I don't know! But I do find this forum to be a pleasant surprise. I'm an old campaigner who remembers when Alta Vista was the predominate search utility, and insidetheweb was the forum of choice for nearly everyone. You could throw up a working message board in like 3 minutes! The inmates were running the asylum. I have a core group of online friends I've known since what -- the 90's? Oddly several worked in advertising and nearly all were southern, or southern expatriates, who aspired to write. We dropped out for a decade or so
, but over the last several years discussing our personal reading habits, I've mentioned SK a lot & got very little traction. They feigned a bit of interest -- because y'know, they, as many of you folks have noticed,
ain't no sunshine when I'm gone. They like to keep '
grin' engaged
. Losing me would be unthinkable. But their hearts weren't in it. Still, several have read some of the Gunslinger books which I have avoided. For now. Anyway, I came across this forum, and half-heartedly created a profile. Assuming I'd only need it for days. In my brief young life I've waded into many fan forums. Most members are -- how do I put this?
Out of their damn minds. I decided to storm the SK citadel in the manner of Sonny Chiba, using monkey-style kung fu.
I immediately attacked
Cell, book & movie, one of King's Achilles heels. Then I think I posted something like, "
Desperation didn't make any damn sense." LOL! Which isn't really true. It's a pretty good book. Ha. Then the forum sicced a giant on me! Even being an old campaigner, that was unexpected. Where the hell did they get him at?! But shortly I began to notice the people on this board aren't really that alike. It's not what Kurt Vonnegut called a
grandfalloon. (A
granfalloon, in the fictional religion of Bokononism (created by Kurt Vonnegut in his 1963 novel Cat's Cradle), is defined as a "false karass". That is, it is a group of people who affect a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is meaningless.) The forum is just a place to throw out ideas & screw around. It's not their whole life. Generally, the people here don't affect a shared identity. Like if I wrote, "Tabatha King's work is crap!" I'd get a lot of "Die! Go away! You're a monster! I hate you!" And some, "Whatever, shut up." But why do I come back? Mostly for the continental breakfast.
Need to watch again.
