A week without internet

            This last week marks the first week in a long time that I was unable to join the online communities that I am a part of. My computer was sent into a shop for repairs and I was unable to access the internet for more than a few minutes at a time. It was a long week, but it really showed me both how much I am dependent on the internet—something that I might want to look into changing—and that the communities I am a part of move on without me but don’t necessarily leave me behind. Because of their nature, I was easily able to catch up with what was happening online and even join into some of the conversations that were happening still, because of the very nature of the community. The conversation is ongoing. They don’t just end after the video is posted, they continue on, for days, weeks, and sometimes even years as people form new opinions or get into the communities for the first time. There are still people who are talking about Vlogbrother videos from 2007 when they first happened. The communities I am a part of are long lasting, even if the topics seem to be  geared toward an instant-gratification generation, the fact that people are taking part to go back and revisit old conversations and start new debates and discussions show that the online world is not only making our world smaller, but also pulling us together and keeping us connected with the past, present, and future of what we have come to expect.