Tag Archives: Internet

Forster Predicted Our Zoom Existence

By Robin Bates | Published: December 16, 2020

In his 1909 novella “The Machine Stops,” E.M. Forster all be predicts the internet, Zoom, and Facebook, along with their downsides.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

Tolkien’s Key to Entering the Internet

By Robin Bates | Published: December 6, 2020

A Stanford computer science student writes in to apply a “Lord of the Rings” passage to a vexed internet question.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

Kiki Ostrenga as Sister Carrie

By Robin Bates | Published: July 11, 2011

Columnist David Brooks recently turned to Theodore Dreiser’s 1900 novel “Sister Carrie” in an attempt to make sense of the strange and disturbing case of 13-year-old internet celebrity Kiki Ostrenga.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Internet Nastiness: Crying to Be Heard

By Robin Bates | Published: September 29, 2010

There has been a lot of complaining in recent years about the lack of civility in social discourse.  The breakdown of common courtesy and mutual respect in town hall meetings, Congress, and other venues threatens (some believe) the very foundations of our society. In his article this week, Jason Blake talks about how the internet […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed