That was awesome. But ultimately depressing.

Hopefully, we have a high enough VCP quota to offset any TC's. However, I've a feeling that however warm and fuzzy you feel to an online community, it will follow its path regardless.

*sobs*

Woah, damn. I need to start reading things through to the end before I post them.

There are a number of characters, stages and scenarios missing from that rather loose itemization, and not all networks fail in sequence as he has described, nor do they all fail at all.

The book is still being written, but one thing I do know is this: Keeping the Barbarians at the Gate out of the Citidel is key to a long-running, civil, intelligent online community.

This can be an artificial wall, like a bar of entry, a subscription fee, an invitation only.

Or it can self police or be vigorously moderated through a number of creative mechanisisms. Craigslist is an example, but mind the bar at CL is awfully low, but there IS a bar.

Look at The WELL. It has existed for nearly two decades? Almost three? Very high bar of entry - cost, as well as toll charges (pre internet) - as well as a fair amount of fierce, daunting and dour intellect.

It's interesting to me that here and now at what is still the nearly lawless wilderness of the information age that we're basically forming small city-states or nation-states. Citizens, citidels.

I don't know if I like the sound of that. I think we've been here before.

*joins seanyboy, sobbing drunkenly*

Seanyboy is, of course, speaking as a PIE. Mmm, PIE.

(And as a tiresome contrarian, I must say, HEY, I don't attack people personally. I just like playing devil's advocate. So the article is wrong and the author is an imbecilic goatrapist.)

I feel like a tourist here, but I also think I have a bit of a clue as to what's going on. In many respects I don't belong or fit in, but then I've never been a joiner.

Hmmm Trappist goats making beer.

It hurt my eyes too much to read it.

Glad it was entertaining.

I have no doubt there's plenty of sub-types beyond what I mentioned, and of course the whole thing is a little dashed-off, but I thought it got across what I was trying to say.

As for the WELL, I would still contend the inhabitants have "rotated" since 1985, and the WELL of today is not the WELL of 20 years ago.

And who said the lifespan of a community I'm describing is *short*?

I refuse to be pigeon-holed and I refuse to believe that our favourite little corner of the Intarwebs won't be around for time immemorial.

Wait, does that make me a tiresome contrarian?

No, that makes you someone who won't get to say goodbye properly.