Thursday, October 24, 2002
So... the chatroom."Where's Benway?" seems to be the question on many people's lips at the moment. "Now he's got a girlfriend, he's forgotten all about us."
Well... it's not true.
Sure, I'm not there as much as I used to be, but what many people probably never even considered was, the reason I was so easy to catch online before was that I sat in there for between 12 and 16 hours a day. Dedication above and beyond the call of duty. You simply had to log in whenever you felt like it, and there I was, at your convenience.
Sorry folks, but the real world comes first, and being with Brigitte's obviously going to take priority. What that doesn't mean is that I've abandoned the room and forgotten about everyone. I'm actually in there every night except sunday, usually between midnight and 4am GMT (7pm - 11pm EST)... which is still far more hours than most regulars put in, and then some.
So there you have it folks... I'm not gone, and you're not forgotten.
I have to admit though, considering what the room was originally intended to be... how it was supposed to function, I'm sad to say I see it as something of a failure. It was supposed to be a community room, where everyone came in to chat with everyone... it was all about the group, and for a while, it seemed to work.... or at least, I thought it did. However, all it took was for me to be absent from the place for a couple of days, and the whole thing just died. No-one stayed. Sure, it's very flattering to know that people were going there because I was there, but that's not what it was supposed to be about. It just makes me sad, knowing that if I'm not there for hours on end, every single day, that the place will die... or rather, has died. A few people still drop by on a regular basis, and to those people, you have my greatest respect, especially those who still drop by even when due to the odd hours I keep, they know I'm not likely to be there. You found a place you liked, and you stuck by it. To those who just drop in once in a blue moon, and when asked why they don't visit more often say "Because there's no-one here"... well of course there isn't... too many people do exactly what you're doing, and don't hang out for more than 30 seconds.
I guess that's being rather harsh, but the simple truth is, those of us who've put in some VERY long hours have done so because we care about the room... and no, I don't mean just me... there are others. The thing is, we aren't there for your entertainment, like some tv station that you can just turn on, and there it is. We're people, we have lives, and if you don't interract with us, what reason do we have to sit there night after night? If you want us there every night, come see us, rather than complain if we aren't there when you drop in for the first time in months.
Do I sound annoyed? Well... I guess I am. Maybe I just expected a bit to much. I built the room, so obviously, I have every reason to put in the effort to make it work, and I guess I have no right to expect anyone else to. Even so... can you see why it bugs me some?
Steve 2:25 AM [+]
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