i hadn't thought about that, but you're right. i still do, but none of my friends do any more. no one buys books, buys music, etc. the computer has changed everyone's lives and i'm not sure it's really altogether better. it's enriching, yes. but it was supposed to add to your knowledge , not replace it. kids just look up what they need, instead of actually learning anything forever.
my daughter, whose intelligence i admire, told me that this board is exactly how the computer was intended to be used: as a means of exchanging information and broadening perspectives. we are not using it instead of doing something, we use it as a means of learning to do something better than we might have.
you really can't say that about too many many computer-related things any more. it's become that lazy answer to too many things.