen. From the deepest dredges of poverty to the wealthiest in the world, no one can resist our Lady Internet when her virtual lips mouth the words, “Come to me.” The real question is: why would you resist?