By Garrison Walters
Computer ignorance abounds in our society. It all began with
the poster child of digital illiteracy, Ollie North, who wasn’t curious enough
to ask whether “delete” really meant “gone forever.” The problem continues with
the subscribers to the Ashley Madison website, who paid to have their accounts
deleted and evidently truly believed that this had been done. Of course, the
Ashley Madison affair (heh, heh) also shows the core failings of men. It turns
out that 99 and a fraction per cent of the women registered on the site were
fake. This means that the real women in the database, eleven by my count, have been either really,
really busy or, far more likely, are graduate students writing dissertations in the fast-rising social science category of "Cognitive Dissonance and the Intermittent Male Appendage."
I wrote a book about the problem of digital illiteracy, Total F*ing Magic, whose purpose is to help
folks understand stuff like where email goes. But no one reads it. It seems
that people just want to believe all is well and make the same mistakes over and over again.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the erstwhile Colonel’s handle is found on
the Ashley Madison website. Hillary Clinton is another digital naif, so, to make
a point – and possibly to sell some books -- I’m publishing some emails from
her “deleted” archive.
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Dear Chelsea:
My first day at the State Department! I’ve been told that
all my communications using official systems or even written while in the
office are public documents, so I’m using this private server and personal phone
for my connections with family and friends. What could go wrong?
Mom, Wise in Washington
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Bill:
I’ve read carefully your request for a million dollar
donation to the “Save the Miss America Pageant” foundation.
