The Internet as Community

I play this game online called Kingdom of Loathing. It's a spoof of online adventure games, with lots of humor and obscure pop culture references. Last week we found out that one of the players suffered the greatest loss imaginable; her young child was murdered by his father. I had never met her, in person or online. I had never heard her in-game name before it became connected with this event.

Once the news became known, several people and clans (groups of players who band together to reach common goals) started raising money by donating and selling in-game and real-life items. At least a couple of thousand real-life dollars have been donated that I'm aware of.

The internet has changed the way we relate to information, but it's also changed the way we relate to other people. This tragedy struck a woman who lives several states away from me, a woman I'd never have met except through this, and yet I find myself wanting to do something for her. I feel like I share in her loss in a tangible way. She's a part of my world, more than some family members. And it seems odd to me when I remember that we really don't know each other at all.