Losing a Dummy
It's sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew. ~ Henry RollinsMork
Mindy, you have that glum look on your face again. Come on, spill it out, what’s wrong, dear?
Mindy
Have you ever lost someone?
Mork
Are you kidding me? When my dad passed away, I was devastated and suicidal. Err…did you just lose someone?
Mindy
Well, sorta kinda.
Mork
Hmm…nobody significant died, I hope?
Mindy
Nah. He just disappeared.
Mork
Disappeared? Do I know this person?
Mindy
Of course you know him. I’ve told you about him. Met him on the Net and we’ve been in contact for about 5 years now.
Mork
(Sigh) Mindy, you of all people should know that people you meet on the Net are not always what they seem.
Mindy
I know. I guess I was duped. But you know me. I’ve always been honest and transparent. I don’t lie to people, even if I don’t know them.
Mork
I guess not everybody takes netiquette – online etiquette - seriously. People who take pleasure in lying and pretending on the Net forget that they are communicating to a real person, not just to a computer. I guess it slipped their minds that they’re not supposed to do anything online that they wouldn’t do in real life.
Mindy
Such as?
Mork
Taking anything without paying for it. Unles it’s free, of course. Reading other people’s email- you wouldn’t open your neighbour’s mailbox and read their mail, right?
Mindy
Right. Despite all these, a lot of bonds of friendship and love have developed online. I mean, I’ve heard of so many true stories of people making friends and finding partners on the Net.
Mork
I guess those people are really honest. When you’re online, just as in real life, honesty’s the best policy. I guess out of ten people you meet on the Net, maybe one or two are really honest. The rest are just good-for-nothing-jerks-looking-for-some-self-satisfying-thrills. You know what I mean?
Mindy
But why does it hurt so much when I lose this person? True, we are not together physically but he was there for me most of the time. He was there when I felt down. He made me laugh. He made me feel special. Oh, I could go on and on about why I feel we connected but I guess there’s no use now. This really sucks! I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.
Mork
That’s because despite the fact that everything was online, you felt it was real.
Mindy
Well, it did feel real. Bummer! I was so stupid!
Mork
You’re not stupid,honey. You’re just normal. You want the same things that most people want. Only, the channel you used to get what you want was not a reliable one. Very risky, in fact. Anyway, who is this guy again?
Mindy
Oh, don't bother. I doubt the name that I've been calling all this while is indeed his real name. Let's just call him a dummy.
Mork
Huh?
Mindy
A dummy. He’s a person, alright, but he’s the imaginary person he set out to concoct. He’s a friend, too, but now he has stopped becoming one. He’s there but he’s not really there. In short, he's real but he's fake.
Mork
Well, dear, he doesn't know how lucky he is for having you in his life. It’s his loss, really, not yours.
Mindy, you have that glum look on your face again. Come on, spill it out, what’s wrong, dear?
Mindy
Have you ever lost someone?
Mork
Are you kidding me? When my dad passed away, I was devastated and suicidal. Err…did you just lose someone?
Mindy
Well, sorta kinda.
Mork
Hmm…nobody significant died, I hope?
Mindy
Nah. He just disappeared.
Mork
Disappeared? Do I know this person?
Mindy
Of course you know him. I’ve told you about him. Met him on the Net and we’ve been in contact for about 5 years now.
Mork
(Sigh) Mindy, you of all people should know that people you meet on the Net are not always what they seem.
Mindy
I know. I guess I was duped. But you know me. I’ve always been honest and transparent. I don’t lie to people, even if I don’t know them.
Mork
I guess not everybody takes netiquette – online etiquette - seriously. People who take pleasure in lying and pretending on the Net forget that they are communicating to a real person, not just to a computer. I guess it slipped their minds that they’re not supposed to do anything online that they wouldn’t do in real life.
Mindy
Such as?
Mork
Taking anything without paying for it. Unles it’s free, of course. Reading other people’s email- you wouldn’t open your neighbour’s mailbox and read their mail, right?
Mindy
Right. Despite all these, a lot of bonds of friendship and love have developed online. I mean, I’ve heard of so many true stories of people making friends and finding partners on the Net.
Mork
I guess those people are really honest. When you’re online, just as in real life, honesty’s the best policy. I guess out of ten people you meet on the Net, maybe one or two are really honest. The rest are just good-for-nothing-jerks-looking-for-some-self-satisfying-thrills. You know what I mean?
Mindy
But why does it hurt so much when I lose this person? True, we are not together physically but he was there for me most of the time. He was there when I felt down. He made me laugh. He made me feel special. Oh, I could go on and on about why I feel we connected but I guess there’s no use now. This really sucks! I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.
Mork
That’s because despite the fact that everything was online, you felt it was real.
Mindy
Well, it did feel real. Bummer! I was so stupid!
Mork
You’re not stupid,honey. You’re just normal. You want the same things that most people want. Only, the channel you used to get what you want was not a reliable one. Very risky, in fact. Anyway, who is this guy again?
Mindy
Oh, don't bother. I doubt the name that I've been calling all this while is indeed his real name. Let's just call him a dummy.
Mork
Huh?
Mindy
A dummy. He’s a person, alright, but he’s the imaginary person he set out to concoct. He’s a friend, too, but now he has stopped becoming one. He’s there but he’s not really there. In short, he's real but he's fake.
Mork
Well, dear, he doesn't know how lucky he is for having you in his life. It’s his loss, really, not yours.
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