Invisibly Yours

Ok so how many people excessively use the "invisible mode" on yahoo? Personally, I love it.

Google has it too, but I'm biased to yahoo. Probably not a good thing to say when I'm using blogger eh? In the harsh real world we live in, invisibility is just a figment of imagination, or is it? An invisible cloak, some potion, Mr.India or the Harry Potter kind of stuff would still be in demand 100 years from now.

Anonymity can be such a boon, especially when it involves some nagging and highly irksome people who just won't take a hint. It gives me the advantage of being online yet wary of the gossipmongers who don't spare anyone. It's my magic wand that makes me invisible to the world and available to a few elite who deserve my attention, or sometimes maybe the other way around. It's my escape from the people who want to make small talk and in the entire world's politeness, pick me to ask a favor. Nah, I'll pass thank you very much.

Speaking of being mysterious online, I remember the time (and this is prolly going to give out my age, sigh...it’s only a number...it’s only a number) when hotmail and yahoo were new and happening. Everyone wanted to be on the 'world wide web.' Everyone gave out their email address like a cheap fake smile, like it or leave it type of thing. And everyone, I mean EVERYONE was on yahoo chat. There were a hundred something live chat rooms based on a billion different preferences that stopped at nothing. Chat rooms for different ethnic groups and even a state wise allocation for the really keen ones.

It was for the sophisticated, it was for the sleazy and everyone in-between. There were some who much to my repulsion, wanted to put their life as it unfolded on the internet. Some sort of fetish that was. Most people were on it for social networking. The others were looking for some sort of love that kept evading them; I wouldn't be surprised if they still haven't found it. It was the 'in' thing. There were shady email ids that wouldn't have a hint of the sex of the person, let alone anything else. The fairly naïve ones had their email address with their family name-given name-last name@yahoo/hotmail.com, some still do. It took more than just phonetics to help spell it. It was hilarious. Again, they all loved to sport this totally different personality online. Almost like a façade. I mean sure, who wants to talk to a forty year old pot bellied guy in a grocery store when the same guy camouflages himself into a hot and happening, twenty something guy, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Brad Pitt?

Sure, some people are just very comfortable putting their most intimate secrets in their status message, but is that the true reflection of who they really are? It’s almost like they don a different personality, only this one is more comfortable being so upfront and open. I’ve read people’s life stories in their status messages, funny right? Not one bit. The more explicit it gets the more I cringe at the thought of being a shoulder for them to cry on. I mean how can I tell you what you did wrong and why your boyfriend broke up with you, even if you’re doing it as we speak?

Sometimes even the brave, like myself, tend to slip into the convenience of escapism rather than take on the other invisible 'others'. It’s just so much easier that way. A friend recently started tested being invisible. She’s usually pretty upfront and candid so you can imagine my surprise when she decided to take cover from a certain someone. All that up-in-your-face attitude and then what? You finally lose to such weirdos who ask you the most appalling stuff on chat (any communication except face-face). From stuff like what's your salary to what are you wearing?

These days its 'ok' not to add acquaintances you once rubbed shoulders with in some ancient organization you worked for, if you don't want to. There is no moral police who will hunt you down and nail you for choosing not to be associated to some people who just want to feed off your sympathy or in some cases, the entire you. I get a lot of requests on Facebook from people who I met once and maybe exchanged a very compulsory yet polite 'hello' in some era. Am I going to add you and have you snoop into my profile and proclaim to the world how we're such good friends? Think again.

I like being invisible, in my own sense of the term. Like being in control of who gets to interact with me, yet socially being out there, I mean why can’t I have both? I like the privilege of being able to appear and disappear online (yeah where else?) and sure we all like to bask in the convenience that comes with technology. So the next time you’re online and you’re wondering where everyone is, ping them and you’ll be surprised. Signing off, invisibly yours.