Quibbling over whether or not Paul is still Internet connected misses the point.

Posted by Carl Simpson on May 8, 2012 07:03 pm 7

If Paul uses an ATM, and an ATM uses the Internet during its machinations to fetch his money, hasn't Paul just used the Internet?

It is possible that the relationship "uses" is transitive. In that case, if Paul uses x, and x uses the Internet, then "Paul uses the Internet" is true. Does this mean that Paul's articles on the Verge prove that he's not offline? Well, that depends on whether or not you consider Paul's handing in his articles to his editor as a case of the "uses" relationship. Does Paul "use" his editor?

If it is, does that mean that if I ask my friend to print a document, and he is a sailor in his spare time, that I use a boat? After all, Carl uses Phillip, Phillip uses a boat. Therefore (pursuant to the transitivity of "uses"), Carl uses a boat, right?

Perhaps that's not how it works. Maybe there has to be a sense of "follow through". After all, Paul is giving his articles to his editor so that they can be published. Perhaps that's what incriminates him as a user of the Internet.

Surprise, surprise, readers. I've wasted your time. That debate is all very interesting, if you are morbidly dull or excessively bored, but it has nothing to do with what Paul is up to.

Imagine the life of a man called Charles. Charles does not, at this time, pay for an Internet connection. He doesn't visit the library or have an Internet connection at work (he's a... dog trainer...), and he never uses his friend's computer.

His life must be different to yours or mine, right? Oh, sure, the Internet is greasing the wheels of his existence along at every turn (mixed metaphor?), but nonetheless, rather him than me! The way he's chosen to go on existing is not at all like my life- it's not a trivial difference.

No more of this "Paul isn't off the Internet" nonsense, please. What Paul is exploring, in short, is The Life of Charles.