All Things Found

There was something about talking to my friends via AIM (AmericaOnline Instant Messenger) that made conversing so much cooler. Thinking back, it was through that little pop-up window that I learned to type–or at least picked up speed in my keystrokes because it was important to have a quick reply when chatting on the web. Why were we so enamored with this technology?  My friends and I had been discussing the same mindless things as we had sat in the junior high classroom only hours earlier. We could also have been talking over the phone. But instead we were busy taking up the phoneline and chatting via the sparkly new Internet. Little did I know that my “Buddy List” was the dawning of a new era–a time when text-based interactions would increase while vowels and full-sentence usage would decrease. I was privy to something my parents didn’t quite understand, but I couldn’t get enough of.

Despite the technological changes made since then, I still use AIM (well, now Adium thanks to Mac) as a major form of communication. One could argue that my distinct list of friends isn’t a structured community in the same vein as message boards, but from the IM came a more global community: emoticons, away messages, buddy profiles, user icons. And if you didn’t have a screen name, then really, where were were you in the world?

I’ll admit that it wasn’t until about 10 months ago that I changed my screen name. That seventh-grade identifier had grown beyond stale–but despite this, it was a difficult change. Even though “evilkeight” was no longer a representation of myself, it was what my friends identified me as. I continue to have to explain who “msmaven” is when I send a new message.

Also of note (and not that I’m bragging…maybe I am…) I was on facebook as one of the orginal users.  Back when only 3 schools had permission on the interface and all my friends brushed it off as “stalkerbook” I was one of the few and proud to have a profile.  I wanted to be a part of the buzz.  Still do.