THE FUTURE OF LERI
jeffn:
"leri is as leri does… if you try to change it becomes something else on its own…"Annie:
"Leri has changed in a couple of ways, but not in as many ways as it's stayed the same. Some of the old faces are no longer there (bhikku, shawn, elliot, sameer, mark grant, nuttall, I could go on and on), but most of them are. New people have come in, and in some cases left, but I was one of those myself once. The same threads get tossed about from time to time, as the community tries to define itself and what it means. It's still a place for serious discussion, outrageous jokes, heated debate, and general silliness. But it's more mature, too. I suppose you could say that leri has changed in much the same way that the people who have come there all these years have changed. But then, it's all subjective anyway, that's just the way I see it, and other folks may have wildly differing opinions. But that's o.k. That's leri."Nozzle:
"A lot of the people who were originally posting when I joined, now no longer post, or post infrequently. It's a question of aging and prioritization. Most of us were in school and had access to computers and common ground. Careers/lives take up a lot of time, and many of us have chosen to concentrate our time resources on the people around us (even if the connection originated on leri itself) and not on the list. There are fewer deeply involving and convoluted threads, fewer creative works. Maybe the intellectual tenor has gone down, maybe people just aren't dedicating as much time to the list, or needing it as badly."Spigot:
"Well, its changed in a large number of ways, which makes it difficult, I think, to generalize about it without glossing over too much. One could say that it has ‘matured’. I think of this in ‘love affair’ terms -- that initial, new relationship giddiness has long faded for some people on Leri, into a more stable, long-term feeling. There are still people who discover Leri and get giddy over it, but there is a solid core of people now who have been here for many years. So I'd say that the general feel of Leri has changed, slowly, from an intense, flashy, giddy and unstable love affair, to a deeper, more experienced, calmer stability."In connection with this, the focus has become less and less net-based. As people figure out ways to live near or with the friends they have made over the net, the net itself becomes less important. What was originally a cluster of people in Iowa and a scattering of people elsewhere has developed into quite a few ‘local communities’. And people seem to be moving around a lot, from one local community to another.
"The general feel, to me, seems to have changed from one of ‘we're all in college, with email and deep thoughts’, to one in which people are looking for what to do now that they are out of school. As a result, there is a lot of moving around, shifting patterns. There seems to be a huge amount of change in the community, although this is not always reflected in the actual email list, but rather it is expressed in the local communities."
yara:
"i can't imagine things have changed that much... the more things change, ya know..."svann:
"On where leri is headed: with the advent of new video/vr interaction and multi tv-window screens, there is no telling what will happen. On one level, there is a need to be secure from dangerous forces, much like america is trying to deal with the immigrant problem. On the other hand, the principles of leri will be challenged by the hard realization that they will certainly [imho] have to limit themselves in order to maintain integrity and protection from inimical contacts. This has yet to take place. Hopefully, common sense and a 'worldly' grasp will lead leri into integration of the idealistic with the cold practical and sometimes horrible mundane aspects of the western psyche. Probably, mere 'resonance' will allow leri to promulgate in its own way without becoming attacked too much by ignorant forces."rez:
"now, as i sit here, i can see dimly the possibility of a time in which we might not have the net, or easy means to each other. and then we will have our Minds, our Will, and our Love, yea verily indeedly so. and how we would fare in such a time as that is being determined right now, as you read this and someone else sends Leri a ping and someone else subscribes for the first time and someone else unsubscribes for the last. our Minds hone each other, sparring at times to keep step with our Will. And our Will -- my Will, at any rate -- established for certain right around a year ago that Love is the only True North Star with which it will ever really be equipped."the day the first LeriBabies are born will be a day of inherent saudade [portuguese word basically meaning 'the overwhelmingly joyful sorrow of a fleeting beauty as felt within its moment']. earth-shaking as well -- though hopefully a long way off -- will be the first Fleshmeet Funeral."
Spigot:
"Actually, I'm not sure what to expect. Many many friendships and relationships have been made that appear extremely strong. So I expect that, even in a worst case scenario, there will still be a network of close friends. I do expect that various people will pursue careers that are not necessarily Leri-related, which would (and is, I think) introduce 1) a loss of focus and 2) a greater diversity."I have always entertained the idea that Leri people could put together ‘careers’ with each other. I've especially dreamed of this happening with those who are interested in the arts. Over time I've felt that there is less of an artistic angle to Leri than I once thought, so I've put such dreams on the back burner. More recently, I've begun to think that such things could happen, one way or another. If nothing else, as various people get older and get ‘careers’ and money, the Leri community looks more like a network of like-minded individuals who are more and more able to contribute resources to potential projects. I think there has always been a desire in some people to ‘do something’ with the human resources of Leri, but it has rarely been possible. I hope (and partially expect) that this will be more and more possible as time goes by."
Nozzle:
"Well, I think that this will depend on how many of the original leris decide to keep this as a vital part of their life, and the quality of the new people that come in. I think that it always has the potential for being cutting edge and a great proving ground for serious thinkers, but there is also an even stronger possibility of it being a more codified version of irc -- pointless chatting and social gossip."Spigot:
"Certain aspects of Leri will lose energy, I think, and already have. The mailing list itself, once the core of Leri, seems to be one of these aspects. But the ‘community’ itself seems to be thriving, although it is not as easy now to get a vantage point from which to see it all. So I see it as diversifying, perhaps losing in point blank intensity, but growing in depth and substance."Erica:
"it's hard to have any expectations, really. i have desires, but i can't say whether or not they're realistic likelihoods. what i hope for leri in the future is that the personal growth of individuals will continue to imbue the entire entity with wisdom, strength, compassion & curiosity. the most wonderful thing we can give leri is our true selves, the best and the worst. as hopes and anxieties are revealed, we would ideally help each other create our most desirable realities.Wonderdog:
"Well, you get the point. Ch-ch-ch-changes. I think I like being an 'adult', alot of the adolescent angst was overrated. Leri was a precocious child, let's see how it does as it gets older :-D"Annie:
"Whatever direction it goes, it'll be leri."