The First Truly International Safe Community on the Internet- Chess

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the reason I am so amazed by this site is the community of people that are on it. When I invented the Internet it was originally designed to simply let computers (which I invented) around the world talk to each other. Then it became increasingly available to everyone. Then I invented social media. Then, you guessed it, I invented cell phones. I thought social media would bring the world together and we could communicate easily across country borders and language barriers. I thought the whole world would gain cross cultural understanding. All we have is a bunch of misinformation. I gave up trying to predict the future years ago. I used to be able to do it. I am Nostraphilus. Actually, I just changed my name to Robert Kimovich Carlsen, but that's another long winded annoying story.

This is the first Internet community I have ever been a part of which actually has people from all over the world and our rules keep us safe and polite and kind. UseNet was the first large community of people on the Internet. I was never part of it, so I'm not sure if it was International or not. They were true pirates. Then came increasing sophistication, more powerful computers and servers. Browsers, YouBube and other websites started to appear. Then came the regulation, which is a mess as we scramble to try to write laws to regulate an entity which we have no real clue as to its absolute power. You have to pay YouBube now in order to not watch commercials. That's only happened within the last 15 years, or less. It used to all be free and we would listen to music all night long.

The other thing that has happened in the last 10 years is the gelling of this site, and others. I knew about online chess, but I wasn't interested in chess twenty years ago, except as a casual thing. We had a Chess Club at the music venue/coffee house/bar (Pub) we used to hang out at, 'til it closed. I joined up here at the beginning of the pandemic thinking it would be good for me and my buddy, who was also getting old, as a great way to stimulate our brain cells. I think I've been a bit over stimulated. He turned out to not be interested at all, and about a year ago I decided what the heck and started playing. The rest has been downhill from there.

It would seem that another 100 million people got the bug in the last 3 months, but also seems to have quelled a bit. I was seeing hundreds of 400 players looking for games, and now there doesn't seem to be as many. Probably there was a big rush and then most of them realized they really don't want to do this. There are around 2 million solving the daily puzzle right now. I think that the resurgence at the end of last year is simply due to the fact that the word is getting around, it's easier to get into the game now, there are a bunch of resources that weren't available 30 years ago, and chess is dropping its image as an egghead game.

Now I really have the bug and, little by little, I've come to realize what an incredible community we have here. Everyday is an eye opener. Today it hit me that, for the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, this is probably the largest peaceful gathering of people from all over the world. Move over Woodstock. This has never happened before. Ideas Unite! Thank you all for being here.

Largest international gathering, anyway. How peaceful is open to debate, haha

Lincoln lived at the Gettysburg address. I used to visit his log cabin when I was a kid. It was number 15 Gettysburg Lane, Springfield, Illinois. And you'll have to pay for all of this wonderful free content.

I guess if you would actually read the whole thing, you paid. 😁🙄🤣

I read all of it. Your friend lost interest, you got hooked... (Cliff Notes version) lol

There are definitely a few bad apples, but, overall, I think everyone behaves themselves with gracious decorum. Excuse me while I go berate a few moderators and bring forward every single post from 15 and 10 years ago.

I try to post the short versions, but then I get verbose, and I get called out sometimes. I put the short version on the general discussion forum, and, truly, I am blown away by this community and this site.

😂

...great peaceful thread you've here! 👍

lol 😂 👍

Lol! wait.... what's the silly angered frown there for ?