I begin to "see" things in my Matrix.

I know that "ajchun" and "ktsmith" are close blockmates because they "write" each other on a regular basis. I know that if Shuttleboy were ever to disappear, regular Quad users like "ajjoh" and "vollnin" would be heartbroken. I speculate that "lianate" must have had some sort of a fight with "moseau"--why else would he not respond to his roommate's "ytalk" request? I cheer "kmrote" for dedicating so much time to editing her webpage and I silently chide the inconsiderate ones--who I won't name, even in pseudo-username--who idle at the Science Center kiosks for longer than 5 minutes during peak hours.

With a kind of breathless fascination I watch the digital dynamic scroll before me--a fragmented picture of activity that all but invites interpretation. Contrary to stalking, which implies singling out a particular person, "w" displays a sea of faceless usernames. It is this impersonality and vagueness that makes it so addictive. The groundless deconstruction and reconstruction of these ever-changing green columns has become a part-time hobby.

The ironic thing is that everyone can do it; everyone can get hooked--especially during reading period, when procrastination consumes us all. Imagine all of us sitting in front of our keyboards, ignoring our term papers and final exams, staring intently into a sea of streaming green columns, hitting w... w... w... We'd all be watching each other, watching other people watch each other.

Richard S. Lee '01 is a social studies concentrator in Pforzheimer House. His column appears on alternate Wednesdays.