December 2016 marked my one-year anniversary here at RetroZap, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the team! That got me thinking about a different aspect of family, for the Family Homestead: the Internet family, or eCommunity.
Families come in all different shapes and sizes, and whether they live in close proximity to each other or are spread across the globe, they share a common bond that binds them together. Nowadays, with the Internet, it’s easier than ever to stay connected. A different type of family has sprung directly out of this technological advance in the form of fan eCommunity. From old-school message boards and forums to the more modern social media like Facebook and Twitter, fans have been able to “meet” others with the same level of passion without ever being in the same room. Despite some stigma that goes around, these connections are just as real and valid.
Humble Beginnings
I first experienced the incredible Star Wars fan eCommunity as a casual observer and got my start by listening to the old ForceCast podcast. Not only was it the first Star Wars podcast I listened to, but my first podcast in general! I coined my now Twitter handle “Skymauler” on the fly as I signed up for the live chat. Discovering media tailored to my most cherished galaxy was amazing!
This was the first of many firsts. I soon found some great groups out there like The Bothan Report (now The Star Wars Report) and Matt and Chris over at The Sarlacc Pit podcast. I have friends who enjoy Star Wars, but nowhere near how I enjoyed it. This became a great way to listen to others perspectives and be in the middle of a discussion. It wasn’t until I hopped onto Twitter that I really was able to interact with not just the content creators of these shows but also other fans and listeners.
News and More
The best part of the Internet community has to be sharing the excitement as news breaks. Let’s face it, I’m probably not going to run home and geek out over the latest book announcements with my wife. Well, maybe I do but…I’m not able to make it out to a ton of events, especially the bigger ones, so social media enables me to never miss any news thanks to a huge community of like-minded and enthusiastic fans.
I’ve been able to connect with some great people all over this country, and some on the other side of the pond, and am not afraid to refer to them as friends. No, I’ve never met them face to face, but why should that matter? Not to devalue traditional friendships, but a lot of them are sometimes just relationships of convenience. With the Internet, you can reach out to other passionate people and interact in ways a lot of people just can’t with friends they’ve had their whole lives.
First Steps into a Larger World
Before I started at RetroZap, I’d never really written anything. Ever. But I wanted to take a step forward, to be a bigger part of the community in any way I could. To give back, even in a small way, to a community that I personally had got so much value from over the years. I took a shot in the dark, and contacted Joe Tavano after listening to his and Chris’ podcast for a while, Brews and Blasters.
This was a few weeks before The Force Awakens was released so it goes without saying that my excitement was running pretty high. I had written up something just encapsulating , or attempting to, my feelings as a Star Wars fan on the eve of the start of the sequel trilogy.
To my surprise, it got posted, and I became part of a team with some of the best talent in writing and podcasting out there. It’s a small, tight-knit group of people who are now friends, and may have never met if it wasn’t for their passion for Star Wars and the overall welcoming community of its fandom.
How to get started?
So get online, make connections, make friends, write, podcast, create…there are countless ways to be a part of this eCommunity if you’re willing. It’s extremely fulfilling!
Thanks for reading!
Mike Harris hails from the suburbs of Chicago and has been a fan for most of his life. Working as an industrial radiographer and raising a family with his wife take up most of his time, but there’s always room for Star Wars books and podcasts! Just looking to give back to Star Wars and the fan community, it’s been a source of fun and learning for him for so long.