Lurking for long enough that you catch yourself thinking you "know" these people and because of the pic threads can *recognize several of them by sight* though they have no idea who you are -- Creepy

Plus, I've become increasingly anti-social over the last year or so, and when you're by yourself, your old friend Computer is always there to suck up your time. This way I can pretend like I'm still part of society without actually having to deal with people. After all, who wants to deal with *real people* when you can always retreat into the cold comfort of the internet?

i totally want to go to "the flesh". also, i wish i lived somewhere that made it possible to randomly meet ilxors. i know the other 2 in lexington so well! is anyone is louisville at least?! or cinci?

I don't think there's anyone in Louisville except Hstencil's parents! Although tonight there was talk about going down there for Lebowski-fest next June.

Well, next time you're in town, Emily...

nordicskills-what town are you located in?

dale the titled and i discussed the derby FAP tonight. who is coming?!?

Also, even though I don't have much desire to go out and be relatively normal human being, I guess I still need SOME kind of contact. Though the fact that I'm increasingly opting for the internet as my social outlet is kinda pathetic.

I don't know what prevented me before. Introversion? Nothing to say? The need to get a feel of the place before I jumped in? Laziness? Probably all that and more.

i do enjoy your posts, though. keep it coming!

This may be true. But it also depends on what kind of thread you're posting to. Obviously, it would be hard to insinuate yourself into something like "This is thread where I say..." But I first discovered this site via ILM (I was searching for Pazz & Jop commentary), and in some ways, I think that's easier to just jump into (esp. with all the list threads).

Best reason for posting to ILX ever!!!

I was going to post as Tempest Bledsoe for much the same reasons.

Anyway, yes, we should be Friendsters. It's my fault, anyway. I think I never wrote you back a while ago!

And it's different than say knowing all about some celebrity because you see there shit everywhere. With this message board, it's more like you in on their personal conversations.

I do feel like a good number of ILX0rs I would walk up and hug and kiss when I meet them (the few that I have met have been met as such.) The people I talk to reguarly here. . . well you are as good as friends as this limited media allows (which sometimes is more than so-called RL) but you know this so whatevah. ..

if you are lurking. . .STOP!

Is it creepier? Nah. When I am in these situations, like the quick introduction, I sort of know how the conversation will go - some lite banter about ILX, etc and then nothing. I dunno ... I guess I just did not want the hassle and boredom of lite conversation about ILX.

Vonda: The funny thing is, even though I'm in the top 50 posters, I also feel like it's weird that I know so much about everyone else, since I've only met a handful of folks and don't consider myself a particularly popular poster. I was just thinking the other day how I could tell you the location of almost everyone on this board. And I think about ILX a lot off-line. It is a little strange.

Emily: Why are we both still awake???

yr only a lurker if you think you are. get in. (jaymc you are not a lurker)

so i don't know offhand where you are but I reconginize you as a regular poster.

when I see an unsual name/ID I'm intrigued. NEW BLOOD!

I agree with Cool Kid that you can never truly "know" someone until you spend time in person with them. Even several hours of phone conversations can be misleading.

But then again, you can meet someone in person and still never see a certain part of their personality that others might, so who the fuck knows.

And yeah, cool kid, platitudes suck.

and you jay.

i am huggy.

But at the same time, if you've had involved internet conversations with these people, you're most likely discussing the real world. It's not some kind of bizarre everquest-type role playing thing that takes place in a wholly invented universe.

A lot of times these ilx conversations don't seem like they'd be all that different if you'd had a random argument with one of these people at a party, for example.

Where am I going with this? I don't know. it's late and my thoughts are jumbled. I need to go to bed.

A hug sounds nice!

Also my name is not really Sam but I will respond when you call me that. And my RL friends know that I am also "Samantha" and won't blink if you ask for me by that.

But at the same time, if you've had involved internet conversations with these people, you're most likely discussing the real world. It's not some kind of bizarre everquest-type role playing thing that takes place in a wholly invented universe.

Hmmm ... that's assuming alot - I think it's best though to think of ILX as lite party conversation.

I think it's best though to think of ILX as lite party conversation.

And AIM is the makeout room.

Haha cool kid. I guess I must not have been paying THAT much attention if I thought that ilx conversations were most likely discussing the real world.

But re your story, I guess for someone as private as you, maybe ilx is a waste of time. But for more outgoing folks like sam seems to be (though I guess for all I know, she's in reality like a hermit steve buscemi or something), it might not be such a waste.

I have no idea how to interpret this.

that just made Sam ahelluvalotmoreinterestingtome...

I mean I am a southern belle and call everyone "sweetie", "honey", and "baby".

But now I feel bad because steve buscemi seems like a really cool person. Plus, he's Donnie.

But then again, how the fuck do I know? In reality, he could be like a mutant Vonda Shepard or something.

if I am outgoing (which I think I am) it is only b/c on the inside I am such a hermit. ..

argh. . .I once had a guy tell me that watching Ghost World made him think of me all day. Was this supposed to be a come on or something??

I went bowling about earlier tonight (okay, by now it's well into yesterday), and at one point someone a couple lanes over barked "Donnie, you're out of your element!" It made me wonder how many times someone's said that in a bowling alley in the last five years. Millions, I bet.

Emily, you are the queen of regular bulletins and I will not deny. I just post the occasional 'hi there! here's what's up.'

i agree with you that ilx is not reality. but then i do not believe in that concept either.

i think the one thing that everyone has in common is that they all get what they want from it. i think thats the same in life, everyone gets what they need from it, otherwise they would not bother i guess

fwiw, i have never had a violent disagreement with you on the internet (i assume you are talking about others here, although i dont really know who), i have only ever considered our chats online as entertaining banter, a little joshing, a bit of a laugh (im sure you are the same),

as to the question, i have never wondered whether i 'know' someone for real or not, because its a strange concept to me. there is no such thing as to 'know' someone. you could be married for 20 years to someone then you find out they are having an affair, or they might blow their own head off. how could you not know this if you know them so well. because you failed, you didnt know them properly. its nothing to worry about though

you shouldnt take ilx seriously i think. you shouldnt take life seriously either. life is funny

all of this is not really of consequence, but thats ok

Aargh, I am getting stressed about doomie again. So he's won. Will I ever learn?

"I went bowling about earlier tonight (okay, by now it's well into yesterday), and at one point someone a couple lanes over barked "Donnie, you're out of your element!" It made me wonder how many times someone's said that in a bowling alley in the last five years. Millions, I bet. "

man that really sucks. the people that work at bowling alleys must have this inner clump of hatred that grows everytime they hear someone think they're being funny by quoting the big lebowski in a bowling alley.

But anyway, now I'm going to try and think of a way to uncreep and undisturb myself.

At any rate, recognizing people whom you've never met from pictures that you've seen on the internet and greeting them would be a serious breach of etiquette, imho. Similar to accosting celebs in public places. Only worse. I never do either, for what it's worth, as I have a serious problem recognizing even people I know, much less those I don't.

Also, I've noticed that it seems like the second your name comes up on a thread, people start bashing you. Why is that? What did you do? Could this have anything to do with your contempt for this place?

I had to stop reading this thread just to respond to that *points above*.

jaymc, I actually especially look forward to the "This is the thread where I say..." threads, because I view them as the least intimidating and most informal things about this forum, places where I get to just be my everyday, average self. No need to try to impress anyone. I'd be absolutely thrilled if more people were to seriously participate in it, especially if they were friendly.

To those of you who are repeating the line that you're too intimidated by this forum to do anything other than just the occasional de-lurk: Please, folks, look at me. I'm nobody special and I certainly don't have the wit or brainpower of a LOT of people around here, and I still not only continue to go here but end up posting quite a lot. If *I* can do it, *you* can do it.

Sam, thank you for being one of those super-welcoming people.