The last assigned blog

I know this may be a little late, and by little i mean a couple of days, but here it is none the less. The article "Virtual Communities: Cyberhood vs. Neighborhood." was assigned to the class to read and reflect on, so that is what the topic of this blog will be about. In the article the author, John Perry Barlow tells the reader about how the "old" style communities are dying and being replaced by online communities. There are many positives and negatives to the argument that all we really need are online communities. Firstly, I think that mostly everyone on this planet would need some type of human to human interaction. There are the few recluses who would prefer to be alone all their life, but that does not show the majority of the population. I know personally that I would go crazy if I weren't able to talk to other people. When you are with someone else, you can feel them, see them, hear, smell and possibly even taste them. But while online you are unable to do any of those basic functions of life.
Through this class blog experience i have heard peoples' viewpoints which i would have otherwise never been able to hear because of their shy/ quietness. I think that this assignment definitely allowed the class to become closer, in a way, by being able to hear others thoughts and opinions, but i think it would not have been the same if we had never had the class community first. If this class were to only be held online through blogging, i would never have been intrigued by any one of you, no offense. but i do not enjoy reading much and would have never been able to throw myself in this assignment if it weren't for class and being able to talk to some of you guys one on one, face to face. I think that this blog did allow me to get to know some of you people before i had a chance to talk to you, but having the human interaction is where i got to know you further.
In today's society, i think that it is very difficult to have only human interactions especially when friends and family are halfway across the country from you. The internet may be able to start friendships, but, for me at least, it really helps to sustain the friendships that i have now which i gained from neighborhoods, not cyberhoods.