Points of View

By Alex Allen

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It's amazing how much people want to tell strangers about their personal lives. This has become particularly true on the Internet, where people are so utterly anonymous that they feel constantly compelled to tell anyone who will listen about their racist, xenophobic, backdated, ridiculous opinions, safe in the knowledge that they are completely untraceable. The BBC runs a section on its website called 'Have Your Say', and a recently posed question asked viewers what their plans were for New Year's Eve. Here were some of the most stupid responses I saw:

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'Snuggled up in bed, hopefully fast asleep, to keep warm, Jan 1st is just another day, another day nearer the "wooden box"!!!!!!!!!' (This was recommended by six people)

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'I will be staying up until about 2300, then its beddy bys for me and my collie friend, only hope that there will not be too many fireworks being let off. As far as we are concerned, Sweden, this "could" be the last New Year we have them, hope so. Its a waste of money, too much pollution, too many poor animals suffer horribly, not to mention older people with hearing problems, for them the bangs and screams of the fireworks are life threatening. Still the idiot politicians allow anything.' (This was recommended by five people)

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'i will be watching lovejoy on dvd at my pc with 15 year old malt whisky for company.' (This was inexplicably recommended by three people)

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Are we really a nation of illiterate, grammatically incompetent morons all on the verge of suicide? Not only have I never heard of the expression 'the wooden box', I've never seen anyone die from looking at fireworks either. I can't believe that anybody that isn't talking to a three year old would use the term 'beddy bys' either, it staggers belief. I hope you, dear ROOHA reader, have a much more entertaining New Year's Eve, and a great 2009.