Caught in a web

Sunday Times readers among you might have read this article in the magazine.

Doubtless you did not give a second thought to how the content of the story contrasted with the advertisements alongside its text and elsewhere in the magazine. We read about the precipice on which modern life teeters, and at the same time few of us pause and consider that the magazine's advertisements encourage us to perpetuate the situation and we turn the page.

Today, The Independent published a booklet documenting flora and fauna that will not be around for our children to see. There is also an article entitled 'Everything you do has an impact on the planet'

Note how it does not mention how your purchase of the newspaper has provided one more reader who will see advertisements attempting to sell you one more thing to impact the planet.

'But I didn't buy it, I read it on the web,' you protest. And so you will have seen the advert for the Vauxhall car.

Although we have a web of infinite knowledge at our disposal (and remember we are a minority since most people on the planet have yet to make a phone call, let alone send an email or read a newspaper website), we are also caught in a different kind of web.

I am not holier than thou by the way, and I hope I don't come across that way. In our household you will, on any given day, find several newspapers. Sky TV is beamed into our living room as we would only have two channels with just an aerial.

Since Blogger is also financed by advertising, you will also forgive the irony...I should really pay for a domain and a hosting package...need to work on the content here first and maybe I might actually be worth reading.

'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.