- It’s easier to type than talk out loud: I recently tried to say “Newt Gingrich” out loud and realized I didn’t really know how to pronounce his name. I’m sure used to typing his name about fifty times a day:
- Example: “Newt Gingrich is an asshole!”
- Example: “Newt Gingrich is a piece of shit!”
- Example (outloud): “Newp Geeng-rice sux.”
- Mysterious and exotic: Just like the US Army tells you, you can be whoever you want to be. While I tend to be myself, wouldn’t it be fun to pretend to be a Swedish model living in Manhattan and banging Mike Bloomberg? (No..?)
- I can disappear and no one cares: If I don’t comment, blog, or tweet for a few days, I don’t get any guilt trip text messages or sad-face Facebook posts with shit like “You never hang out with me anymore!”
- Education: When you have a diverse group of people with similar yet divergent interests, there’s always an opportunity to learn something new. When you see a discussion about something you have no idea about, you have the chance to educate yourself and then join in the conversation. Or not, and just post a cat picture.
- I seem much smarter than I am: If I’m arguing with someone, I have the entire Internet at my disposal in order to prove that you are in fact, a fucking idiot. Arguing with your grandfather over why Mitt Romney is an asshole for storing $12 million in an off shore account and not having a suitable reply for “I don’t blame him! Who the hell wants to pay taxes!” is fairly awful without at least a minute or two to think about your response before typing….er, speaking.
- Pick and choose your friends: If I don’t like you, I don’t have to talk to you. If there’s a discussion going on, I’m not forced into it. It’s not like a family dinner where I have to shove my head in the sand every time Obama’s name is mentioned. Which leads me to my next point:
- Like attracts like: The attraction of finding a niche community of like-minded people who are all smart, funny, and of similar political persuasion is a delight.
- Drinking buddies: If you’re sitting in front of your computer with a glass of wine or a beer, you’re technically not drinking alone if five other Internet commenters are also sitting in front of their commenters having a drink.
- Culture: An Internet community brings together a wide range of people from different parts of the country and the world, all with their unique backgrounds. This is in line with education – everyone can always learn something from someone.
- Had a bad day?: There is always a community ready and waiting for you, ready to provide Internet hugs, cat pictures, and silly gifs to cheer you up. Similiarly, crowdsourcing a particular issue (even something like “How the fuck do I open a can of tomato sauce with no can opener?”) will always get you answers.
