people online. ‘Cause the internet ain’t real. It’s easy to think it is, but it just ain’t, especially when dealing with other people.

 Case in Point:  Aaron Sneary (that’s me) vs. Keith Goldman
We were two completely opposite and antagonistic folks on a internet forum about our mutual hobby, LEGO. There were fights, foul words, backbiting, and general viciousness. I have no idea how it got started, but it lasted many years. The end of the feud, I admit is all Keith’s doing. About a year ago, I get an unprompted email from him apologizing for his behavior. Shocked, surprised, and inspired by his admission of guilt, I reciprocated, apologizing for my own bad behavior in the course of our internet interactions. He summed it up well on his own site when he posted an ironic picture of us finally meeting:

“Just because you think somebody SEEMS like a tool online, doesn’t mean they can’t be funny, engaging, and a great new friend.” - Keith Goldman

You see us reenacting our mutual dislike of years previous, but had just finished a heartwarming handshake and “great to finally meet you in person” session.

So if I seem like a tool or a jerk online, or someone claims that you are, remember that the internet ain’t real, and you don’t really know somebody ’till you shake their hand and share a laugh.

Relationships | RSS 2.0 | Comment it , or trackback this post.