What does the Internet community mean to you?

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Pinkie-Pichu
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I joined the online community years ago, starting out at Mew's Hangout oekaki, then joining the forums and so on. Now I only really go to Pichu's World, DeviantART, and a few other non-pokemon forums.

I remember many communities falling apart, members leaving, and so on. In fact, I remember the names of many people who I met, and who disappeared without much of a trace. I wonder where those people have gone, what their life is like and so on.

I find the Internet somewhat of a distraction from real life. I sometimes to prefer to live online than to go out of the house to meet people. That takes organisation, text messages, a mutually convenient time and never seems to perplex me. This online life is, however, 'virtual' after all, with people behaving differently than in real life (myself included), everyone's faces being hidden behind avatars. And yet, with that anonymity, people see me out of my usual environment (school/home) and also do not judge me by my (sometimes awkward) interactions; you all see the same person, with the same heart and values, but in a different context. And so I feel more free, less constrained and less socially anxious; I can talk about a wider range of topics of interest, and discuss parts of my life than I would normally not share with real life friends.

I find the Internet such as appeal as it makes me feel so much less isolated -- there is always someone there. And for every chronic illness, for every communon interest there are a group of people who share similar views. It is amazing how it is easy for one to feel connected to others which would otherwise not occur in real life. When I feel down, when I feel a need to talk, there is a place for me to go. I feel I belong. Unlike in the real life, where we are pressed to conform to a standard image, where creativity and abstract thinking are misunderstood by many, or even frowned upon.

It is also interesting to see how many internet friends I have online. True, I do not know any of you in the same way as in real life, but it is great to know that I care about my watchers, my viewers, my internet friends and my own community member on Pichu's World. And I wish to apologise if I am hardly ever online (because, let's face it, I cannot hide on the Internet as much as I would like to), or if I draw less frequently, or if I am slightly too distant. Understand that I do no mean to appear disconnected to all of my online friends and acquaintances, and that that is just part of my innate personality (i.e. that I do not easily form close bonds to anyone due to the nature of my past history). I do care about you guys, though.

And so, for me, the Internet community is an adjunct to real life. I feel it is a part of my "home" and heart and will continue to be so. It helps me to stay sane when real life seems so fragmented, dysfunctional and unpredictable.

Thank you you everybody.


What role do internet communities play in your life?

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Lizixl's avatar
Lizixl
<hugs!> We care about you too. ;w;


My dad's a software programmer, so we've had a computer in our house since before I was born. I don't remember a time when I didn't know how to use a computer; I remember a time when I still had to hunt and peck to type (in fact I don't actually use the fast way to type, after years of hunting and pecking typing seems to just come naturally like speaking,) but that was a long time ago. So I was practically raised by the internet.

(queue pointless backstory)

Growing up, I didn't have friends over to my house. I wasn't allowed outside to play, since our neighborhood isn't the best. Going to the park felt like a field trip. I felt completely isolated outside of school. So my brother and I spent most of our time on video games, Neopets and Battle.Net.
On Battle.Net, I learned about internet courtesy, and that people aren't as scary on the internet as they seem at first.
On Neopets, I learned about roleplaying and typing fast (with good grammar), racing the other roleplayers to type a new 400 character post faster than they could. I'd like to think that because of this I can turn in a rough draft for my final version of an essay and still get a high grade.
Playing WoW with my parents helped to tie internet to real life.

Once I was homeschooled, I started attending a program that offered classes for homeschoolers. There, my brother and I made a friend who introduced us to VGCats. So when I heard that forum registering was open, I joined. It was my first forum, I think.
Here, I learned about internet memes, deviantART, the silliness of forum games, and about tablets and digital art. With a gaggle of amazing artists, all older than me, it was amazing. I always thought "art" was Picasso and Van Gogh. To think a simple drawing could be liked so much boosted my interest in art even more.
My time at VGCats was very short (I vowed to not return until I was 16 and my art had improved, after reading a post saying girls should stay off the internet until they're 18. I was so impressionable.), but easily a very valuable set of memories I have.

After this, I returned to Neopets, where I met Karu. Bound by a similar interest in FMA, and a spontaneous AIM account, we became quick friends. When she heard I liked to draw, she introduced me to PWO. And that's where I've been ever since. I've tried joining other communities, but somehow I can only stay active at PWO.

Most of my childhood memories are on the internet. In the end, the internet made me take a step back and look at how I acted towards other people, and how other people acted towards each other. It made me realize that there are rules for a reason, and that adults aren't scary or completely different from me.
Bound by nothing but similar interests, knowing each other by nothing but an avatar and an alias, it's a safe haven where there's always bound to be someone like you, or a mentor who inspires you and guides you through your life. A place where almost anything can be forgiven, where if you scar your name you can try again with a new one. Where ridicule can be more easily ignored, where judging looks don't exist. Where the only thing people know you by is your name and your actions. An honest place where the only thing people see is you.

So to me, the internet is my home, my parent, my family, my haven. A place I can go where I can speak my mind, and even if no one replies, I feel like they're listening. Where there will always be someone I know, someone who knows me, or simply someone who knows.



Ffft, and you thought your comment was long, Teni! :'D