In the past, I have made a number of critical posts about the types of dudes who hang out endlessly on AN like they punch a clock here, but I was thinking about it today and actually AN is far more wonderful than I sometimes give it credit for, and I truly mean that in the nicest of possible ways. It is a truly unique environment that you will not find anywhere else on the internet. For example, I can post just about anything I want, give birth to a windup, or pile on a huge load of porkies and somebody will still be there to actually listen to me, possibly even give me a smug and snarky response within minutes. That sort of service and reliability is rare these days. It is also one of the few places left where no subject is too trivial to become a full scale debate. A thread about flipflops, body hair maintenance, skin rashes, air conditioner repairs, immigration dilemmas, or local banking woes can suddenly unfold like an industrial strength crisis. Then there is the community itself. Where else do you get the pleasure of being around one of the largest gatherings of socially dysfunctional middle aged Western plonkers outside of a nursing home? AN brings together a remarkable collection of bores, know it alls, flamers, snipers, oversharers, armchair busybodies, misfits, plonkers, and gloriously confident halfwits, all under one roof. You do not even need to know what you are talking about. You just need the confidence to act like a bell end and say it loudly and repeatedly. Another thing I like is that no matter how odd you may think you are, within a few minutes somebody even stranger will appear and make you feel perfectly normal by comparison. That is a real public service when you think about it. There is also something oddly comforting about the fact that being completely wrong never stops anyone from posting another twelve times that same day. In a world full of self doubt, that kind of misplaced confidence is almost inspiring. You can even post a topic that is just complete slop, something about gecko excrement piling up on the toothbrush shelf in your bathroom or turds that will not flush, then throw in a picture of a jar of Vegemite and a Rolling Stones music video link from YouTube, and Bob’s your uncle. So yes, AN may be chaotic, repetitive, almost fully unhinged, and full of men who should probably spend a bit more time, you know… outdoors. But where else can you find such a dependable supply of bizarre opinions, bruised egos, delusional narcissists, and unsolicited life advice all in one place? In its own deeply dysfunctional way, it is actually rather special, so there is no good reason to even try to give up the bizarre addiction.
