More clearly put, it is the anger experienced by surfers who are dealt too much information, and is the result of the excessive time taken to sort through it all to find the information needed. Apart from throwing up thousands of results, Web searches also serve pop-up windows, advertising banners and promotions - an eyesore to surfers.

Net rage also manifests itself in another form: the frustration over slow Internet connections while dialing up. In this age of the fast and the furious, slow connectivity is completely unacceptable.

Ashish Kotecha, an associate with McKinsey & Co in San Francisco says, "Slow connectivity happens all the time, especially when I'm working out of a client's office and am on dial-up." Kotecha's problem lies in the transfer of information between his clients' office and his own. "We send and receive huge files and need information super fast, so the slow dial-up connections just increase frustration"

He admits to experiencing Net rage, especially when faced with high pressure: "I get angry, impatient, and if I'm pushing to an aggressive deadline, I get stressed."

A recent study conducted by Telewest Broadband in the UK shows that up to 18.7 million UK Internet users are officially afflicted by 'Internet rage,' which ranks higher than other stressful situations such as inefficient public transport, traffic jams, waiting in line and problems with in-laws.

Some also felt their disappointment with the Internet was more acute than their sexual frustrations. The survey found that frustrated men are more likely to attack their computer, while women are likely to relieve Internet tension by yelling out. Five per cent of people interviewed admitted that they had punched, burnt and even thrown their PCs out of windows in rage.

With India's increasing dependence on the Internet, supported in most parts of the country by a dial-up connection, could such a scenario be far behind here?

"If throwing computers solves the problem of Net rage, you'd see a shower of computers falling from windows at Nariman Point," says Yazad Jal, CEO of Praja, an organisation that works toward creating civic awareness in Mumbai. Jal believes Net rage exists mostly because people don't have control over their machine or rather think they don't have any control.

He remembers working in Delhi, when connectivity during the day was impossible. "At that time VSNL was the only ISP and you just couldn't get connected in the daytime," he says. "So, we just had to work around it and do all our Internet-related work between 6 and 8 pm."

But Jal feels that Net rage in India, especially in the metros, will not assume the proportions it has in other countries. "Any kind of machinery is going to break down," he says. "But today you can switch to any ISP you want. In any case, I think the concept of Net rage is silly. If we start talking about road rage, and now Net rage, there's soon going to be 'anything' rage."

His thoughts are echoed by Mark Newman from UK, who posted his views on Net rage on a BBC Web site: "It is so stupid to get upset over something as insignificant as a faulty Web page or site when there is so much real pain and suffering in the world! People need to put things into perspective and realise that to even have a computer puts them in the top 10% of mankind."

Trazel Almeida, marketing and promotions co-ordinator at Verve magazine offers a fresh perspective: "I think Net rage happens more when you're online, not when you're getting online. Your expectations from the Net are too much and that pushes you overboard," she says. "There are people who think they are in love with someone after just two days of chatting. For them the frustration with non-connectivity greater."

Almeida is online every day chatting with her boyfriend. And although he hasn't made her lose sleep, the Internet has. "Once I was online, but couldn't connect to any Web site or any kind of Instant Messenger. That was very frustrating because I tried for 20 minutes," she says. "Then, for another 20 minutes, I kept putting the computer off and on, thinking that would help." 40 minutes later, Almeida had given up, but was left with feelings of rage and frustration. "I gave up and went to sleep but couldn't sleep because I was so irritated." she says.

While Almeida managed to last out 40 minutes, a survey conducted last year by WebTop, a British Web indexing company, points out that it takes a short 12 minutes for Net surfers to reach high frustration levels over the Internet.

Thus, those who have Web sites would do well to take notice and implement certain changes: This article suggests: "Do your part to reduce Web rage. Take a critical look at your Web site today and start drafting a Web site improvement plan."

And to those who want help controlling Web rage, Mark Gorkin, an expert on workplace stress, offers a simple solution: "Don't short-change yourself when it comes to physical exercise. If you're feeling that stressed, get away, walk around for a while." Mary Oxborrow of the Plum Creek Library System in Minnesota, sums up the obvious solution to Net rage caused by fruitless searches on the Internet:
'Internet rage
Got you down?
Get the best help
In our town
Ask A Librarian!'


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 -- Loathe and Behold: The Internet spews hatred