Rant

Are we reaching a new level of consequence?
With the rise of trackable communication, I’ve seen more and more abuses of courtesy, starting with CallerID and extending to the Net at large. When CallerID was first introduced, woe be to those who misdialed a number, for they could be sure to receive an angry return call from whichever repressed moron disturbed from watching Geraldo by an accidental phone call. It appears with the spread of Instant-Message clients to the masses, the insipid and stupid have gained this technology as well, and are abusing it just as they have abused telephone products.

Tonight I get this message:

(ICQ#67695918): hello white devil
Unx_Work: umm
(ICQ#67695918): ????????/
Unx_Work: hi =]
who’s this?
(ICQ#67695918): no it’s like who’s this???
Unx_Work: i’m unxmaal. sunday you icq’d me at 9pm saying ‘hello white devil’
(ICQ#67695918): exactly….you tried to get a hold of one of my friends and i would like to know how you got her number and what you wanted from her…..you sent an authorization saying….gimme.
(ICQ#67695918): did i lose you now?? are you confused?

I tried explaining to this person that I’d mistyped a UIN, but she/he never replied. This is the type of stupidity that really irks me. Can a person not make mistakes anymore without some sort of official inquest?

I’m sure this person has CallerID service. Probably the SooperDooperPlusPak with all the neato special features, like Autotracking Missiles and EMP Pulse, and I’m sure this person is perfectly happy paying a few hundred bucks a month for it, too.

My message for you, Mr. ICQ: If you have any wish for privacy, stay off ICQ.