From: utzoo!decvax!microsof!uw-beaver!cornell!ddw
Newsgroups: net.singles
Title: Sex and the single netter
Article-I.D.: cornell.4335
Posted: Sat Apr 23 13:03:34 1983
Received: Sun Apr 24 07:54:48 1983

I've been watching the net's infatuation with Arwen with considerable
amusement and a certain sense of deja vu (no accent marks available, 
sorry), because I've seen it all before on a different computer system
a few years ago.  (There may be one or two other netters out there who
will be familiar with the scene, e.g. sri-unix!bhayes [you listening,
Barry?])

Specifically, I am referring to a situation that developed on the 
Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS) back around 1976-77.  A multi-
terminal conference program called Xtalk (which was originally written
with an eye towards letting people ask questions of the assistant on
duty) became a popular medium of communication for those with time to
kill.  Some fairly lively conversations and correspondences began to
appear, not all of them among Dartmouth students, as Dartmouth wasn't
(and isn't) the only school using DTSS.  The situation is really not
completely parallel to Usenet, since Xtalk was real-time conversing,
not mail-like.  Also, there was no "broadcast" facility; that is, all
conversations were person-to-person.  (This defect was remedied in
the programs that succeeded Xtalk.)  There was an element of mystery
in that all users could adopt aliases and there was no sure way to find
out the real identities (or even the locations, sometimes) of the people
involved.

At any rate, while the user population was heavily male, certain female
users did begin appearing, and sex reared its interesting head.  The
first woman I know of to use the conference ("con" for short) was from
the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY.  Others soon appeared,
of greater interest since they were in Hanover NH and thus more accessible
to the Dartmouth population.  Two of the most popular turned out to be
Hanover High School students; however, this did not severely detract from
their popularity, especially since at least one of them fooled around a
good deal.  (No, not with me; I had other interests.)  Once the women of
Mount Holyoke and Skidmore discovered the con, things really got lively.
(Both schools are now disconnected, alas, but it was fun while it lasted.)
You practically had to live on the computer to be around enough to get to
know the most interesting people, but I had a lot of spare time in those
days.  You could get a lot of dates this way, but I digress.  By the way,
does anyone know of situations like this developing anywhere else?

To conclude:  the fact of Arwen's popularity is not unprecedented.  The
important thing, guys, is:  do not get TOO carried away.  After all, there's
Carl lurking in the background.  And who can compete with the King of
Arnor and Gondor?

                                 David Wright

                                 {vax135|decvax|purdue}!cornell!ddw
                                 ddw@cornell