It's been a while...

OK, almost a month since my last post but things have been quite hectic of late with my real job getting in the way of my creative outlet.

Now is as good a time as any to get a few things off my chest; pet peeves, if you will.

In no particular order...

1. Those who mistakenly believe that practically every email they receive must be shared (technically, that would be forwarded using the dreaded email prefix FW:) with everyone on their contact list/address book. Resist the temptation, people. In my experience, the worst offenders of this Internet infraction are usually a little behind in their mailings and pass along volumes of dreck weeks after most of the western world have received the very same image, chain letter or wild product claim. Not directed at any one individual, but there are some that are apparent and seemingly unwitting repeat offenders. Naivete will be tolerated in newbies, but if you've been using a web-based application such as the ubiquitous Hotmail for more than 12 months, look out; be prepared to accept the rude consequences.
2. Answer this one: why would normally intelligent and lucid individuals when presented with a monitor and a keyboard, feel they must resort to communicating through email in a "language" lacking in spelling, grammar, sentences, even recognizable nouns and verbs, no punctuaion and syntax? This language is generally confined to text messaging environments from wireless devices employed by adolescents and teenagers who may not have access or the wherewithal to afford decent data packages that would allow normal conversation - with little or no margin for error or confusion. Sorry, but it's not cute. It's pretty pathetic. WTF g u tick tocking 2 mee
3. Perhaps my favorite, or least favorite are those that FW: fantastic product claims. As in life, if it sounds to good to be true, guess what? It probably is. Chances are better than average that it's either an old wive's tale; a myth; or the classic, urban legend. Now, it may appear that I will contradict myself in a couple of sentences, but bear with... Folks, just because an apparent factoid, a product listing, a quotation - whatever is "published" on the Internet, does NOT necessarily make it true. Do a little research. Please. Avoid passing along usually useless URLs or FW: emails containing, for example, gushing testimonials from Iowa about the benefits of smearing oneself with Lemon Joy dish detergent to ward off mosquitos - it really works! Right. Listen, here's an idea; bathe in gasoline and stand in a Florida swamp mid-July at 5.30pm and see how many blood sucking critters land on your skin to draw blood! Unlikely idea, right? That's the point. All it takes is a little time; please before subjecting yourself to a childish and churlish Internet-type verbal volley vendetta, go to to a couple of sites that are a wealth of information: http://www.snopes.com/ or http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax/ - the latter for virus debunking; you know the claims, "As seen on CNN... Bill Gates says it's true... AOL reported this morning..."

Please... help protect my sanity; it's one of the few things in this world I can claim to be my very own.