I believe this is what Internet communities should aspire to be like, to cut through the toxicity and memetic warfare and just do something great together.
I believe this is what Internet communities should aspire to be like, to cut through the toxicity and memetic warfare and just do something great together.
...and these things happen far more than we realize. My "dad" wasn't my biological dad. He married my mother when I was four and he was the one who was there for me for my entire life, so much so that I've never even known (or cared to know, beyond a passing interest in my health history) who my biological father is.
One quirk of that is that my "dad" never formally adopted me. About a week before he passed away, we had one last time alone as a family before inviting friends & relatives for a last visit. During that, he mentioned that he regretted not officially adopted me. Thanks to several local folks, including a local lawyer, local probate judge, a city clerk in another state, and probably a couple more, were were able to complete the adoption and present my dad with the paperwork and an updated birth certificate that lists him as the father within four days.
With the Internet especially, we see the worst of the worst, but I personally feel that it's overwhelmed by the good, and stories like Michael's show the power to bring people together.
I agree, the good parts of the Internet are more apparent if you know where to look. The darkest corners, however, are highlighted more by the news, perpetuating a cycle of negativity and pessimism.
I've basically stopped watching the evening news as a result of this. A guy stealing a wheelchair 2,000 miles away makes the local news, but 100 people helping someone out doesn't merit a mention anywhere.
this is it here.