Old School

Rheingold’s piece on the old-school internet communities brought back so many memories. Back in the day (1997), when AOL 2.0 was the newest version, 28.8 kbps was fast, and we paid for the internet by the hour (sign up for AOL and get 10 hours free!), I used to be on a Backstreet Boys mailing list/list-serv (that’s right, you heard me). I would sit on the computer for hours on end, reading other people’s emails to the group about anything and everything related to the Backstreet Boys: I saw their new video on MTV, I heard the new song on the radio, take a look at these pictures I found, etc. I was that “sport hassler” Rheingold mentions—I picked fights with all the little teenyboppers (yes, I was one, too) about how Nick is ugly and can’t sing (still true) and Oh Look At How You Used The Wrong Its/It’s! I even made close friends through that mailing list. I went to BSB concerts with one girl who lived about an hour away (my parents were okay with that, because she is Asian, too, and that makes everything okay). The sense of community was extremely clear. We knew who everyone was, who met the BSB the most times, and which Backstreet Boy was everyone’s favorite. The best part about being on this mailing list and making friends with the girl who lived an hour away is that it enabled me to finally meet the Backstreet Boys oh-so-many years later (w00t!). The girl and I bought tickets to the same concert and arranged to meet up. We met with a guy who worked with the record label (whom we had met and hassled for backstage passes at a previous concert), and he actually let us backstage.

I’m really sorry for all you people who actually read this whole thing.