> [...] how to build better online communities by studying internet history. I love that part already, even without reading the full article. Yesterday, I had

> [...] how to build better online communities by studying internet history. I love that part already, even without reading the full article. Yesterday, I had an interesting experience (yes, storytime): I started using a fountain pen again a while ago, and wanted to research why I've some pain in my wrist after using it[1]. So I stumbled upon an old thread, which basically asked how to develop a "well-refined handwriting"[2]. This thread was from 2004, so just short after when I started to use "the internet". The conversation was all in all very polite, respectful, with some tips from other members, and often some kind of "well, you could try it like this and that" or "I found something here, where xyz showed you could do it like this", "I prefer to do it like this, but ymmv.", and etc. The thread spans 19 pages, and, interestingly, is still active almost 15 years later. What stroke me the most was the change of tone towards the end. There was a lot more "you HAVE to do it like that", "THIS is how it WORKS!" and there like. Also, they started discussing what "well-refined" means at all. 15 years later. There was a lot of, let's say, "whining" towards the end of this thread (that school nowadays needs a lot of parental involvment, nothing works, and everything is bad). I am left confused. Something has changed in the last 15 years, and I'm not sure what the reason is. [1]: You guessed it: It has to do with the way I'm holding it. Now, back to topic! [2]: //edited upon request, german page though: https://www.penexchange.de/forum_neu/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=378 https://www.penexchange.de/forum_neu/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=37...