Claudia the Panda

About 15 to 17 years ago, I can be found on mIRC almost everyday. I was fat and ugly and the only way to start conversation with anyone (especially the opposite sex) was through chat rooms and private chats. There are rooms that I hung out and than I started having regular chatters which became online friends. Some even started chats over the phone. And when this list of friends grow, I had to start writing down their nicknames, real name, mobile number, when we chatted online, age, sex, occupation, school and what other details that’ll help me remind which online friend he/she was.

The beauty of it all, is that none of us ever get to meet in person nor have seen how each other looks like. (Even if photos had been exchanged online, that doesn’t mean the photo is the real deal!)

But now, although still fat and ugly, am still spending every waking hours online. But instead of mIRC, we’re now on facebook, twitter and many other networks. But isn’t things still more or less the same?

Instead of chat rooms with faceless nicknames, there’s millions of users in facebook and there are so many groups and pages you can be part of. If that’s not enough, check out your friend’s and their friends’ friends. See a name or face that you want to network with, send them a message. Once you’re connected, there’s the wall for you to show your public affection (similar to main chat rooms in mIRC isn’t it?) or you can send a private message to share your secrets (private chats). And now, there’s no need to write down how you all met, there’s the friends list that you can create on facebook and you can add friend’s details to be reminded of how you got acquainted. Hasn’t this make your life so much simpler?

How many of you 10-20 years ago, you’ll hang out at the club (e.g. Zouk) and than later that night return home, login to mIRC #zouk to see if anyone you saw or met is in there too? Nooo! Don’t lie! I know you’ve surely done this kind of things before right?! Don’t need to be shy, its part of growing up!

So now with forums and communities online, these things happen more effectively and people get to make more new friends. Taking facebook as an example, you go clubbing, return home, wanting to see if that cute guy or gal has a facebook account, you login to facebook, search for Zouk group or page and scan through the thousands of people in the member/ fan list. And there you found her! Add her as friend with a personalised message, or drop her a message first to see if she’s keen to be friend. (Wah lau eh! Why you so chicken one? Just go up to her on the spot at zouk lah! Go facebook for fack?) Well… Mr, not everyone is as buay pai seh as you, and facebook (and friendster) is the other alternative mah.

*This thought just came to mind and I thought it’ll be something interesting to share. If you’ve got similar ideas or think otherwise, do share. Don’t shy! We all very steady one lah!

On another thought… how many of you are still using mIRC?? Seriously!