Bloggger Battles and Cyber Relationships

It seems like I am always the last person to weigh in on anything. Either that means I am slightly out of the loop or I may actually have a life outside of poker and blogging.

The feel-good vibes from the recent Las Vegas blogger gathering were still around until a skirmish started that largely involed Hoy, lj, and Chad. Now that Carmen is getting into it with lj (a little woman on woman action ought to get the guys' blood stirring), my guess is that the action is peaking, but some hard (and hurt) feelings will be around for a long time.

I am reminded of the fantastic Seinfeld episode titled The Pool Guy , and George's quote -- "Anybody knows, ya gotta keep your worlds apart."

Poker bloggers exist in cyberspace, that wonderful world where you can be who you want, do what you want, and say what you want without usually having to deal with the repercussions you would deal with in real life. Although many people say that their blog is just a regular extension of themselves, I often wonder how close their "blog life" is to their regular life. To some people realy say the same shit in real life as they do on their blog? If so, maybe we can understand why they spend time time blogging or doing other things. Who the fuck would want to be around them? Or are they just blowing smoke up our asses, using this somewhat anonymous world to say and do what they can't and won't when they have to go eyeball to eyeball with a real person?

In cyberspace, is anything really what it appears to be? Are people who they appear to be?

Anyway ... at the bloggers gathering and other similar events, worlds collide. Those folks you shoot the shit with on the puter really are real people. Some real life friendships develop, but alas, shouldn't it be expected that some real life relationships would get fucked up too? Except for common interests in poker and writing, are these people with whom you would ever really be friends with in the real world?

Granted, I live a decent life. I have a nice, professional counseling job, work in an outstanding educational environment that is positive and courteous, and have a wife and three kids. The people I hang with are more similar than dissimilar to me. Yet, how similar am I to some of the regular bloggers? Suffice it to say that my world and the worlds of some bloggers are nothing alike. In my real life, some people I know similar to some of the bloggers are my clients, not friends. It's understandable that I feel like I don't quite belong some of the time. Worlds colliding ...

That being said, there appear to be many real, quality people among the poker bloggers. I hope , at some point, to see some of my worlds collide and and check out the aftermath. I am legend??