larasteele
04-10-2004, 11:38 PM
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a girl. She was a very ordinary girl--bright and funny, to be sure, but there are many bright and funny young ladies in the world.
This girl had a unique situation in her life. A relationship had developed between her and an older friend. The situation had become a bit of a burden for her, and although her best friend tried to understand, there were not too many sympathetic ears to be found.
So this bright, savvy girl did what she did when she wanted to know anything. She logged onto the World Wide Web and began searching. There were many places online for people in her unique situation; so many she was amazed!
She immediately logged onto the first site she found and joined the group. However, she quickly found that the group wasn't convenient--the communication methods were outdated and cumbersome, and the correspondence flooded her e-mail without really helping her. This group was too difficult to use!
Determined, she tried again. She searched and searched and found another very active community. She logged on and joined, and read to her hearts content. But there were disturbing undertones to this group--it seemed that some members were underage, and no one was really watching out for these things.
Sighing, she resigned herself to giving up on the Web. Sometimes the Internet was full of more frogs than princes, she thought. But just in case...ever hopeful, she tried one more group. First she read the new threads. Then she read the older ones.... Next, she smiled, happy. At last! This group was just right!
She joined, and immediately posted for advice. For the next few days, every spare minute she had was spent parked in her chair before the glowing screen, avidly watching the replies pour in.
It was very helpful advice, and the people were great! Before long, she had made new friends. They spent their time laughing and chatting and posting like mad. She gave the best advice she could, and asked for advice for her own troubles.
Life was good.
Well, time pa s s ed. Her first prince--the one who had sent her into the nether depths of the Internet searching for advice--well, his warts began to show. She sent him back to his mud hole, and was a single woman again. However, she hung around her new online home anyway, maintaining old friendships and building new ones.
One day, and a few frogs later, the girl met a shining knight. Well, mostly shining. His armor WAS a bit rusty...but his blade was sharp and quick in her defense.
The girl felt she had it all--friends, a relationship, a good life.
As it sometimes happens, her real life held her interest a lot more so than her online life. But her community still gave her friendship, support, and an all-around good feeling. She stopped in from time to time to see how the gang was, and to add her two cents into the stew of advice.
To her surprise and delight, a good friend was promoted to the King's Counsel. She couldn't have been happier, for her friend was just the sort of advisor that kings would fall all over each other to get. Wise, warm, welcoming...he was all that you could ask for in an advisor.
Things proceeded swimmingly for a short time...then, with an ominous clang, her friend lost his head!
The king seemed to have lost his senses! To lose such needed counsel! What a travesty.
The remaining Counselors to the King...well, they were all right. Mostly pretty good, actually. A bit heavy handed when a discussion got a little heated...but hey, we all make mistakes, right?
The girl decided she could live with change.
Until the day she saw a question asked, and erased instead of answered.
This will not do! Thought the girl.
The girl knew then, that her place of refuge in the wild seas of the World Wide Web was NOT the place she wanted to be. NOT anymore.
Sad, she turned to walk away....but how would her friends find her?
Ah!
They simply have to know where to look. In the vast arenas of cyberspace, she always used the same sign on name. Popular places, with messengers...like Yippee! They could find her there, under the same name...spelled slightly differently, mind you. Add an underscore between the two names, and drop the final e, my friends, and you will find me.
This girl had a unique situation in her life. A relationship had developed between her and an older friend. The situation had become a bit of a burden for her, and although her best friend tried to understand, there were not too many sympathetic ears to be found.
So this bright, savvy girl did what she did when she wanted to know anything. She logged onto the World Wide Web and began searching. There were many places online for people in her unique situation; so many she was amazed!
She immediately logged onto the first site she found and joined the group. However, she quickly found that the group wasn't convenient--the communication methods were outdated and cumbersome, and the correspondence flooded her e-mail without really helping her. This group was too difficult to use!
Determined, she tried again. She searched and searched and found another very active community. She logged on and joined, and read to her hearts content. But there were disturbing undertones to this group--it seemed that some members were underage, and no one was really watching out for these things.
Sighing, she resigned herself to giving up on the Web. Sometimes the Internet was full of more frogs than princes, she thought. But just in case...ever hopeful, she tried one more group. First she read the new threads. Then she read the older ones.... Next, she smiled, happy. At last! This group was just right!
She joined, and immediately posted for advice. For the next few days, every spare minute she had was spent parked in her chair before the glowing screen, avidly watching the replies pour in.
It was very helpful advice, and the people were great! Before long, she had made new friends. They spent their time laughing and chatting and posting like mad. She gave the best advice she could, and asked for advice for her own troubles.
Life was good.
Well, time pa s s ed. Her first prince--the one who had sent her into the nether depths of the Internet searching for advice--well, his warts began to show. She sent him back to his mud hole, and was a single woman again. However, she hung around her new online home anyway, maintaining old friendships and building new ones.
One day, and a few frogs later, the girl met a shining knight. Well, mostly shining. His armor WAS a bit rusty...but his blade was sharp and quick in her defense.
The girl felt she had it all--friends, a relationship, a good life.
As it sometimes happens, her real life held her interest a lot more so than her online life. But her community still gave her friendship, support, and an all-around good feeling. She stopped in from time to time to see how the gang was, and to add her two cents into the stew of advice.
To her surprise and delight, a good friend was promoted to the King's Counsel. She couldn't have been happier, for her friend was just the sort of advisor that kings would fall all over each other to get. Wise, warm, welcoming...he was all that you could ask for in an advisor.
Things proceeded swimmingly for a short time...then, with an ominous clang, her friend lost his head!
The king seemed to have lost his senses! To lose such needed counsel! What a travesty.
The remaining Counselors to the King...well, they were all right. Mostly pretty good, actually. A bit heavy handed when a discussion got a little heated...but hey, we all make mistakes, right?
The girl decided she could live with change.
Until the day she saw a question asked, and erased instead of answered.
This will not do! Thought the girl.
The girl knew then, that her place of refuge in the wild seas of the World Wide Web was NOT the place she wanted to be. NOT anymore.
Sad, she turned to walk away....but how would her friends find her?
Ah!
They simply have to know where to look. In the vast arenas of cyberspace, she always used the same sign on name. Popular places, with messengers...like Yippee! They could find her there, under the same name...spelled slightly differently, mind you. Add an underscore between the two names, and drop the final e, my friends, and you will find me.