[clealuira]

Originally Posted by Poggio

If twenty is old I hate to know what I am. I am not a dinosaur but I grew up with the evolution of the internet. I was there for word processors, color back macs, organ trail. From giant house phone cell phones to the introduction of flip phones, to picture phones etc. I started out with neopets. This to me was the first real avatar site despite it being a pet site. I jumped to gaia, then to other avatar sites, and well while I do not mind forums that do not have avatars, the do not appeal to me and there are really two reasons.

The first being it gives me an excuse to be an older person with a doll. Something my parents said I should stop playing with when I was 12. Virtual communities have given me another way to play dress up and look pretty in a more adult way. The second being is that these communities are generally full of people, like minded people that gathering over the internet. I like talking to these people since there was no way in hell I would meet a lot of them in real life.

I think it has made me a better writer in some ways since I like to rp. I have a vivid imagination for the cliché and wild so until I stop wanting to Rp, dress up, and speaking to people then I won’t have a need for avatar sites. I have left behind two sites fully quit. One was a pet site in which I was an early member. I kept feeling bad for my virtual pets and me not having net to care for them, so I gave my stuff away and left. The second is gaia. My account still exist but hotdamn I cannot stand those teenie-boppers or elitist. Without a middle ground I won’t be going back any time soon.

Wow, can totally relate. I grew up with all those things you mentioned and I used to love neopets. Had an account there five years before I was incorrectly banned for apparent hacking. I protested but they wouldnt listen. Broke my heart, I had a massive plushie collection and spent loads of time cataloging and updating my collection. Anyhoo, have had a Gaia account for like maybe eight years, but now I am trying several other avi sites because Gaias economy is just getting on my nerves. I sometimes feel too old to be on these sites, but I guess they are a bit of an addiction for me. I used to play other online games like Silk Road and Maple story, found them addictive too. Luckily I have enough interests outside of the internet that it wouldnt make any difference to me if it was all gone tomorrow.