I met my best friend online. You did read that right. Thirteen years ago I met Holly on the Julie Garwood bulletin board way back when Simon & Schuster hosted bulletin boards for their authors. Do you even remember what a bulletin board was? They were kind of like a blog is today except everyone could start any topic they wanted at anytime. There were great people and not so great people. On the JGBB (as we called it), there were a lot of great people. In 2003, that’s where you went to talk about your favorite authors and their books. That is where you met people that loved books as much as you did.
I was still private back then, wary of the internet and what could be lurking out there. There were people that were more private than I was. Holly is and always has been very private. Imagine my surprise when I was sitting at her kitchen table within a year, eating spaghetti. Yep, she was one of the first people I met online. Though we don’t talk every day, we text or email every single day. When we get together it was like we were never apart. I tell her everything, no matter how big or small. I consider myself lucky to have found her.
I’ve also cultivated friendships through another S&S bulletin board, the JMBB. They were already close knit, but I wormed my way in. These are some of the friendliest women that I’ve every met. I’ve met every single one that was active at the time I was. Oh, those were good times. I’m still friends with almost all of them. I never once questioned my safety at meeting them.
I’m not as open to meeting people now. There are too many of them. Too many bloggers, too many reviewers, just too many. I’m happy with my squad and my bubble. I often hear “don’t you have any friends?” Sure I do. It’s just that most of them are online. And no, I don’t consider that weird.
What about you? What’s your story?
Aw, that’s so sweet! 🙂
I don’t have an online squad, however a few years ago I was an active member of two author message boards and I loved talking to other readers there. Then the boards were closed, the authors wanted to concentrate on Facebook and Twitter, and I unfortunately I lost these two communities. I’m not the kind of person who is looking for close friends online, but it was definitely nice to chat with some readers regularly.
I hear you. I love talking about my favorite things in the world with people who are likeminded which is why meeting people online was so much fun for me. There aren’t a lot of people in my real life who are into books as much as I am.
I remember the S & S bulletin boards – I was on the Linda Howard one (LHBB) and that is where I met my bestest friend 16 years ago, we dubbed ourselves the Pod because we are like 2 Peas in a Pod. We started off private messaging, then emailing and now we chat regularly on the phone for hours! She has been there through thick and thin, sick and sin.
Loved the boards – it was like a little community where like minded people met up each day and chatted about the wonderful world of books.
We were on the LHBB too! Not as much as the JGBB though, still. Did you claim anyone on there? They played the claiming game on there didn’t they? Now, I can’t remember.
Ooh yes – I claimed Kelly Sabin from Diamond Bay . . . lusty sigh!
Ack – auto correct, Kell Sabin!
Ohh, someone from the old BB’s. I love it!
How weird that our stories with Holly are the same freaking stories. We were babies when we met. Our babies were babies when we met. Now our babies are old enough to have their own babies and whoa. Let’s not go there. LOL.
Isn’t it funny! I know people always choke a little when I say we met on the Internet!
Yeah. My family thought I was so weird meeting up with people that I met online. It’s so normal now.