[marina]

Originally Posted by The Last Whale

[*]How long have you been part of the forums, and how often do you go on?

I've been on the forums since August of 2006, although I think I didn't start posting until April of 2007. I go on every single day, and during the work week, I check them every couple of hours.

Originally Posted by The Last Whale

[*]How did you first become active in the forums? Was there a specific thread that pulled you in?

I created a thread called "Women in Podcasting" asking for submissions for a page by the same name that I was running at the time. (since defunct - now that women are more common in podcasting than in other media)

Until that time, I felt like I didn't have anything to say and I was intimidated by the seeming speed and frankness of the posts.

Originally Posted by The Last Whale

[*]How do you use the forums? Is there a particular kind of thread you follow more than others? (i.e. were you part of the Hottest Guy/Girl Competition? Did you ask for advice on the forums?)

I use the forums to keep up with my KATG pals during the workday. When work is boring, I check the forums. When work is overwhelming, I check the forums.

I follow the Cubicle Crowd very closely at the moment. Although my super favorite, "Ask Marina" seems to rise and fall (sometimes thanks to me).

I have asked for advice. in 2007, I asked what people did after they graduated from college. At the time I was very close to graduation with no leads on a job, no parents to fall back on and worried about the future. It was mostly unhelpful. In general, the other posters either answered my question, but had safety nets and support systems I felt I didn't have, or they argued the merits of even attending college, which was useless as I had already made that decision. Turns out I was fine on my own, although it was difficult for awhile there.

Originally Posted by The Last Whale

[*]Has the KATG show or the forums changed your life in any way?

Yes. KATG has really helped me get more perspective on things and to call out bullshit when I see it. Interacting with the forums regulars, and even the forums trolls made me more confident in my rhetorical abilities, and also has given me a cooler head in other, real life situations that would have probably frightened me had I not had the show and the forums.

Bosses or people in positions of power have tried to intimidate me from time to time, thinking I'm an easy mark because of my youth or because I seem like I need something from them, but thanks to Keith's rants against assholes who use social mores to their advantage, and thanks to me being able to talk a blue streak on the forums against shitheads and bullies, I'm not easily influenced.

Originally Posted by The Last Whale

[*]Do you act differently on the forums than you would in the real world? Is your online personality different than your real-world one?

At work, or with certain friends, people can be hurt by my natural bluntness. Not that I am rude on the forums, but that I am less cagey and less vague in my speech. I feel that I can be honest on the forums in the same way that I can be honest with some of my closest real life friends.