Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E8

This episode makes use of the new technologies,  i.e. the web, laptop computers with tiny, tiny screens.  Giles' reasons for not liking the Internet are pretty similar to my E-reader hesitations. 

Jenny Calendar: Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell.
Jenny Calendar: Computers don't smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and-and-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It's-it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly. wledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It's-it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly.

We're also introduced to Jenny Calendar who is just adorable.  And she quickly dispels any prejudice we have about modern science vs. Magic.  They are not mutually exclusive and one can actually benefit the other. She definitely represents the idea of free knowledge and sees academia as "old white guys" who hoard it.  She states that the Internet is a new frontier, a new world, where they can make their own rules and I find this incredibly interesting.  It really was like that in the beginning, wasn't it?  I have to say the playful banter with Giles makes me a little sad, knowing how that romance will end.   

What I find most interesting are the fears surrounding the Internet and the anonymity of it all.  Buffy is immediately concerned for Willow when she learns about "Malcolm" because Willow doesn't know what this guy looks like and that it could be anyone.  Moloch even talks about the freedom he experiences on the web and how he knows the secrets of the world leaders.  I think this is still a relevant concern in our modern world, though we've gotten a lot better at policing it.