On this site, I have made many actual friends. People that I think about, worry about, see in real life, and often feed food too. I have started to wonder how this has happened.

I have been on Internet based communities since the late 80s with dialup BBS's and then into UseNet, IRC and email lists … then the past 5yrs, web forums. So for 15yrs (yikes) I had been communicating with strangers over the computer, but not until this site, that I found a few years ago, did I start to actually make personal connections. Connections deep enough, that if I never used a computer again, I would still contact these people.

I attribute this to the design and layout of this site. It is very person-centric, instead of topic-centric. Lately, as things try to become driven more and more by content, the more I see, what I feel, is the core of this site.

1. The design of the forum highlights who posted, and encourages you to click their 'face' and view their profile. With the latest design, the users name and ‘face’ frame their post. Also, for example, username is the first column in the “latest forum activity” table on the home page.

2. The navigational ease of reaching a users profile. Just click their face

3. The users profile features a large version of their 'face' and offers people a chance to talk about their personal interests.

4. Music releases, patches, mixits, reviews emphasize that person who posted it, more than the content. This is evident, again with the person-centric layout. For example click this release link and notice how large and prominent HV9s info is.

5. HQ. A great resource that makes you feel human, real, and local to others in your area.

6. With the advent of the 'emPage' (which I call the mePage) came blogs, which have become a snapshot into members lives, fears, hopes, dreams, and sometimes porn

7. emPages, also, have given users their own forum that has been used greatly for personal expression and growth. For example, my two favs: the emPage forum (now gone) that spawned link and of coarse this new one: X

8. emChat. This all time great way to waste a day instead of working I know try to keep my visits to a minimum because of this. I have other theories why the new emChat is more popular than previously, but I will save that for another blog.

It is because of these types of things that encourage the members of this site to post useful and often personal information.

Please feel free to add your thoughts on this subject.