Internet relationships
Oh stop, it's nothing like that.
I went to James Madison University from Sept 91-Dec of 93. Went to some other schools before that, long story I don't want to go into right now 
While I was there, I started playing MUDs and MUSH and through a great series of events, I met a woman online before the internet really existed. At that point we were all getting into having school email accounts, and posting things on bulletin boards, and everything EVERYTHING was done with this thing called a modem.
I played this online, text based, roleplaying game with people from all over the country, in fact it was everywhere;There was a guy from Denmark and a girl from Australia that used to stay up really late or wake up super early just to hang out. Yeah, I know, The height of the social scene.
A good friend of mine and I had always talked about how you can or can't tell emotions from an email or from text scrolling across the screen - cool thing is, he made it his masters thesis I Still to this day think you can totally with some people, and not with others.
I've been thinking about all this lately and realized that the internet is really, truly a social phenomenon. I just spent 20 minutes talking with MammaDawg about books we've read, books we're waiting for, etc. I've never met her, she lives on the other coast, but I felt comfortable talking with her.
Mike, over at Unraveling Mysteries emailed me after I had missed a few days of blogging to make sure I was okay. I talk about Dad stuff with RagingDad on his blog and my blog all the time.
And Facebook? Oh lordy don't even get me started. But that's a different phenomenon. That's a reconnection, rather than a connection. I've found everyone from almost all of my ex-gf's to a guy who I was in CUB SCOUTS with (Hey Kev), but they are all people I have known before.
I think the internet allows us to find people who we are compatible with, can share thoughts with, or even in Mike's case - mess with, when the Sox pound the crap out of the Angels. But that being said, it's a catalyst for communication across space like never before. When the hell would I hang out talking to, or even meet, a guy from the other side of the US who smokes cigars, likes the Angels, and has completely opposite political views? Or a woman who is talking about her family and how her Brother is being a pill, or just checking out RagingDaughter Connie's latest pic to admire how adorable little girls are.
I have always said that this blog is for me, but admitted that I like feedback(no, that is not me soliciting for feedback). It's the excitement of getting an email from the blog that is a comment from someone about something you've written, or thought about. And they agree wholeheartedly, or vehemently disagree. You're making a connection and forging a relationship no matter how deep or how slight. I find myself opening outlook each morning, and perusing several of the sites I enjoy (including my newest fascination, the Bloggess herself), and spending some time every night rereading the posts and responding to them.
Why? Why do I care what is going on in these peoples lives? People I will probably never meet, and yet care about. Get sad when I find out something bad that's happened, happy when something cool as hell happens. I'm still investigating all that in my head. This post is part of it, and the main reason I blog. It's helped me to iron out some of the millions of random fired thoughts in this big mush back in my head.
And it's not even just the people who come to my blog and draw me to theirs. It's the people who are commenting as well. I've got an interesting mix of friends old and new, fellow bloggers, random posters who followed a comment I made on another blog, and just people who find me using google.
I'm not even going to mention how often I update my twitter account, and how often people remark on it on Facebook. That's just a rabbit I don't even want to look at, stay in the hat fuzzy white creature of doom
October 23rd, 2008 - 04:54
Dude.
I totally get you.
Now I need to tell my wife about our relationship.
I don’t like to keep these things from her.
October 23rd, 2008 - 09:49
I knew that was coming, wasn’t sure who was gonna make the crack. So glad it was you
October 23rd, 2008 - 18:56
Man,
That was DEEP, even for you. You sure spend a lot of time with your thoughts.
I’m just saying….
BTW-Is this what happens when your gone for a few days? Nothing and then a ton of posts. Get back to work and stop giving me grief over my So Cal team…
October 23rd, 2008 - 18:57
Well said, M. I have really found great value and enjoyment in the relationships that I’ve developed just in the last four months since I began blogging. In a sense, it is “just for me,” but I have been pretty active in trying to find other parent bloggers whose work I enjoy, and engage them in conversation–with some hope that they come over to my “house” and do the same on mine. It really makes for some entertaining conversations, especially once you start engaging them on twitter and on FB, and other places.
It is an amazing world of communication that we are in. Those who poo poo it as just superficial are overlooking how a new tool is building good, old fashioned relationships.
October 23rd, 2008 - 18:58
By the way, The Bloggess is absolutely one of the best! Good choice on fascination.
October 23rd, 2008 - 19:42
OK I’m going to be like Joe’s wife and get jealous.
October 23rd, 2008 - 20:28
I so get this post. Except the fascination with me. Unless it’s morbid fascination. Then I *totally* get this post.
October 23rd, 2008 - 21:25
@RagingDad – that’s how I feel too. It’s nice to have something that’s mine and that I can do at times when it hits me. Again, it’s for me, but it’s nice to ‘talk’ to people about what I’m thinking. It’s not like I’m going to fly out to you and Mike and want to be best friends. I will admit tho, I do look forward to seeing what y’all have to say. Except for Mike, he’s a republican.
@Mike – I know, the smoke coming out of my ears was unbelievable. Thought I’d have to remove the smoke detectors. And as for agreeing with Joe’s wife, You would! Go smoke a cigar or something
@Bloggess – I think that’s what we’re all doing tho, trying to post what we are thinking about, and trying to find people who ‘get’ us on different levels.