Social Networking

Pretty much all of the social networking places or online communities I am a part of are within the realm of sports. I don't have a Facebook, a Myspace, which leaves me in a vast minority with everyone else I know basically. I'm just too lazy to keep up with that stuff, and besides, if I want to find out how others are doing, I'll just call, text, or go see them - I really don't like doing it over the Internet. It just seems extremely impersonal, but not to the point that it's not a great tool to keep in touch with friends and family across the country. I just prefer to do it in a different way, more of the old school way of keeping in touch, and so far I'm fine with it.

As for the communities I do belong to, like I said, they're all sports related, and most are blogs. Places like Deadspin, The Big Lead, ESPN are all places that I am a part of, whether it be in the comments or message boards. It is however ironic that I called Facebook and Myspace impersonal, yet I've never met any of the people I've interacted with on those websites. Still, I love debating about sports related topics, and those places give me the forum in which to do so when I'm not debating with my friends. At the same time, I can read a lot of good information on sports while I'm at those sites, and see how people all across the nation feel on the same topics that I am trying to process as a fan. Best put, those websites and forums are like a large community of people with the same interests you have, which - as I bring this full circle - is exactly what I imagine a good online community to be.