An Open Letter to the WWWorld

 
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By Natalie JE Potts © 2006 E-mail the editor about this story

Having done everything form air traffic control to zoology, writing has been the one constant in Natalie's life. Her work has appeared in AntipodeanSF, Aurealis, Squish Magazine and TNT (Europe).

This author resides in the Antipodes


 

If you are reading this, it is too late. You are now a part of my magnificent plan that will etch me into history.

I decided that to show my displeasure with 'life' today I needed to do something different. Sure, I could have sent out some kind of annoying worm virus like everyone does, try to hurt the big-wigs with some downtime, but that would not make my point. I wanted to show us what we have become, to get back in contact with our humanity.

This isn't about the corporate heads. I'm angry at everyone. Shuffling to our little desks each morning, logging onto our little computers. Pumping out two lifetimes of work and never getting out of our pyjamas.

So here is my plan, I hope you are sitting down (can you remember the last time you weren't?). Over a year ago I sent out a virus. It takes approximately thirty days for a virus to go around the globe. I gave it fifteen times as long.

Trust me, you've probably got it, and if you are reading this, you definitely have. Who knows how long you've had it? Soon you'll be really keen to work that out. As I said, I'm chasing the truth in humanity, so what better way than to break down the cold detachment that our electronic interfaces lend us?

Since the infection, your computer has been storing your e-mails. Every time you have sent an e-mail with someone's name in it that was not in the addressed line, it has done a secret BCC to them and stored it.

Take a moment to think about that, all those kind words you have written. Now they will be a secret no more. I'm sorry if you have written things that you would rather not share. If it makes you feel any better, there is every chance that others have not said such kind things about you either.

So what now? The moment you try to disconnect your connection, or close your computer, or even unplug it, it will instantly send the bulk mail load it has been storing.

I'm sure people will understand, all being in the same boat. They will kindly just delete your e-mails. Just as you will theirs when they start to arrive.

There is only one way out: get away from you computer. Do not turn it off. Do not close it down. Don't even touch it. Just stay away from it for one month. Go out, get a tan, visit a gallery (the large, echoey places, not the poorer online facsimiles), have lunch with someone. Just don't touch your computer. The choice is yours, as the t-shirts said when I was a kid CHOOSE LIFE! Well what are you going to do?

 

 

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