It is the lifeblood of any community. The sharing of thought, information, and ideas is where and how the bonds are formed that link us together into something greater than ourselves. On the Internet, we cast our hearts and souls over a seemingly endless sea of hidden faces, hoping beyond hope to find a person or people who share our dreams. When we do, the conversation begins.

As with any relationship, the initial conversation is fast-paced and furious. Every sentence is filled with enthusiasm, everyone's a zealot. We are overjoyed that we have found somewhere we can call home. We quickly build perceptions, friendships, enmities. We establish our place in the community.

As time goes on, however, and we begin to lose our initial enthusiasm, we begin to see things less idealistically and more realistically. This is the "live or die" point. Many relationships crash and burn because those involved are not dedicated or motivated to work on the relationship after the glow of newness begins to wear off. Partners who were the most passionate of lovers suddenly become distant and quiet because they realize this is the part where work and sacrifice come in, and they realize they are not committed enough to apply the effort necessary to maintain and grow the relationship. Or, they become distracted by other things in their life that have the shine of newness.

I became involved with spark-online.com in December 1999 after Kris Krug contacted me from a corporate reform discussion list I was participating in. *spark-online was among the up and coming zines, and they needed people to assist in all stages of development, primarily in content. I agreed to submit an article, and wrote a piece on the e-commerce hard sell called The Pitch. The good response from that led to a long-term relationship with the *spark-online crew, and eventually the position of moderator in the Media section of the *spark-online discussion board.

When the board began, it was impossible to keep up with. Everyone was eager to post their opinions, share their ideas, debate, argue, agree. It was a community in the truest sense of the word, and we all felt like we belonged ("sometimes you want to go…where everybody knows your name..."). We formed our bonds, chose our friends, named our enemies. I found kinship with a Texan graphic designer and a Danish DJ. All of us involved put our heart and soul into what we were doing, what we believed in.

Lately, however, things have slowed down. The conversation is no longer frenzied. Sometimes it is a day or two between posts. I believe we have reached the "live or die" point of this community.

The conversation is what makes us a community. The articles in this zine are not meant to be read once, then tossed away. They are meant to inspire conversation. Your opinions, thoughts, and feelings are integral to the survival of this community. This is the point in relationships where people re-evaluate their standing with each other, and what it is worth. What is it worth to you? *spark-online is the place where you can come and participate in a global conversation. We are a diverse, multicultural group that accurately represents a cross section of society. You have the freedom to post your thoughts in an environment where they may be disagreed with, but never disregarded. You have the ability to participate in discussions with authors, poets, and artists who are at the forefront of their field (do you know how excited I was to see Alan Sondheim here?). You have the privilege of seeing cutting-edge digital artwork from all over the globe. Yes, each of these things is available individually somewhere else, but where else could you have it all, and be in an accepting community eager to hear what you thought about it?

The entire concept of *spark-online is a labor of love. No one is getting rich off this. But if you don't participate in the conversation, then we are just talking to ourselves. That's not a community, it's an asylum. In any relationship, the shine of newness can be replaced by the warm glow of true love, the feeling of family, but only if there is communication between the partners. This is not television; you are not an audience. This is New Media. Join the conversation.

Copyright © 2000 Chris Jenkins All Rights Reserved

Chris Jenkins is the moderator of the Media section of the *spark-online-online discussion board. He takes his work seriously. Seriously.

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