tavie.com

Feedback time, people. I need to hear about how your offline lives have changed by being involved with a cybercommunity-- I'm thinking particularly of KITH fandom because that's how I know most of you who read this. Although I'm not actually carrying out this cyberanthro study (not yet, anyway!), I'd like to see how my theory could be applied with real people. My own example (starting going to college, halfway moving out of my parents' house, through KITH fandom) isn't enough.

Here's another example of what I mean:

Tavie:Hey, why did you start blogging? When you started?
StewStang:LOL
StewStang:you mean, like originally, back in the day?
Tavie:Yeah
StewStang:Well, that was right after my trip to canada, where I met a lot of the people in "the circle" and so I kinda felt like I knew the people a little better.
StewStang:Like before then, I'd looked at your blog a few times, like had just seen it in passing, but never paid attention to it...and after that I started reading it...
StewStang:and then I started following the links, and such...
StewStang:and it was right after I started this job, and I was finding myself with a lot of downtime, which was always taken up reading those blogs...
Tavie:Ah ha! So, you see, you started blogging through knowing KITH fans, and you met your fiance from blogging... see where I'm going...
Tavie:I like to trace important things to KITH fandom
StewStang:and I guess part of me wanted to be part of "the crowd"
Tavie:It's fun to be in a cybercommunity
StewStang:and I wanted to get closer in to the fan movement.
StewStang:Oh, yeah, absolutely...No Kith, No KITH fan blogs, no steve blog.
Tavie:And now you travel all the time to be with her and it's all because you were in this community! Ah ha, see, you could be in my cybergeek study, were I to do it
StewStang:Yeah, exactly.
StewStang:My involvement with KITH fandom, at whatever level, is responsible in my entire life changing...
Tavie:I can't say that you "get out more" due to being in a blogging circle, but you certainly DID broaden your social connections, and you DO travel more. So it still fits.
Tavie:Mine too.
StewStang:Oh absolutely.
Tavie:Is it okay if I post part of this conversation on my blog? I want some feedback. I need life-changing stories that can be traced to participation in this community.
StewStang:I seriously doubt I would have had a girlfriend at this point in my life, without my involvement in the cybercommunity...
Tavie:See how beneficial it is!
StewStang:and I CERTAINLY doubt I'd be thinking of getting married and taking a daughter on.