When did it all start?

[Steven]

	Me too -- I'm a newbie and probably out of my depth most of the time  
but here's my take.  When I first got on-line I participated in the  
book boards on aol.  I was surprised to find myself developing a  
pseudo-persona (finally named McQ) who bore only the most glancing  
resemblance to myself.  But he was great at generating a lot of steam  
and fustian.  There was a lot of free-floating aggression there that  
was part of the 'board experience'.  Flame wars, etc.  But finally I  
had to give him up and revert to my humble self.  Too much trouble or  
maybe I just got too old for the 'game'.  I think the same dynamic is  
at work here -- it's aggressive but not as deeply felt by the players  
as would seem to someone just poking their nose in.  It's also  
probably a self-defense mechanism for the board as a whole -- a way  
of burning off the chaff.

	


On Sep 14, 2006, at 1:17 PM, Ya Sam wrote:

> I am a relative newcomer to the P-list, but browsing in the  
> archives reveals deep enmity between some participants, people  
> calling each other names and really hating one another.

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