Posted by grapebubblegum on June 27, 2001, at 11:14:32
In reply to Re: this 'article', posted by Dr. Bob on June 26, 2001, at 2:51:06
But could someone point me to the "really creepy story" by Alison, if it is appropriate to ask? My voyeurism is showing. I just want to know if it is an internet-related issue.
Anyway, more importantly, I have to say that I have posted on message boards and I have run my own for a while and I closed it down recently. For what it is worth, I want to let everyone know that being a board operator must have the highest rate of burnout of any paid or non-paid profession or hobby.
I used to be critical and obnoxious at times when I was simply a poster (not implying anything about anyone except myself) and then when I ran my own board I quickly saw how very critical and demanding my posters could be (and also, coincidentally, how many of them are total sweethearts), and I gained an appreciation for how much work and heart goes into running a large board for hundreds of readers and posters. Dr. Bob deserves lots of credit; I buckled from the stress after a short while and closed my board down. I've learned some lessons, though, and if I ever open another board I will have gained some experience and I will structure it far more carefully ahead of time. I've been on all sides and I know what it is like to want, ask, and even half-kiddingly demand changes from the owner of the board I like to frequent, although I would like to think that for the most part I have been the "easy" and pleasant variety of board poster; I've also seen that I have at times spent way too much time reading and posting to boards and should spend less time on them; as I said, I've seen what it is like to manage one and the way that inevitably becomes a time-eater...
Also, everyone should keep in mind that everything we write here is as good as a piece of paper posted to every grocery store corkboard all over the world. People can copy, print, circulate, and use every single character you type as they see fit. And people can have little files with everything you've written, and keep tabs on your IP address and such, and go around reading what you write for as long as you post on the internet, although hopefully that would not happen and people can "stalk" passively or actively in real life just as they can facilitated by the internet, but remember that just posting on the internet makes much more "public" figures of all of us, so....
Sorry to sound scary and gloomy. On the other hand, with proper precautions and a knowledge of the public-ness of what you write, the internet is a tremendous resource whether you choose to use it passively (just reading) or actively (interacting with others.) Keep in mind that this board, like all boards (the internet has only been actively used by anywhere close to as many people as it is being used right now for just a few years, remember) is a work in progress. This is just my long-winded way of tipping my hat to Dr. Bob. I've already mailed him a private hat-tip, so he does not need to acknowledge this. ;o)
poster:grapebubblegum
thread:586
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20010315/msgs/1503.html