"The Great War"

by Anonymous
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"The Great War"

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Anonymous

I realize this is slightly macabre and probably completely out of place in this Forum (and please don’t take it amiss), but at a family do the other day we were reflecting on past family members in connection with the centenary of the Great War (1914 – 18) this coming November 11th where family from both my mother’s and father’s side took part.

Discussing the horrendous slaughter at the time it struck me today that during the approximately 2.5 years I have been playing GW2 I have digitally knocked out, roughly, 175,000 opponents, corresponding to the total population of Vancouver in the state of Washington.

 

In all likelihood the game’s statistics don’t take into account that I might have knocked out the same person 3 or 4 times or more, but still, I find it fascinating (reducing the number of vanquishes by a factor of 5) that I have digitally been “meeting” about 35,000 people over a span of 2.5 years, although the great pity of it all has been without actually talking to them. Would have been fun, but sadly, impossible.

 

Fascinating what the digital medium makes us capable of - although by its very nature at a distance.

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Its incredible what we can do, in just a couple of decades the whole world has changed in so many ways.

The internet and technology has made it incredibly easy to connect with folk digitally

from all over the world, hopefully making the world a better and more understanding place.
Although I do wonder when I view politics, but that would be another thread in another forum Teeth bared

Been there, done that... enough said.

Back to digital connections... one of the most amazing things for me I think,

is the connection you can have with folk when you are traveling or they are in distant lands.
When I went traveling when I was 21... I set off and apart from maybe 2 or 3 quick phone calls and a post card or 2

my Dad had no idea if I was ok, where I was or doing until really I returned.
In contrast when my son went away to India and Thailand last year then later in the year California...

I was able to share his journeys to an extent...

and I knew where he was and that he was safe and ok... video calls and google make all these things a breeze.

I would have been worried to death the whole time he was away had it not been for the technology.
Now we live in different countries the same is the case... we can chat regularly on video chat.

It has made me sad sometimes that when I meet folk on the internet, would be great to meet for coffee...
but sadly we are unable to do that.
Still the internet is a wonderful tool... how the hell did we live without it? Standard smile

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Anonymous

Yes, a good point. It was exactly the same for me when I was at that age. And with a son of 10, I too find it fortunate that I am able to keep in touch with him when he is with friends, needs collecting from the local sports club or, when using Apple's "Friends" app, to know where he is (I haven't really asked him whether he minds that).

 

There are of course also a number of serious downsides to the increased connectivity, but the one I find rather amusing is when out shopping, seeing people taking the dog for a walk or just going the beach a large majority of people are all looking down on their smartphones oblivious to what is happening around them. In that sense, it seems a more introvert world when compared to just a decade ago. 

But still, as you point out, one's day would be fraught with difficulty without it.

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Indeed a HUGE downside but best not to think about that too much...

I already look at the world with very skeptical eyes these days.

Oh dear, such observations at the beach etc actually are quite sad,
and indeed other observations including near misses with cars as folk engage with their smart phones,
ignoring the fact their life is in danger. Although I think that started with walkmans tape thingies Large smile

However, all this said, I could not live without any of these gadgets and the internet these days.


And besides that... how would we play PVZ GW2 if we didn't have the internet?? Shocked

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Anonymous

Dead right...and we wouldn’t be exchanging views on the game either. Funny that you mention the thing about people crossing the road without checking whether it safe to do so or not, as my wife, coming back from town a couple of hours ago, managed to brake just in time to avoid hitting a boy walking his dog, and who suddenly crossed the road while still looking down on his phone. There you go!

 

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Champion (Retired)

I’m so glad she didn’t hit the dog!

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Anonymous

I like dogs - a lot actually -, but in this particular case, I was slightly ambivalent about it all, as this dog seems to find our garden gate the ideal place to poo (When it rains it tends to become a bit of a bog out there). A pain to be frank, but yes, I suppose it was lucky she missed it, as despite its rather uncouth, ill-bred and gross habit of mucking up my drive it is a nice dog. 

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Oh yes... should have thought of that example...

I see folk doing the walk the dog/looking at smart phone all the time.
Although often times I'm sure it'll be a teenager who have other things on their mind and have been told to take the dog out Large smile

Very glad your wife managed to brake.

In reference to the poo at the gate... the owner should pick the poo up....

dogs are not so good at that, I think its a lack opposable thumbs issue Large smile

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Anonymous

Absolutely.  The kid was more interested in his phone than his dog......and as DWooten77 intimates (tongue in cheek) in his comment, the dog was higher up the hierarchy in importance than the GD kid. The kid definitely needed a wake-up call, as according to my wife, he didn't even notice that she just made it past him. 

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