h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I bought my brother's old computer when he got himself a new one, and got myself an Internet connection just before summer this year, although not completely sure of what I wanted it for...

...and then, in the beginning of summer, I read a small notice in the newspaper about h2g2, and was very excited, since I've almost laughed my head off reading the books...

...and since it was one of the rainiest summers ever, I spent a LOT of my vacation in front of my computer, exploring the world of h2g2.

- What makes a good community?
Being able to easily find people (5 busiest forums) and finding out more about them (my page) and talking to them (forums)

- Which communities have you visited or participated in?
Well, like the subject says, so far just h2g2, and it's been keeping me pretty busy...

- Are communities different from chat rooms?
Oh yes, much more stable form of contact, chat rooms feel so - hmmm - just for the moment, really, unless you meet same people there regularly...

- What's it like to meet Internet friends in real-life?
We had a mini-meet-up with just three people, and it was fun! I discovered I hadn't created any image of the others, not like I do with a voice on the phone, maybe because of the pseudonyms.. and we continued to talk as if we had met in the usual forum, where we talk daily - I think our RL lives are pretty much involved in that forum...

- Do Internet friendships differ from real-life relationships?
In a way... in RL the first impression is usually based upon looks, but in VR you can choose how to present your personality to others, and since it's really the 'inside' of you that matters, it might be a more 'true' picture of your personality - or a completely fake one, but I think that would show in the end, if you spend a lot of time online...