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

I had no TV for the first year I was at uni, and I never really missed it. There's a TV in the house now, but I very rarely watch it. It's surprisingly easy to give up, and isn't that important.
I still enjoy watching videos, though.

Yeah, you don't really notice it. My younger brother blanches at the thought of going to a summer camp without tv, but you really don't notice... and your life, corny as it sounds, ends up being much richer. A lot of people don't think the internet's much better...but at least here we're talking to people.

Yes, I feel that I can be much more involved in the internet than with TV. I mean on TV you have TV characters, but they're actors, they don't mean what they say, and they never notice the audience. Okay, a lot of chat rooms are like that too, but with H2G2 you can talk to the people and they notice you, and respond.
Gives you a far better feeling of envolvement.
Yet somehow people who spend all day watching soaps or football are considered "normal", yet those on computers all day are "geeks"???

But we are geeks in solidarity We all have eachother. I think the people who watch football or soaps all day are weird. The difference is that H2G2 really is a COMMUNITY, rather than a few actors living out fake lives.

I couldn't have put it better myself. With H2G2 you can make a difference to those around you, and you can be helped. If you ask a question, it may well be answered. You can learn about other people, and talk to them. It's great.
And the good thing is it's real.

Although widely scattered, which, to people who haven't experienced it, may make it seem fake. This is an enviroment in which you can talk to strangers...meet new people...without risk of embarassment or anything. And I just ran out of anything intelligible to say when I looked at the clock and noticed that it's 12:55 at night. And I haven't moved for four hours, since I got home.

I definately don't think it's fake - I've met a lot of the h2g2 people in real life, and they are pretty much what you'd expect them to be, and all are really friendly.

And you're right - this is somewhere without risk, not even of embarrasment. The worst someone can say to you is "I don't like you " (actually, they can say worse, but if you inform Peta she'll probably ban him/her and delete the comment, so practically that's the worst that can be said.)

Exactly. Another effect of forums is that you have to think before you speak most of the time. YOu can't just say something than regret it, because you ahve to type it, then post it, etc.

That's true - although it hasn't stopped a couple of arguments, often caused by someone phrasing a sentance badly or mis-reading or mis-understanding. But sadly I guess that's inevitable.
They tend not to last long, luckily, and H2G2 is still as friendly as I remember it when I first joined.

Even if people do argue, it's usualy ove principles or beliefs, not quarrels which no one will remember in 10 minutes.

Very true - and they usually try to be as nice about it as they can, saying "I can understand what you mean, but I think..." which makes it quite a friendly debate in most ways. Always a few exceptions, though.

It's the difference between debate and vindictive bickering.

Very true.