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

My Documentary account was jokeful in its delivery of a subject that we have all known, a menace to "cyber-shipping". My equally jovial suggestion that I continue with a follow up with the subject of online personnas getting above themselves seems to be be more real a threat than I had ever considered. Since I am, these days, not posting on forums/ messageboards, I pop in occasionally to see what's occurring, what I see now makes me wonder; do these people lack some sort of confidence in the actual world of reality?

I admire the days of BBC messageboards because back then, there was no such thing as an ego- or rather, there was but it couldn't go any further than a simple pretence. We were "all equal" and the host or moderators were shadowy individuals, neutral parties observing and masking choices that were non-biased.

Back then, some of us wanted to be moderators because we could identify who were troublemakers and were virtually powerless, sweeped up with everyone else.
However I come to a darker content; a steel-world where imagination is wrought with conflict, becoming a part of an experience, the social interraction of people's minds, sharing ideas and emotions and yet some thoughts are best left unsaid.
For those who lack "REAL" lives and spend their waking moments trying, in their own twisted capacity to be; defining themselves by the power that they now hold. Ego-maniacs armed with power; that's a frightening thought.

The thrill of using online messageboards is that, it's free, it's fun and you meet so many interesting people from all walks of life, from all over the globe. Why therefore do I feel betrayed by a forum that I still attach myself to purely because of the few recognisable faces that I know. Those who I do not know- after spending so much; now I look upon as wasted time- are control freaks, the very epitome of wasted lives and I know I should not get vexed by their lack of existence but I spent my time on something that I had hoped would pay back a thousand times over. New people, new interractions.

They want to create a utopian society-online; most forums attempt to create this creche for burdgeoning minds, however there is one catch- you must be part of the system, their collective gestalt of rapport that goes further than simply friendship. By insisting that everyone active should post, they do not want people to leave and to make sure of this, they time-limit people's absence; already there's pressure building. Why should they time-limit your actions of three months in activity continuing with cancellation of your membership? What if your work entails you to go without internet connection or steers you away from access or you decide to take a gap-year or a three-month holiday?- it can happen but sadly it's not taken into consideration by them.

Now then, that removes the "fun" aspect of posting, already you have to be part of the rapport or brotherhood to know if you're getting anywhere or not, you have to spend your lives on it constantly- "All work and no play makes Johnny a good boy!" I hear you shout!

Now- the freeness is called into question, a new thread pops up with; "Do you support said forum?"- are they a political movement now? If the answer is yes- to both questions then you have PAID for a little bonus that enables you or rather enables the lazy ego-maniac to work. Encouraging you that it reduces the amount of money they have to pay for the forum, that might sound self-fish but it's a matter of choice of whether to pay or not. They want you to stay-ontopic that they want, they want you to be like them and they want a utopia where "you support them"? For money now becomes the centre of their thoughts rather than simple communication. Power to the PEOPLE!

ONE ORDER!- You can almost hear the Daleks' speech in their voices.

WE ARE THE SUPREME CREATURES! WE ARE TO CONFORM TOGETHER IN ORDER TO BECOME THE SUPREME STRENGTH OF THIS FORUM!!!!!!!!!

But what happens to those few who do not own the specific "bonus" that you pay for- £3.40! It's not a big number but it's a choice, an option now becoming a mandatory feature or else you're wasting THEIR money. Of course if you're not one of the popular members or even a part of the gestalt, you feel the heavy curtain of alienation already on you, is it worth it to be dubbed "rebel" or "non-conformist" to the mass of faceless individuals.

Forget Davros making Daleks out of human heads, his legacy truly shows that these creatures; the biased moderators/ administrators lack moral understanding instead wanting to imitate their mechanised monstrous idols. Are they Supreme or simply want to live in a world free from the Thals- I mean outsiders, abandon identity and become possibly harsher to anyone who does not conform?

"Man-y years ago there were two peop-les on this for-um. Our-selves the Sup-remes and THEM- the non-con-forms. After the delet-ion con-flict, we re-tir-ed into the for-um; pro-tect-ed by our sup-rem-acy. Most of THEM per-ished dur-ing this time, those who sur-vive and do not con-form are horr-ible be-ings. Mon-sters..."

"Our BRAins are just like YOURs except we have REMOved certain WEAKnesses"

What weaknesses?

"INDIVIDuality, EMOtion, UNDERSTanding, REASONing, COMMON-sense"

That means you're not like us- you're weirdoes!