NS Off-Topic, I call on you!

remi · February 2007

<div class="IPBDescription">Tell me your experience.</div>I haven't been active here much since the year of silence, but anyways... here's the deal:

I'm taking this class called Virtual Worlds, Real Communities. For it, I need to write a midterm paper by thursday.
This is the topic I have chosen:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Critics have argued that virtual communities are not real and that mailing lists, instant messaging, chat rooms and online forums actually take people away from face to face communication and reduce our chances for formming physical communities and real connections. Where do game communities fit in? Are games ways for people to disengage from real-life? What is lost/gained by being part of such a community? Take a position and define where game communities fit in. You can restrict your argument to a specific game or a game type. Make sure you support your arguments.</div>

So how can you help? Well by telling me your personal experiences. Have you been able to take anything away from virtual communities? How are things different here?

If you have anything else you can think to say, let me know. The more "research data" i get the easier this will be.

Thanks for your help. The more perspectives I get the better. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

I figure this is a good place to ask because this community, while all sharing the NS background, is not stuck in NS. I know I've played other games with many of you. (Blockland, Maple Story... Etc) But yeah, tell me whatever experiences you have had or what lessons you have learned or whatever.

Thanks <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

DiscoZombie · February 2007

there's plenty to say on that topic but it's hard to know where to start. I guess the short, textbook version is that games and game communities can bring people from different backgrounds together to play and socialize in an interactive medium. they bring people together but must be taken in moderation so as not to lose touch with RL. That's pretty much all common sense though.

As for personal experience, hm. When I was in middle school and high school, I played games with my friends, and the internet really didn't exist yet, at least not in a mainstream way. Then I met my fiance over the internet. To be honest, I did kinda stop hanging out with people IRL when I got more into online gaming and socializing. Now I live with my fiance and play WoW with her, and we hang out with friends now and then but most of the time we're largely online citizens.

Byeka · February 2007

One way that the NS community forums have helped me come together with everyone has been through hosting and playing <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=3142067028637742592&showtopic=90852" target="_blank">the werewolf game.</a> Through it I've met a lot of other people from around the world with similar interests as myself. On another scale, Natural-Selection also inspired me to start a clan and later a community. Although both died out they introduced me into positions of leadership and gave me practical experience in working with others and managing everything from logistics, simple accounting, management, and leadership.

The NS forums bring together a group of people with similar interests and in most cases similar personalities to one extent or another.

remi · February 2007

Woo, more interesting thoughts for me to dwell on. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Thanks to both of you, anyone else got anything to say?

and disco: (no offense is intended, just trying to dig a little deeper)
Do you think it's healthy that you and your fiance play WoW and tend to live the online life more? What's your rationale? Do you think it makes your relationship stronger/weaker?

Also how did you meet your fiance? I've got a similar story from someone else so more details on this would be helpful so I could talk about that as a benifiet.

The thought that it brings people of like minds together is a good one and one I will probably make a lot of mention of.

Freak, that's a different direction that I didn't think of. I never really tried to start my own clan, but that's lots of useful. Could you elaborate a little on how it had to do with simple accounting?

Quaunaut · February 2007

I personally think the entire premise is a bit whacky, myself. Sure, you don't have as many physical communities at that point, but really, is there really such a need for them? Groups such as those for gaming have very specific goals- people playing together, people discussing games, etc. Adding the physical element may even ruin things, the same way that they do in other, physical communities.

Otherwise, I've found that games are one of the best mediums to begin communities over, socializing at the such. They have a clear and concise goal, with a constant supply of new things to talk about. I've found lots of different online communities supply this, so really, as long as you're getting the feeling of a human on the other side of the text, I don't see how its a real issue that physical-world bonds aren't being formed. It'd be like meeting someone at an auto show, and wanting to bring them to the supermarket- the communities over the net serve a specific purpose.

douchebagatron · February 2007

from this community alone ive learned how to do things such as model and animate, from other communities i learned how to map and lead as an admin. while this skills will most likely not help me in my future, the fact that i learned them helped me to become more of a learner which has helped in my computer science degree. i wouldnt have been able to learn these skills without the people on these communities.

tigersmith · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Quaunaut @ Feb 5 2007, 02:39 PM) [snapback]1604056[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
I personally think the entire premise is a bit whacky, myself. Sure, you don't have as many physical communities at that point, but really, is there really such a need for them? Groups such as those for gaming have very specific goals- people playing together, people discussing games, etc. Adding the physical element may even ruin things, the same way that they do in other, physical communities.

Otherwise, I've found that games are one of the best mediums to begin communities over, socializing at the such. They have a clear and concise goal, with a constant supply of new things to talk about. I've found lots of different online communities supply this, so really, as long as you're getting the feeling of a human on the other side of the text, I don't see how its a real issue that physical-world bonds aren't being formed. It'd be like meeting someone at an auto show, and wanting to bring them to the supermarket- the communities over the net serve a specific purpose.
</div>

O nice sig Quad. I was in boston when that happened, and pretty soon ill be living in boston full time.

DiscoZombie · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Psyke @ Feb 5 2007, 02:23 PM) [snapback]1604053[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
and disco: (no offense is intended, just trying to dig a little deeper)
Do you think it's healthy that you and your fiance play WoW and tend to live the online life more? What's your rationale? Do you think it makes your relationship stronger/weaker?
</div>

Well, it's strange, but I've always been a sort of shy guy. I'm somewhat distrustful of people. I'm not great at keeping friendships IRL, but I open up freely on the internet, because you can have conversations and even relationships but there's always a layer of distance and anonymity. It's hard to say whether the internet and gaming are good or bad for me in this respect. If games and the internet didn't exist, maybe I'd be forced to be more social IRL, or maybe I'd just be even more of a shut-in and just read books or watch TV all night every night and never talk to anyone =p

As for the effect on my relationship... well, we both like video games, and the fact that there's one we both like that we can play together, while simultaneously playing with other people, is pretty cool. I think it's good for us because it's cheap, keeps us entertained, and we still socialize with people in the game, while maybe going out with friends IRL maybe once a week, and talking to coworkers during the day.

I linked to <a href="http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/games/wowworld.html" target="_blank">this article</a> from a thread a week or two ago, and I believe it to be funny and true and good reading for this essay =p

One paragraph says: "You've heard stories about how ticket sales are plummeting at movie theaters, in favor of home DVD viewing. Why? Why do so many people want to work from home now? Because we're sick of having to sit with other people. We want that extra layer of control that meat interaction will never give us. We want a world without the unpredictability of real, unrestrained humanity."

I'm going to have to agree.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Also how did you meet your fiance? I've got a similar story from someone else so more details on this would be helpful so I could talk about that as a benifiet.
The thought that it brings people of like minds together is a good one and one I will probably make a lot of mention of. </div>

We met on the 'net in like 1998. She posted an ad for her website in a newsgroup I frequented, and I followed it. Her website was hilarious and I struck up a conversation with her over email. we met in person a couple months later, and we've been together pretty much ever since (with a few bumps in the road along the way). I wish I could say we met in a video game, but that was just a bonus <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

Metalcat · February 2007

well, i spend alot of time on internet communities and while its nice and all, i do feel kinda unsure in myself and i kinda have problems approaching people, so yay for me

TychoCelchuuu · February 2007

Best of luck to you and your term paper which misspells "forming." I disagree with you but that's not helpful so I won't go in to it.

remi · February 2007

The typo is kind of funny considering I copy pasted from the professor's site.

And wether you agree or disagree your thoughts are important, and I'd like to hear them if you don't mind. Seeing the views of those that disagree can make it so my argument is tighter, or on the more extreme side of things, might change the direction my paper could go in.

So do please share.

Swiftspear · February 2007

As someone who has spent ALOT of time both participating and administrating virtual based communities, I'd have to say that honestly it's a bit of both. Personally I don't feel that all the relationships I develop online are as valid as they would be by necessity in face to face relationships. There is a large element of respect and abstract intimacy that's impossible to emulate in the purely online avenue. Anonynimity and virtual representation DEFINITELY take away from the intimacy and interpersonal understanding possible in face to face relationships, as well as decreasing the likelihood of establishing emotional depth. If you need a rational for this point I'm more then willing to give one, but I'll skip it for now because it would be alot of writing, there's a huge realm of human interaction to cover as evidence points.

The former being said, I also won't say that the relationships formed in online communities are not valid relationships or that they are not valuable in many cases. I know of several cases of people I would consider real friends online, people I would quite readily and willingly support in real life if the need and opportunity arose. I know there are lots of people I have met online that I'd love to meet in real life, alot of the people I know online probably know me better then many of my local friends. While the online context makes it more difficult to truly know a person and develop an intimate relationship, it doesn't make it impossible, and it doesn't immediately invalidate the relationship made.

pardzh · February 2007

Well most of my friends "IRL" aren't very computer literate, nor do many of them play games of any sort beyond Madden and Mario Kart. So to talk games, computers, and other stuff that doesn't normally come up in my every day socializing, I sort of have to come online. When it comes to that type of stuff, I certainly respect the word of the forumites here over my friends who can barely browse the internet without downloading spyware, but WoW has left me with a bad taste in my mouth about this issue.

Any friendships I forged there were ultimately a hollow symbiosis of sorts: We all wanted leet purpelz, so we joined up with 39 other people we didn't <i>really</i> know or care about so we could get them. I know there's plenty of exceptions to this and every person who plays WoW that reads this will immediately scream, "NO WEI I LUV MY GUILDIES," but for the majority of the people you'll see on a WoW server, it's the truth. They join the guild, get to know you enough to comfortably play the game with you, do the bare minimum they can to achieve phat loots, and leave the guild for another that will get them phatter loots.

Of course that doesn't apply to all games, genres, or communities.

Thaldarin · February 2007

I never talk about internets peoples to real-life peoples. I've met a few from a LAN I went to over a year ago. Stayed in touch with one.

Also met various girls via faceparty/myspace who I still stay in touch with.

In general it's a separate life for myself, small part compared to 'real-life'.

Redford · February 2007

A person is a person is a person. The reason human beings value eye to eye contact is we have been doing it since the evoultion of our species, and then for the thousands of years which compose recorded history. Also let it be known that it is mankind to fear and delay change. Therefore, based on these two points, I feel that it is perfectly possible to communicate with someone without face to face communication, our race just need some time to get used to the idea.

For those wondering, I am success story. I was a very shy and intorverted person, but thanks to personal communication over the internet where I could hide my less desirable physical charateristics, I was able to gain self-confidence and am now much more confident when talking to people in Real Life .

Scythe · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Redford @ Feb 6 2007, 05:47 PM) [snapback]1604171[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>my less desirable physical charateristics
</div>

Moobs!

I think that online communities are a great supplement to a normal social life. They provide a window into other cultures and ways of thinking that you simply would not encounter in your normal day, meeting your normal friends.

However using online forums as a surrogate for a normal social life is not a good thing. Human beings are social creatures. We need face-to-face interactions to get through live without going spare. There's a lot more to social interaction than talking. Exposure to expressions, intonations, gestures and thousands of other subconscious influences are vital for the proper development of the human brain.

--Scythe--

pardzh · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Scythe @ Feb 6 2007, 06:34 AM) [snapback]1604186[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Exposure to expressions, intonations, gestures and thousands of other subconscious influences are vital for the proper development of the human brain.
</div>
Thanks, that's exactly a point I was trying to make and couldn't get it into words.

When I used to game and use the internet a lot more heavily than I do now, I swear I almost lost the ability to read people's facial expressions. I've had conversations with more than one girl I was interested back then and they told me they were pretty much throwing themselves at me nonverbally, but I never really did anything about it. Those subtle little things like eye contact and gesticulations are a huge part of communication, and losing touch with them is really detrimental to face-to-face social situations.

eediot · February 2007

Why are you winking? Do you have something in your eye? Yeah, it's really dusty here, huh. I don't like the dust, it keeps getting into my computer and I have to clean it. Do you like computers? Oh, no, probably not... Well, I gotta go. I need to finish leveling my paladin.

pardzh · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(emperor_awesome @ Feb 6 2007, 08:39 AM) [snapback]1604207[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Why are you winking? Do you have something in your eye? Yeah, it's really dusty here, huh. I don't like the dust, it keeps getting into my computer and I have to clean it. Do you like computers? Oh, no, probably not... Well, I gotta go. I need to finish leveling my paladin.
</div>
I know you're trying to be funny, but I actually see ish like this happen amongst my nerdier friends.

They complain about how girls are so confusing and indirect. Then they turn around and do nothing about the ones clamoring to be with them, because apparently they can't read the veritable smoke signals being sent their way. I chalk my own stupidity up to being 15 at the time, but it's something different to see guys in their early 20's without a clue as to how girls communicate non-verbally.

remi · February 2007

You guys have given me a lot to think about, so thanks quite a bit.
If you are interested in seeing the final paper after I'm done send me a PM and I'd be glad to show you.

I'll warn you though I'm not that great a writer.

If you have anything else on this topic or just want to continue talking about it feel free. I am going to write the first draft with what I've recieved so far in mind, but more information could help with the second draft.

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

Kaine · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pardzh @ Feb 7 2007, 02:00 AM) [snapback]1604222[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
I know you're trying to be funny, but I actually see ish like this happen amongst my nerdier friends.

They complain about how girls are so confusing and indirect. Then they turn around and do nothing about the ones clamoring to be with them, because apparently they can't read the veritable smoke signals being sent their way. I chalk my own stupidity up to being 15 at the time, but it's something different to see guys in their early 20's without a clue as to how girls communicate non-verbally.
</div>

this extends to other social skills as well. I've got friends that have serious trouble even with simple social interactions like ordering food or communicating in the workplace. Thing is, these people would probably still struggle even if they didn't spend so much time immersing themselves in internet communities. I used to have serious problems with self confidence and talking to people, but i made, and continue to make, a concious effort to improve my social skills and my understanding of things like body language. For about 8 years now i've been heavily involved in various online communities, and i can honestly state that the positive influences from these interactions outweighs any negatives by a massive amount. I've made aquaintances that have turned into real friendships with people from other places in my own city, country and the world that i would never have made otherwise.

Not to say that this is the norm for people involved in online communities, but it certainly isn't unheard of.

i could go on, but i'd rather not write a book <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

UltimaGecko · February 2007

I'm that socially inept person. Symbols I can tend to get, that's all well and good, it's the whole 'starting conversations' thing that kills me. And the 'does she have a girlfriend' aspect (people tend to go places in groups, and it's still impossible for me to tell whether people are together or not). In fact, it's rare that I actually come across that many people, because I just don't like large crowds all that much. I prefer 1-4 other people, not 10-40 others. Parties are just killers for me, since I don't find it entertaining to run around getting drunk. Then again, I'm inept enough (or just incompetent enough), that I don't know what other things I could possibly do to properly meet people.

Plus I'm pretty incompetent at job-interviews, and I discovered long ago that money is an important compontent in meeting people, whether you like to think so or not. It's funny, because I'm usually quite good at reading people as an outside observer, but once you get that person next to me, bah...it's like something out of a crazy anime or something (without the panty-grabbing/breast seeing/whatever). I see numerous places in the past where I've completely botched things that could have potentially ended well for me...but there's not really much I can do about them, because they're obscene conditions and rare oppurtunities for meeting people.

My incompetence most likely stems from years of being shunned by middle-school and early high-school peers, and not from any sort of predisposition to video games. I'd most likely sit around playing chess with myself or drawing or writing or doing something moderately constructive if I didn't have video games (but still nothing relationship-oriented). I've also been told that I have a rather pretentious tone while speaking, which makes it seem like I'm being condescending to any sort of audience (which happens inadvertently, but at least I sound like a complete idiot when I speak foreign languages).

I do have the constant fear that all of my high school and college activities are futile, since any sort of job I attempt to get will likely end in failure (now, anyone psychologically educated may say that such a quote is representative of a lack of confidence and self-esteem, but ultimately it ends in some sort of prophesized failure, because even when I feel I've done good on an interview there's the inevitable "Thank you for participating in our interview process, unfortunately we are unable to offer you a position with our company at this time" note. Physical limitations don't help either (see Caboose's crazy "Caboose has a date" thread). Also, I don't believe in 'self-esteem'. I'm good at stuff, but I don't know how to apply my skills properly, or to convince people that my application of such skills is noteworthy above someone elses better display of inferior skills). Feigned couresy is also not one of my strong points, and one of my friends has commented that this makes me appear 'surly'...which may be true, but I see no real means of changing that.

Thus ends my pointless rant that doesn't really have much to do with the question posed at the beginning of this thread, thank you for your time <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> .

Moquiao · February 2007

ok, im sorry ive not had time to read anybody elses reply, as im short on time

i am just gonna throw in my quick story, it may help, may not..

i used to work for a popular filesharing client, and i was involved with the tech support room... i met, 20+ people from that channel "irl" 2 of whom are my best friends to this day.. ( this was like 6 or so years ago)

i met one girl, from new york, and i dated her for 4 months 3 months cyber fake time and she came to visit me too... but ofc, distance got in the way

i also met another girl on there <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> and not deterred by the first time, started a something, with one visit per month from london > manchester, when the time came for me to spread my wings, i moved up to manchester to be nearer to her, we had 2.4 years together and it was some of the happiest times of my life..

i have been to guild meetings and such with WoW guilds ive been with, and met some of the wonderful people ive been honored to play with, and yeah, i would definately not say its damaged me socially.. but, i was a very social teen, and so i dont know how traditional gamers ( no offence, but you know, nerdy book sorts, who are semi recluse) idont know how it would affect them in those ways..

but i have had nothing but positive experiences, about meeting people online, its easy to let the press get ahold of society, cos ofc, they wont hear about my fantastic guild meeting, or my 2.4 year long wonderful relationship.. they will hear about that one in a bazillion childrape case, which yes, is tragic, and all that, but its way to easy to focus on the negatives, when the positives far outweigh it in reality..

i assume it just an essay your doing <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> but if you want, i can post pics of my old guild 'The Bunny Squad' all in Hard Rock in manchester, doing bunny ears over theyre heads xD <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> who knows!

Ty for reading <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Lofung · February 2007

ironically when people all complain how the internet cause negative effect on teens, i found myself more outgoing after i used the internet more often and efficiently. i always make friends on the net and meet them in the real world. on the other hand classmates discuss with me on academic problems or just chat more frequently through IMs. u may be surprised to know that i met my last girlfriend for the first time on a newsgroup.

when u talk about game communities, yes i make net-friends through them and quite a number of them become my friends in the real world. friendships made from communities, to me, usually last longer since for most of the cases we share similar hobbies, gaming at least. however, being part of the community means that u spend more time online and u will do less exercise. so u may be less physically fit and become tired easily.

i find guilds in MMORPGs more disgusting then the societies in the real world. they are relatively more complex compare with clans in RTS or FPS. when those kids, sometimes even silly adults, start those political things like power abusing, flaming each other, gossiping and hurting people from behind, they annoy me, even if i am not involved. although u may argue that "we have the same thing in the real world". but u when u consider the speed that 'information' or 'news' spread, u find it more likely to come across these negative things which always make ue headache, where u cant escape it! they are all around u. one reason to play game is to hide from things u dislike in the real world right? anyway, perhaps i am too biased over MMORPGs.

like TVs or cell phones, if u use the net correctly, it surely enriches your life. if not, gg.

Femme_Fatale · February 2007

okay story sent
but you know
boy,girl (on a server playing ns)
they start talking.
boy likes girl,girl likes boy,they meet etc etc la la
allmost 2 years after they "met",they still go out .

Lt_Patch · February 2007

Ok, after writing a crapload in here, I've decided that it's not for the forum eyes to see. Mainly because it'll get trolled to pieces, by the likes of Tycho, and E_A...
I'm'ma sending it in a PM...

TychoCelchuuu · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lt_Patch @ Feb 7 2007, 01:14 PM) [snapback]1604537[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Ok, after writing a crapload in here, I've decided that it's not for the forum eyes to see. Mainly because it'll get trolled to pieces, by the likes of Tycho, and E_A...
I'm'ma sending it in a PM...
</div>

Eh, what? What did I ever do?

Anyways, from personal experience, at least, gaming/online communities are seperate entities from real-life ones. I gravitate towards different communities, talk with different people, and act differently depending on whether or not it's in person or online. The connections I form on the Internet are defined differently and are formed for different reasons than the connections I form in real life. Internet friendships generally wouldn't work as real-life friendships and vice versa, and if they do, it's because the person fits in to two categories, not because their Internet persona is completely analogous to their real life one.

For example, let's take one of my real-life friends, Eddie, who I also spend a lot of time talking with online in the context of Internet communities and stuff. We're friends IRL because we share a sense of humor and have similar philosphies when it comes to important things in life (generally). We also get along real well on the Internet because we have similar interests (we like the same games, we talk about tech stuff).

Now, there are plenty of people I could meet on the Internet that have my same sense of humor or that share my philosphies, but that's not any reason for me to gravitate towards them online. Sure, I appreciate something funny they say or I enjoy making them laugh, but I don't seek out people like that and I don't really have that many Internet-buddies who are like that.

Similarly, I don't have a ton of real-life friends who like the same computer games (Starsiege: Tribes, NOLF, Deus Ex, whatever) and who are really into tech. It's just not the kind of thing that I find in my friends in real life. Those are characteristics that have an impact on who I get to know on the Internet (although those aren't the only ones), but they have no bearing at all in meatspace.

Let's look at another one of my friends, Tait. He and I are friends in real life but our Internet contact is limited to IM; he's not much of a techie either way and even if he was we wouldn't do much together online. We also share a similar sense of humor, and he's just generally a nice guy. He's also an artist (I really like his art) and he likes my writing. This stuff can easily translate into online characteristics; he's not funnier or less funny on the computer, and I can just as easily browse his deviantArt page as I can go over to his house and look at his stuff. The thing is, though, I don't have any Internet friends like him. I don't get to know funny artists online who enjoy my writing, like I do in real life.

Eddie is both an Internet friend and a real-life friend, while Tait I only really interact with in real life. Friend #3 would be someone who I only know through the Internet. Obviously there are plenty of people like that (I'm antisocial so it's easier for me to make friends online) and some of them are posters on this forum, like my E-friend example, Scythe-. We know each other through the NS forums, and a mod we work on, and World of Warcraft guild, and other nerdy things. I wouldn't know Scythe- in real life, not only because he lives on the other side of the world in a different hemisphere, but because I don't really know people like him in real life. I'm not really sure about the details of all you Internet-peoples' lives, but I wager that a fair amount of you are like Scythe-, or at least as different from me as he is, only in different ways. Those things don't factor in when you're online.

All this basically means that I'm in different groups, with different people, almost as a different person, when I'm online, vs when I'm walking around getting rained on (I live in Seattle). I'm not quite sure how well I'd hit it off with y'all if we had an NS forums meetup, just like I don't think I could keep a group of my buddies together in a chatroom talking about something, even though we can easily do it in real life (we'd have to pretend it was a real face to face conversation, instead of treating it like we all treat IRC or whatever).

Does that make sense?

NS Off-Topic, I call on you!

Comments