Did the Car Change the Driver?
Remember when, with the arrival of computers, there were alt fan groups like chat rooms, where we could discuss, anything. I belonged to a Keanu Reeves fan group. I had never posted my feelings, thoughts or expressed myself to the world before. I remember how I agonized over the voice I would use, the content, and just how much I gushed about my love for Keanu. But, I also wanted to set myself apart, as I was no regular "fan." I was an honest, real, person who saw his dark tormented soul shining like a beacon in the Hollywood quagmire. I didn't want anything other than to discuss how beautiful and wonderful he was. But it was also a secret society of sorts and I didn't share the content with anyone in my day to day life. Over time, I encountered trolls, and they probably had a few good laughs at my expense. Thinking about it now...makes me cringe. I was from the first group of computer-internet users, and I was in my early 30s. This battling and jousting was serious stuff. Going public was a big deal and I remember when "chatting" was the topic of discussion with my friends and "blowing a private" was either hilarious or enough to move on to another site. The confidence in my voice grew as I meandered through the virtual highway. I found answers to almost every question I could ask. I found like minded people, symptoms for the diseases I had and didn't have. I found porn. Good Lord, I remember hanging a sheet over the living room window, so nobody could see into my house, to see that I was clicking on porn—not even going into the sites—just looking at the thumbnails. Now, several years later I have noticed how savage I have become in my posts, usually on government issues and all things Trump related. How the respect I gave to fellow posters has diminished and I seldom think about the voice or tone or content I give... It is, generally, compromised of a clever rude remark and a cutting comment to put them in their place and to enlist the agreement from whomever may read it. Disclaimer: This is only on Trump topics.