In a couple of weeks, I'll be going grey. I have been checking back here from time to time, looking around the boards and groups, and I have to say that I don't think I'll miss this place. I'll miss my friends, definitely, but I've already exchanged email addresses with some of you and have invited you to visit my new journal (now listed in my "occupation" for people to see once I'm grey).
I've really had it with the Internet. I'm not sure what I'll do once I'm grey. I'm really reclusive and anti-social in real life, and yet I've desired Internet connections. It kind of helps me stay sane, holed up in my room like I am. I'll continue to be available by email and at my journal on Thonky.com, of course, but I wonder if there are any other Internet communities that I would enjoy more than this place. I haven't visited the limerick dictionary site in a long time, but that's definitely not the same (and, actually, it shares some traits with SG that I don't like). The people of the OEDILF have always given me a standoffish vibe. They're not really there to make friends; they're there to write limericks.
The Animal Crossing communities I'm a part of aren't really an adequate substitute for SG. Animal Crossing Ahead is full of a bunch of kids, some of whom are rude, some of whom use chatspeak, some of whom post nothing but one-word spam posts. Not to mention that the place is so severely over-moderated that chances are you'll see five locked threads at the top at any given time. The moderators seem pretty rude, too. It's not a fun place for me.
There's also Animal Crossing Community, but I don't like the design of the forums there. It's hard to keep up with everything. There's actually a Grownup Gamers section of the forums for adult players, but I can't relate to most of the adults. Most of them are older than me, many are married, and most of their lifestyles just seem too different for me to relate.
And forget about MySpace. I can't stand MySpace. I have a profile there, but I'm always thinking about deleting it.
I've said before that the Internet is not for me. L7rules doesn't want me to believe that. But it's hard to imagine any place on the Internet being a happy place for me. There are elitist snobs everywhere who wouldn't accept me, there are over-sexualized places like SG that would make me feel uncomfortable, there are other places with people my age that are bound to have a lot of people talking about their drunkeness or drug use, the so-called "family-friendly" places are full of a bunch of nasty kids….
I guess the point is that I really don't like people, so I'll be hard pressed to find an Internet community, or any community, where I would feel accepted and comfortable.
In recent times, my naïve belief that it's easier to meet people and make friends on the Internet has been shattered. It's just as hard, if not harder. The only thing that seems to make it easier is the sheer volume of people on Internet communities like SG, and the fact that geography is no longer as much of a limitation on the Web. So it's not easier to make friends (not for me, anyway), but the chance of meeting someone with similar interests goes up quite a bit. I wouldn't have met MollyMolly if it had not been for SG, and she is truly one in a million.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want to give up on the Internet completely. But I don't know where to look for a new community to replace SG. I would really like to avoid highly sexual places like this, and also get away from the drunks and drug users. It really brings me down to read posts here because of those two things. I know it's probably bad of me to feel that way, but that's just how I am. I don't identify as straight-edge, and I have my doubts that I'd fit in in any straight-edge communities. Or maybe I'd be surprised. I don't know. I tried participating in the asexuality.org forum, but for as much as the people there don't want to have sex, there is a whole lot of talk about it. There is a lot of negativity there, too.
I guess a lesson I've learned from SG is that I can't be too picky. I realize it's hard to avoid the things I hate about the Internet. I just wish I didn't have to put up with that unpleasantness all the time to avoid being alone.
I've really had it with the Internet. I'm not sure what I'll do once I'm grey. I'm really reclusive and anti-social in real life, and yet I've desired Internet connections. It kind of helps me stay sane, holed up in my room like I am. I'll continue to be available by email and at my journal on Thonky.com, of course, but I wonder if there are any other Internet communities that I would enjoy more than this place. I haven't visited the limerick dictionary site in a long time, but that's definitely not the same (and, actually, it shares some traits with SG that I don't like). The people of the OEDILF have always given me a standoffish vibe. They're not really there to make friends; they're there to write limericks.
The Animal Crossing communities I'm a part of aren't really an adequate substitute for SG. Animal Crossing Ahead is full of a bunch of kids, some of whom are rude, some of whom use chatspeak, some of whom post nothing but one-word spam posts. Not to mention that the place is so severely over-moderated that chances are you'll see five locked threads at the top at any given time. The moderators seem pretty rude, too. It's not a fun place for me.
There's also Animal Crossing Community, but I don't like the design of the forums there. It's hard to keep up with everything. There's actually a Grownup Gamers section of the forums for adult players, but I can't relate to most of the adults. Most of them are older than me, many are married, and most of their lifestyles just seem too different for me to relate.
And forget about MySpace. I can't stand MySpace. I have a profile there, but I'm always thinking about deleting it.
I've said before that the Internet is not for me. L7rules doesn't want me to believe that. But it's hard to imagine any place on the Internet being a happy place for me. There are elitist snobs everywhere who wouldn't accept me, there are over-sexualized places like SG that would make me feel uncomfortable, there are other places with people my age that are bound to have a lot of people talking about their drunkeness or drug use, the so-called "family-friendly" places are full of a bunch of nasty kids….
I guess the point is that I really don't like people, so I'll be hard pressed to find an Internet community, or any community, where I would feel accepted and comfortable.
In recent times, my naïve belief that it's easier to meet people and make friends on the Internet has been shattered. It's just as hard, if not harder. The only thing that seems to make it easier is the sheer volume of people on Internet communities like SG, and the fact that geography is no longer as much of a limitation on the Web. So it's not easier to make friends (not for me, anyway), but the chance of meeting someone with similar interests goes up quite a bit. I wouldn't have met MollyMolly if it had not been for SG, and she is truly one in a million.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want to give up on the Internet completely. But I don't know where to look for a new community to replace SG. I would really like to avoid highly sexual places like this, and also get away from the drunks and drug users. It really brings me down to read posts here because of those two things. I know it's probably bad of me to feel that way, but that's just how I am. I don't identify as straight-edge, and I have my doubts that I'd fit in in any straight-edge communities. Or maybe I'd be surprised. I don't know. I tried participating in the asexuality.org forum, but for as much as the people there don't want to have sex, there is a whole lot of talk about it. There is a lot of negativity there, too.
I guess a lesson I've learned from SG is that I can't be too picky. I realize it's hard to avoid the things I hate about the Internet. I just wish I didn't have to put up with that unpleasantness all the time to avoid being alone.
VIEW 27 of 27 COMMENTS
I hope you're doing better soon. Hang in there.