Unwashed Village
General Discussion => Unwashed Village => Topic started by: Thanatos on October 05, 2013, 02:49:14 PM
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When I was about 13, we finally got the internet for the first time. I had Fallout, somehow; I can't even remember how I got The Game. My parents must have bought it for me? Man, they are pretty good folks.
Anyway, me and this asshole buddy I had started looking at INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS to find out stuff about this game. Bear in mind, it's 1996-7, this is a new thing. I stumbled upon Interplay's Fallout board, and met the Roshambo warrior. He invited me to the Unwashed Village.
Throughout the next 6-7 years, I was Unwashed. I was a massive douchebag pretty much all the time. I lied about my age and claimed I was two years older than I was, I obsessed over every board social interaction. I wrote HORRIBLE poetry. I wrote some short stories that I think I are kinda funny. I wrote EVEN MORE HORRIBLE poetry. I met people all over the fucking world. I lusted after every female board member, but I told myself that I was being discrete about it; in retrospect, I'm sure I was just like every other teenager. I fell fucking in love with every board collaborative project. I was involved with board drama.
The moments that I remember with the most clarity:
I called Rosh "She", and he responded that he's a he, and I apologized, and he said it wasn't a big deal, then said "Much of what makes us human is lost in this digital world." Rosh, if you're still out there, that shit you said 16 years ago will never leave my head.
I called Tink "babe", and she got super double angry about it. I think that was the first time that I really processed that my words have different connotations to other people, and I had to make sure that I am aware of the feelings of the person I'm talking to, and not just assume that every person has the same societal norms I do. Apparently, communication is a two way street; that cliche doesn't mean 'you have to pay attention to the other person so you can hold hands', it means 'you have to pay attention to what's coming your way because if you cross the double yellow you might plow head on into a durango and maybe die.'
Nathan dying. I remember that. Jesus.
I used to play Shadowrun with Bobtheslayer and Commander Clairol and . . . other people. Sorry if you played with us and I don't remember you. The reason I remember it is they told me that they debated throwing me out of the game because I was ruining it for everyone. Now, at 14-15, I didn't take it well. In retrospect, well. I basically idolized those folks at the time; it was probably good for me to learn that they weren't amused by my juvenile attempts to control a social situation. (also, holy fuck, bad poetry)
What else did I learn from the Village? Hmm. Fuck it, go for it? Everything you put on the internet is there forever? The world's a big place? Am I the only person who still remembers the guanabana joke?
Anyway, that's a little trip down memory lane. Do with it what you will.
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I was pretty much fueled by alcohol, stupidity and arrogance back then so my memories are less than clear. It was a huge heap of fun though, the village is pretty awesome.
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I think that everyone is a tosser when they are 13-16, especially when they are 16, because they think that they are out of the woods.
I think I'm living proof of that...
Anywho, that was an interesting read.
I remember reading on one of the older boards (whilst looking for a golden monkey statue in the Unwashed ruins) a page on how younger members should stop hitting on the women.
I wonder if that's what they were referring to...
(Though it sounded like it was a big problem from multiple members at the time.)
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I was pretty much fueled by alcohol, stupidity and arrogance back then so my memories are less than clear. It was a huge heap of fun though, the village is pretty awesome.
Still am fuelled by alcohol and stupidity, but I would argue not arrogance. The Village is indeed pretty awesome. I remember my first thing I did on getting to a computer with Internet access at university (and that was 2000) was to reconnect with the Village.
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A wealth of great quotes above. We need to increase our sig size.