Okay folks, I won't lie to you. The IB Community
forums haven't started like I hoped. While the response from the wordsmiths
has been gratifying, the Talk Back forums are about as exciting as a dentist's waiting
room. I need your help to get this rolling. I know you're reading the essays — I can see
it in the server logs. So why is no one taking advantage of the follow-up opportunity
presented by the forums? A number of reasons come to mind, not
the least of which is the content simply doesn't intrigue you. I hope that isn't the
case. So far, I've assembled a number of the world's best independent Web producers,
all excellent and established writers. Perhaps you're intimidated by the emptiness of the
threads, waiting for someone else to chime in first. It has to start somewhere. If
you get in on the ground floor, you might just make a name for yourself at the
IB Community. Maybe you can't figure out how the
forums work. If that's the reason, then it's my fault, please
let me know. Are the topics of interest to you? There are threads
about building community, and the possibility of
Internet addiction. Looking for creative writing?
Check out the thoughts On Bachelorhood and
streams of consciousness. Do the latest virus scares
and email spam techniques put you off? Come talk about
it. Perhaps you're a care-giver and would like to
express your feelings. Have you experienced the trauma of a bad news
Net affair? If none of this fodder makes you do the Watusi,
why not submit your own contribution for consideration?
Take a look at our purpose and decide for yourself.
Communities are established by participation. If you don't have time to develop a
full-length essay, just start a new topic in the general
discussion thread. I'm not to the point of begging, yet. New ventures
take time to fully develop, but it's no fun when you give a party and nobody comes.
Those who have already joined in are established veterans of the web community.
There's no reason why you can't become a part. We all complain about the lack of
notoriety for independent development. Here's your chance to do something about that. Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to
look at the word itself. Basically, it's made up of two separate words: "mank" and
"ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, so there you have it.
22nd of May 2000
