Lounger's ages

[Chaerophon]

Hi Pete,

Funny to see such an interesting post about the Lounge's history at this time - I was just mentioning the "formative effect" of this place to a colleague today. I've actually brought the Lounge up on many occasions as a place where I was first exposed to "real" politics - where I first came to realize what politics was all about - by running into and chatting with a cast of really interesting characters from all walks of life holding all kinds of different opinions. I'm 27 now, working on a PhD in Political Science. I guess I was about 19 when I started lurking here.

There's a growing literature on the "echo chamber effect", but the Lounge and places like it have made me very resistant to the idea that the internet stifles discourse and polarizes debate. I came here because I loved to play a game, but found as diverse of a community as one could imagine. I learned as much about how other people think about the world here as I have in any other single place. The time I spent "ruminating" (fuming is probably a better word) over all kinds of political and philosophical questions with many of you has had a tremendous influence on the future course of my life.

So, thanks to you and others (you know who you are) for chatting over the years. I remember you fondly, and I hope to pop in more frequently in the future.