By Chance the Past makes an Unwanted Comeback

[Oxford]

I was just trawling t'internet and came across, completely by chance, the website of someone I used to know. This person talked about themselves and their wonderful life and it went on for page after page. I didn't read it all as it was the size of War and Peace. Now when I knew them they never came across like this and almost never talked about their own self in this fashion. Now I know life can have all sorts of effect on people but is it that or is it the www that has turned us all into self absorbed, self-centered ego addicts?

You'll see I've been a bit circumspect here so as not to upset the person concerned unnecessarily but has anyone had something/anything similar?

 

PS If this thread disappears please look for it on the Jeremy Corbyn one.

 

[Maximus Decimus]

I do think that social media and the Internet in general has made us all a bit more like this. 

Not entirely related but I know someone who used to send an update newsletter of her family's life in her yearly Christmas cards. She was however of Finnish/German heritage so it could be cultural. 

[Oxford]

27 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

I do think that social media and the Internet in general has made us all a bit more like this. 

I don't know whether to just accept it as simply another change or become depressed and hit the bottle.

But I think you're right.

The person I referred to was just normal and now thinks everything they do, have done and will be doing must be interesting and worth eulogizing about.

And then again I'm becoming more and more disenchanted and world weary so maybe it's me. But I just wondered if other people had come across someone who thought everything about them was interesting because of the world wide web.

[Maximus Decimus]

6 minutes ago, Oxford said:

I don't know whether to just accept it as simply another change or become depressed and hit the bottle.

But I think you're right.

The person I referred to was just normal and now thinks everything they do, have done and will be doing must be interesting and worth eulogizing about.

And then again I'm becoming more and more disenchanted and world weary so maybe it's me. But I just wondered if other people had come across someone who thought everything about them was interesting because of the world wide web.

Part of me thinks it isn't just the Web because you I think it's a semi-logical follow on from something like genealogy. You spend time researching your ancestors and come away presuming your descendents will want to know about you. 

After I met my wife, we were together for 10 months and then spent over a year apart as we already had separate travel plans. I always regretted not keeping a diary and then realised we sent daily emails to each other that I still had access to. I collated them and put them into a 500 odd page book, partly for my own record and partly as something to give to my children to show them what we were really like as 22 year olds. I'm not embarrassed by it but I know it's a bit self-indulgent much. It's less public than your example but was driven by the same motives.

There is something about the Internet and how some ordinary people have ended up with a significant voice that leaves some people thinking that people will want to listen to them too. I had a couple of friends who started a website with game and film reviews on that noone ever saw because it was so obscure. 

I'm totally disenchanted and world weary. I've deleted Facebook and come off Twitter for Lent in the hope that I won't reinstall it. I'm fed up of the constant virtue signalling and fake outrage and the self importance so many seem to have. Sadly, I'll probably reinstall it because it does have benefits especially from a RL point of view. 

[Bearman]

I thought from the title of the thread that you had visited the Isle of Wight

[Oxford]

7 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

I've deleted Facebook and come off Twitter for Lent in the hope that I won't reinstall it. I'm fed up of the constant virtue signalling and fake outrage and the self importance so many seem to have. Sadly, I'll probably reinstall it because it does have benefits especially from a RL point of view. 

So it's TGG's fault not www. I suppose it might be just wishful thinking that someone you know is still the same even if older.

And I'm grateful to it for stuff like this so I'm not immune to the positives it brings.

I'd still be interested to know if other people have experienced this.