I first found
rec.arts.bodyart several years ago, when
I first got AOL; my [online] friend Diane showed me Newsgroups
as a way of staying in touch with our death metal friends across
the country. I really enjoyed having the underground information
at my fingertips, especially since my town had only one non-mainstream
radio station -- the college station that only played "good"
music on Saturday afternoons.
At some point, I realized just how many topics existed. I clicked the Search All Newsgroups and searched for Cooper (Alice Cooper being my favorite musician) to no avail (at that time). Then I searched for Tattoo and found rec.arts.bodyart.
I didn't know the delicacies of lurking, so I jumped right in and started talking. I wasn't trashed, just ignored for a while.
As time passed, I discovered the FAQs. I learned to know the personalities on the newsgroup, and I liked most of them a lot. I consider many of them to be my friends.
Within the past year, there has been a lot of bitterness on RAB. In retrospect, I can look back and see that there were times in which I was childish. However, I did try to mature, and as I did, I tried to back off. It is those people who say that they remember Usenet from Way Back When who continue to instigate.
Was my perception of RAB wrong? I went to the Welcome and Netiquette FAQs to double check. The third paragraph of the About section states
One of the reasons RAB is so unique, is that it allows lay people to learn and discuss the topic of bodyart----without the traditional constraints of social class, geography, or age. While there are some readers who are professionals or shop apprentices, this is one of the very few open forums in the world where bodyart enthusiasts can speak openly about the subject. There are *NO* commercial interests or ulterior motives in RAB.
The charter also states
This newsgroup is not moderated. This means inappropriate or off-topic posts are occasionally posted on RAB. However, the noise level is kept down thanks to the continued vigilance of RAB regulars ("RABbits"), who will privately email those who do not follow netiquette. This means you may get email regarding an inappropriate post. Please do not take these personally; we are just trying to provide a safe-space community where we can feel free to talk about bodyart. If you have any questions about what might be appropriate or not, please ask. We'll be glad to help you.
This description is NOT accurate anymore. :( Spend a DAY there and you'll see; it's the regulars who cause most of the chaos.
RAB stopped feeling like a cocktail party to me, and more like a recent job I had. Most of us carried the weight of the Department, but one woman spent the day rubbing lotion on her legs and checking her eye makeup -- she was NOT a contributing member. There are a lot of people on rec.arts.bodyart who genuinely care about body modification, and a few who just hang out and let everyone else answer the questions. I don't know why they choose RAB when they could simply hang out in an empty chat room.
I stopped reading RAB for about four days. Then I missed it. I resubscribed, erased all my filters... it couldn't be as bad as I'd remembered, COULD IT?
The first post I read was someone trashing me. I hadn't read any of her posts for months. Had she been bitchy all that time? or was I just coming back at an opportune moment?
What really upset me, however, was sarcasm towards newly-returned Shannon. What's the point of that? He's been wonderful to the body art community at large, and specifically to RAB (I'm not sure, but I think he hosts the RABbit Hole). Yes, he can take care of himself, but these are not the kinds of people with whom I want to be associated. It was that post that led me to unsubscribe for good.
After which, I hear, people that I thought were friends, people I'd helped throughout time, trashed me. These are NOT the people with whom I want to be friends. I WAS hurt, but I'm glad that I didn't stick around so that they could use me further. (I guess that was their motives; why else be two-faced?)
I miss rec.arts.bodyart a LOT, but it's not what it used to be. Actually, it's not even what its name suggests, anymore. I miss what it was, and I miss the people I met. (Heck, as I write this, I'm chatting with four of them right now. Not EVERYONE on rec.arts.bodyart is bad -- not by a long shot.) And I'm sorry that I won't continue to meet more people.
But I want to talk about, and learn about, body art. I guess that rec.arts.bodyart just isn't the place for me anymore.
~ Rebekah
Sue Harris
September 28, 1999