New Internet Addictions

Another interesting observation has come from France today – a list of brand new internet addictions. Check it out and amend the list of your New Year reservations accordingly. 🙂

EGO-SURFING: When you frequently check your name and reputation on the Internet.
BLOG STREAKING: “Revealing secrets or personal information online which for everybody’s sake would be best kept private.”
CRACKBERRY: “The curse of the modern executive: not being able to stop checking your BlackBerry, even at your grandmother’s funeral.” (A BlackBerry is a popular handheld device that can be used for phoning, emailing and web-browsing).
GOOGLE-STALKING: Defined as “snooping online on old friends, colleagues or first dates.”
CYBERCHONDRIA: “A headache and a particular rash at the same time? Extensive online research tells you it must be cancer.”
PHOTOLURKING: Flicking through a photo album of someone you’ve never met.
WIKIPEDIHOLISM: Excess devotion to contributing to the online collaborative encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. (Wikipedia even has a page where you can test whether you’re an addict: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Are-You-a-Wikipediholic-Test)).
CHEESEPODDING: Downloading of a song “so cheesy that you could cover it in plastic wrap and sell it at the deli counter.” Cheesepodders are especially vulnerable to soft-rock favourites from the 1970s.

I note they didn’t mention blogging as an addiction – it must have entered the realm of common sense, I feel…

Am I guilty of any of these? Well, there is such thing as Google Alert, which allows you to monitor any content you wish – including your name. I won’t confess as to whether I’m using this or not, but it can save time Ego-Surfing. Cheesepodding should be renamed into CHEESEYOUTUBING, as far as I am concerned. And, of course, I do a bit of Photolurking now and again, but I doubt that would count as a definitive addiction.

Anyway, at this moment in time I’m in the Vanity Fair mood, having finally seen the film. My opinion – loved it! Loved every single actor’s performance, especially James Purefoy (it must be my obscure Francophilia again!), but I can’t stop admiring Rhys Ifans. A really outstanding talent.