You guys... won't happen to be in Facebook?

[ValentineNicole]

I think you have to meet at least 2 pwebbers to become real. At least, that's what i've always gone by.

Chris (Demeter), Cameron (DaPyr0x), Adam (Locke), Chris (Hanc), Kelly, Psyche, WSC, Heather (my sister, lol)..

I'm real!

[Psudo]

Woah now condescending.

Pweb is as real as anything you can touch, taste, smell, or hear. By my count, at least 18 members in the top 50 (by post count) have met at least 2 other Pwebbers; 1 has met at least one. Page two adds another 5 who've met at least 2 and another 7 who've met at least 1. They/we were all Real before they/we met, as were the connections they/we made. Your distinction between virtual and meatspace is garbage.

[various other quotes, too]

I didn't mean to offend or sound elitist. Quite the opposite, really. I'm paranoid. It's my weakness, not any of yours. I'm sorry. What follows explains my thinking, but doesn't justify my insult.

Part of it is because I'm fairly new here; I don't really know any of you all that well, not like you know each other. Part of it is because I have friends that became "internet famous" and have had stalkers and hate mail threats and such. And part of it is my own social anxiety; I'm gonna screw things up (like I apparently just did, for example) and I don't want the internet generally knowing how to find me. For all you know there could be a lurker with a crazy, John Hinkley-esque crush on you that, in his broken mind, justifies him tracking me down and killing me because something I said upset you.

I don't imagine you're not real people. I imagine that real people are scary.

I know it's irrational. I know it's a billion-to-one shot that should not drive my behavior. And yet it does. Just call me Bean. Except his paranoia was usually right and mine is usually wrong.

Edit: That's not the whole truth. I'm also pissed off. By refusing me the benefit of the doubt, you required me to write this explanation or suffer ostracization. In writing this defense, my social anxiety was set off big time (worst since high school), leading to uncontrollable shaking and a nosebleed. Thank you all so much for assuming I meant the worst. Maybe I should've opted for ostracization.

[neo-dragon]

Take it easy, Psudo. You're new. No one blames you for not understanding how close-knit this place is. And you don't have to sacrifice your privacy to find out, or to become part of the community. No one will pressure you into revealing more about yourself than you're comfortable with.

[Psudo]

I understand that it's close-knit, I'm just not part of that knit. I'm sorry that identifying that offended some perfectly fine folks; none of it's your fault. I'm sorry for my immature, temperamental outburst in my previous post. I think I'm better now.

[Eaquae Legit]

It's cool. We're a generally forgiving bunch. Quick to defend ourselves/our Pweb, but not holding grudges.

[Bean_wannabe]

As for privacy - I've been here for a few years now and although not the most reliable poster, no-one has any idea who I am. Or has tried to find out.

Don't worry - you're safe.

[Luet]

Speaking of facebook...

I dislike my sister-in-law's husband SO much. It is hard to keep my mouth shut when he posts things like the following on his fb status:

It made me hot to watch my wife ride her dirt bike today, but if I act on it I will knock her up and she won't be able to ride any more. What a catch 22

Seriously. And this is a 47yo man. With a 7 month old baby.

[jotabe]

I think that's kinda cute, i mean, that he still feels that way ^_^
I mean, it's terribly embarrasing if you know them personally, but cute from outside. I would only be able to say "awwwwwww"

[CezeN]

XD

[Luet]

Well, I already can't stand the guy for many unrelated reasons. But my other thought about his comment was, have you never heard of birth control?

[neo-dragon]

It made me hot to watch my wife ride her dirt bike today, but if I act on it I will knock her up and she won't be able to ride any more. What a catch 22

Seriously. And this is a 47yo man. With a 7 month old baby.

Men are pigs...