Those problems--bigotry, parochialism, etc.--are still around. And, frankly, the web has been a haven for those wishing to espouse those views to a large population--just look at Matt Hale, for example. On the other hand, there's no question that society has become less interconnected. Maybe freeway construction and tearing up inner-city ethnic neighborhoods has more to do with it than technology--the 'burbs have never fostered a true sense of community because of street layouts, the automobile, etc. But learning about the world face-to-face with another human being, instead of impersonally through cyberspace, probably leads to a better understanding of one's fellow man and, ultimately, less "bigotry."

Yes yes, it is imperfect what with its lack of physical interaction, but in a certain sense we exist and thrive on language, and writing in many ways is more useful for effective discussions -- for learning and introspection -- than an oral conversation where you may not fully flesh out a thought, or phrase something less than clearly, or forget what exactly that quote was...

...but of course moderation too. You can't be on the 'net all the time because all the learning and introspection pertains to what is happening out there, in the real Agora. Yet we are here, interacting with language, so we are not as detached as maybe we like to think. This Agora, then, is actually part of the real Agora. What a Paradox. blows my freakin mind...

"But learning about the world face-to-face with another human being, instead of impersonally through cyberspace, probably leads to a better understanding of one's fellow man and, ultimately, less "bigotry.""

I can't accept this, since by this logic Southern slaveowners should have been in the forefront of abolition.

Very nice letter, Paul.