What is your set-up?

[Nicodemus Phaulkon]

I'm surprised to read a reply like yours in a place like this. This is a website dedicated to two virtual pc games: Diablo and Diablo II. It has some forums in it, and they are frequently visited by generally the same people over and over again.

You noticed the blatantly obvious. Well done.

Sure enough, every few days a new member joins, but seeing that some more experienced lurkers claim to have been here in the beginning, and the respect in here can only be earned by quality over time (e.g. 'mileage'), as a respected and trusted member of this society, you have to be online quite a bit.

I'm a member, period. Online? I'd guesstimate about 3 hours per day, maximum, spread over a 16 hour period per day. Most of that time is spent actually working an online Database; some small part involves visits to the Lurker Lounge and other chosen forums.

Of course, this has to revolve around an actual job, preparing and consuming meals, several hours outside playing and caring for my daughter and doing maintenance on the yard and house (that time of year, y'know), running errands for myself, my wife and my ailing mother, paying bills, attending meetings and making sure that there are sufficient supplies of food and cookies (highly important) in the home.

THAT... I classify as a Life.

I know many people who would regard this 'online time at a game forum' equally abnormal as the time this guy spend to extend and embellish his beloved computer. While we don't think so (or we wouldn't be posting here), it's generally in the eye of the viewer.

Perhaps. At least a discussion forum lends itself to SOME shadow of human interaction and communication. Nicknaming your "box" and publishing its pet peeves, measurements and turn-ons would constitute a profoundly distressing lack of mentality, by comparison. I freely admit to giving my wife's computer a nickname however, as I've loudly called it a P.O.S. on numerous occasions.

I think I remember a flame of Pete some time ago, that went like this:
NewMember: I think you all ought to get out a little bit more. Just a piece of friendly advice.

Pete: So, you need to STFU and lurk till you have a clue. Just a piece of 'friendly advice'.

I recall that very post. Pete was addressing someone's arrogance at strolling into THEIR room and passing judgment on them with his inaugural post. This has very little to do with my own assessment of Reason's social defectiveness, which was done in MY room.

That describes it pretty well. I can imagine a bunch of computer junkies like this 'Reason' guy replying just like Pete did.

98.99 percent of the denizens out there in NeverNeverLand couldn't hold a candle to Pete. They haven't the education, the eruditeness, or the "mileage". Pete's earned his right to say "STFU" in more places than the Lurker Lounge. Can these soother-suckers claim the same?

They may see no single reason to change anything in their life.

Only because they either haven't been pushed, prodded, found truth or simply realize the waste their time has been.

Admittedly, this is MY own opinion. It was offered as such in the previous post. I've know FAR too many young men (and some women) that fall in the category that "Reason" inhabits... and I find it very sad. Life was NOT meant to be lived in a box, with a box, or from a box.