The Internet and Conversation

Ahh, such a strange, bizarre and far flung community the web is. From the sands and skyscrapers of Dubai to the industrial warrens of New Jersey and Bangladesh, people interact with others in a way humanity has never known before. I often feel that this exchange of information, if it can be harnessed properly, can be a large part of bringing the world into a more peaceful time. Increasing fossil fuel scarcity is going to put a dampener on international and cheap web shipping, but a good conversation is still one of the best things in the world and often one of the cheapest, which should not be overlooked in this time of economic woes. This is not to say that good conversation requires the internet! In some ways, a face to face conversation will always trump fiber optic based discussions, be they merely audio or fully A/V. Yet I believe that the internet has a tendency to make people open up and explore avenues of discussion they would not pursue in the "real world" and it is often the conversations we are not expecting that lead to the most interesting points in my experience... When was the last time you started up a conversation with a complete stranger?