I’m quoted in today’s New York Times, in an article by Miguel Helft titled “Tech’s Late Adopters Prefer the Tried and True.”
“Every other online conversational space has a toolbar where you can plug in your favorite winking face,†said David Gans, a musician and radio host, who has been a member of the Well for 22 years. Mr. Gans says he uses the Well’s text interface, in part, because it helps to keep the quality of conversations high.
“Just because you can have a nuclear-powered thing that can dry your clothes in five minutes doesn’t mean there isn’t value to hanging your clothes in the backyard and talking to your neighbor while doing it,†Mr. Gans said.
I’m talking about the WELL, the small but still thriving online community that has been my home in cyberspace for more than two decades. I was part of a group that started a Grateful Dead community in the WELL on March 1, 1986, but there is way more to the WELL than that. I get help with Macintosh problems there, engage in deep and almost entirely idiocy-free discussions on a wide range of cultural and political topics, learn about new restaurants in my town, meet online scrabble partners, etc. It’s not for everybody, but it’s a great hangout for those who like this sort of thing. Check it out, why don’t you.