22 July 2001, 21:51 GMT

Fifteen year old Timmy explains: "Every time I call up, there is someone different to talk to. I can talk for hours about any subject I like, and there's no comeback. Because it's all stateless, anything I say disappears into a void of nothingness."

Timmy continues: "It's just like one of those dial-up chat-rooms, only I don't have to pay five dollars a minute! And I get to make all these friends, all nice and quick, with no responsibilities or commitments or anything."

Most of Timmy's real-life friendships have been transitory in nature, hence his somewhat unorthodox view that this is the way that all friendships are.

"My best friend last year had to move to a different school," he offers as an example. "I had only known him for a few days. I mean, the amount of effort I had to put into establishing that friendship, and all for nothing. He doesn't even bother to write or email, or anything!"

"When I grow up," he added, "I would like to go and work in a Call Center! That would be amazing - I would have so many friends, all coming and going as they please - people just calling up to have a nice friendly chat, then disappearing again. Like quantum particles popping into existence, then just randomly popping out again. Wow!"

Of course the employment criteria for call center operators are quite stringent.

"Yeah, I've heard!" Timmy enthused. "I think I'll have to flunk all my exams especially."

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