Those of us who spend too much time here have formed something of an enclave; we are an apparently erudite band of wisdom- and humor- worshippers who seem to get along well and have some of the same high ideals. We are not terribly unlike a street gang, who gather together for shelter, camaraderie, and recognizability. The difference is that (and correct me if I'm wrong) street gangs are based mostly on geography, and we, OTOH, are holed up in a corner of the 'net.
I'm not sure if this is an idea, as much as a reflection. We are halfgangstaz: mostly non-violent, entirely faceless, but proud to defend our electronic and intellectual territory.
(no, I am *not* Jon Katz, thank you)-- absterge, Apr 04 2001 Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community http://citeseer.nj....onath97identity.pdfA seminal link on this kind of phenomena. [Aristotle, Apr 04 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004] Here's an HTML version. http://smg.www.medi...ntityDeception.html [jutta, Apr 04 2001] So much for "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog."-- jutta, Apr 04 2001 Woof! (oops...)-- PotatoStew, Apr 04 2001 Who let PotatoStew out?!?-- absterge, Apr 04 2001 jutta: That article was actually quite to find as it had been deleted from it's usual (and much referenced) location. However absterge's mention of gangstaz, status and defending turf reminded me of the DoD reference and this draft version of a classic article. Very relevent to the HalfBakery as issues of identity arise in this textual environment of yours.-- Aristotle, Apr 04 2001 Thats the version I remember with the "ripped" story.-- Aristotle, Apr 05 2001 random, halfbakery