The whatosphere?
At the weekend, someone asked us how we met, and in an unusual moment of honesty, Pete started trying to explain about weblogs to someone for whom the internet is not her sole means of making it through the working day without descent into madness and doubt.
It had to be attempted, though, as his statement that we had met on the internet had been met with such a horrified look, that I felt obliged to explain that it was nothing sleazy like a chatroom or a personal ad, and then when I was floundering, Pete stepped in to rescue me, as is his mission.
It's like lots of people who have their own newspapers, online, he said. And everyone's is different, and people read each other's newspapers.
And what are they about?
Whatever the writer is interested in. Some people write fiction, or link to interesting news articles, or write about music...
What's yours about?
Well, I don't have one anymore, but it was about... er...
I thought I could help here, so I put in that Pete's was mostly nonsense, and mine was all about tea. The girl nodded blankly. Then I told her that we had met in a comments box, where we had been agreeing that Jarvis Cocker was God.
She immediately took the opportunity to be distracted by the conversation at the other end of the table, and frankly, I don't feel that she ever got to grips with the concept of weblogs.
spooky coincidence here.
whilst on a train at the weekend i was chatting to a guy (long dull story there) and he asked how i'd met the chappie i was visiting.
again, tried to explain the concept of weblogs to someone who had little grasp of the internet as a whole. and funnily enough i came up with the personal paper idea too.
it still didn't make it any easier for him to comprehend though...
emma · November 03, 2003 14:36Not sure that, given my current circumstances, I can endorse the notion that an online personal ad is "sleazy".
However, I have had to explain the concept of blogging to several non-net types recently. It becomes much easier if you just say "oh, but mine is resting at the moment". They glaze over so sufficiently that it is possible to change the subject.
Graybo · November 03, 2003 14:41I think lots of people's relationships,if not started by are at least fuelled or augmented by the internet - an email address is a throwaway contact, but my girlfriend and I chatted loads whilst randomly online before we swapped phone numbers and she came to visit (I still can't get over how brave she was)...
It's there and you can communicate with it.
Somebody point me at the problem...
Stuart · November 03, 2003 15:20I met J when she posted a message on my guestbook saying nice site and we started chatting. In fact it was a comment on Little Red Boat that brought her to my site.
The internet is just another media, and quite frankly an easier one than a bar or club.
Adrian Sevitz · November 03, 2003 16:12Mind you, we did meet at uni, albeit in the last 20 minutes. The internet just...helped.
Stuart · November 03, 2003 17:00"what's a weblog, then?"
"well, it's like, it's like a kind of thing ..."
"Ah, a thing ..."
"Yes, a thing. That's it!"
"Right."
"Anything else you need to know?"
"No, not really."
Vaughan · November 03, 2003 17:12Stuart, you are right. She IS brave... ;-)
I once attempted to explain a 'blog' as like a personal journal or diary type thing..
Replied was: "Ohh God, like a teenage angsty thing? Ick."
I could hardly disagree could I...
Gordon · November 03, 2003 21:04I usually refer to my website rather than confuse people with terms like blog when they are obviously going to think I'm quite bonkers and lose interest after 2 seconds. My boyfriend and I chatted for 2 months via email before we got it together, and then email and talkers helped us keep it together until I moved 200 miles across the country, making it easier to meet up IRL. The internet is a beautiful thing and anyone who disagrees is just wrong.
Lori · November 03, 2003 22:52this is something i've been encountering oftener and oftener in the past several months. by fortunate twists i've met upwards of a dozen of my favorite bloggers in half a dozen cities since june, and i have very close, important relationships with a decent handful of people i met directly or indirectly through the blogosphere. and that can be hard to explain to someone who's only okay with meeting people in the forthright, sincere atmosphere of a pub or club.
kate · November 04, 2003 09:44:O oh my... chatrooms are SLEAZY???
Gek · November 04, 2003 16:11Someone might have told me...
I'm sure you must have noticed, Gek...
Karen · November 04, 2003 16:12