Being on the net, in "relative anonymity", I'm used to reading things that other people post which probably wouldn't turn up in normal conversation between people who barely know each other. Issues with sex lives, embarrassing moments, personal health problems, domestic violence....the list goes on. I have no problem with this whatsoever because I think it makes the net a bit more of interesting place and other people experiencing those problems can identify and support each other IYKWIM.

I share quite a few of my personal thoughts and opinions online, especially in places like Cre8Buzz where few people who know me IRL are likely to frequent. I may censor my posts and replies to put things more diplomatically but by and large, what I end up typing is exactly what is going on in my head at the time about a particular issue. It's to do with that "relative anonymity" thing.

I'm just wondering what happens when people who spend a lot of time on the net, interacting with the likes of MSN and ICQ etc...do they interact with people IRL differently?? Now I have never ever heard someone say "oh it was so funny LOL" outside of a written post or reply on the net. I mean, you can giggle when you're interacting face to face - why do you need to say LOL?? Indeed this was something addressed in that show that all the family groups love to hate - Californication. He was talking about the degradation of the English language by the forms of communication that we use on a daily basis - SMS, MSN and a whole other bunch of acronyms.

One of my colleagues is probably as much of an internet junkie as I am, although I do manage to not be an internet geek around other people. My partner knows I blog about the cats and certainly my online pals know I blog but I keep that part of my life very separate from my life at work. They know I am internet-savvy but that is about the extent of it. Anyway, back to my colleague.

She is a rather loud person and someone that always has to be the centre of attention wherever she is. She is probably nice enough but the loudness and the "me me me" feeling generally makes most people think she is obnoxious. Personally I don't feel I know her well enough to pass judgement on that. Now, neither myself or the other person I was working with know this girl on any personal level at all. But as I am drawing up some drug or another with a big fat needle in my hand (dangerous time to say anything funny or shocking to me), she shares with us a rather personal story which I will not relate in all detail here. Suffice to say, she ends up telling us she has a vibrator and boy does it do a good job on her.

I nearly choked on the Chico baby I was chewing on, I stuck myself with the needle (oh thank god it was clean) and I had to excuse myself from the room immediately before either bursting into a fit of giggles or saying something entirely inappropriate! My other colleague told her she could stop right there because the mental imagery was such that she probably wouldn't sleep for a fortnight. LOL

Now I'm not saying I have an issue with women being comfortable with their sexuality and discussing the likes of vibrators and such with their close friends, family or doctor - but I'm sorry, it's not something I really want to know about someone I barely know who I have to see face to face every other day! It's just way too much information for my liking and as far as I'm concerned, I could have done with a big fat TMI sign before she started talking. ;)