ZK: People who live out of town are not intimidated by each other nearly as much. There is a natural bond you feel with anyone from your city. I don’t know where you’re from, but if it is from someplace like BP or Flatbush, you probably don’t even know everyone on your block. But I live in a decent sized out of town place. And another poster, several months back, challenged me to identify her. She gave me very little to work with. She lived in my neighborhood (2 blocks away) for 4 years like a decade ago. But it took me less than 10 minutes to pin her down.
I just figured out who another quite regular poster is yesterday. Turns out I was his uncle’s rebbe a number of years ago when he lived in my town. (Next month will be 20 years since I started my first daf yomi shiur. WOW!! From Beitza to Bechoros, plus 2 cycles!) Not gonna go any further, because I don’t want to blow anyones cover.
Oy, I wish we could go back to the innocence of yesteryear! Jothar might blacklist me if I complain about the security enhancements here. I know it is all neccesary, but I just wish it weren’t so. But come visit us here, and try getting used to out of town. We still have it to a large extent. Yes there are bad people here too. I am quite aware of that. But the general attitude is much more welcoming, and you don’t feel threatened by someone else’s anonymity. And if eventually you connect with someone who was previously anonymous, it makes you feel good. Chein Hamakom Al Yoshveha!!