More friends Unlike online chat, which actively replicates conversations by virtually putting people in the same room for a given period of time, socializing via e-mail lists can be delightfully passive. It s like walking into a party and standing between two people having an intense conversation. While Madere, a software engineer, started using lists to expand his technical know-how, lists soon became a way for him to develop friendships on a scale impossible in the real world. I have 400 to 500 friends online and only 50 or 60 in the real world. Don t assume every list member will understand your cultural references.
Lists are very international.
Explain your commentary. Although Madere says lists like rec.windsurfing started out as strictly topical, they evolved into broader social communities. Just as in real life, Madere says e-mail conversations bring out individual personalities, especially when participants ask questions or post spontaneous observations. You start to count on people to do and say certain things, he says, and that reinforces a sense of community. Ties can be easily dashed by an insensitive message.