Craig's List

My first introduction to Craig's List was shortly after being hired as an online event coordinator for Communities.com. Since I was moving to San Jose from Seattle, finding an apartment was a critical first step, so I asked those who would know best where to start looking: My new colleagues. Hands down, everyone suggested Craig's List. Not only did CL have rentals, but it was the source for jobs, personals, stuff to buy, and a wide assortment of other useful exchanges and information.

Craig's List has since grown well beyond its California roots and has branched out internationally.

For the first time since using Craig's List I've trolled the personals and have even spouted off in the Rants and Rave section. Ladies, you'll have no trouble getting fifty or more responses to even the dullest post. But beware: The men on CL appear to be the bottom of the barrel. You're truly scraping the scum off the pond with this bunch so I don't recommend following up with any of the responses. If you want a reality check just read the Rants and Raves section and you'll get a pretty good glimpse at how nasty the boys are.

With that said, I highly recommend CL for job hunting. There are lots of great jobs posted that you may not see anywhere else.

My Virtual Model

While surfing Craig's List a poster shared a fun website called My Virtual Model. Your model can be skinny, plump, or obese, and there are a number of facial styles, body types, and skin tones to create a nearly virtual you (or maybe you prefer a fantasy you).

The models are created to be viewed 180-degrees so you can choose whether you want a front, side, or back view. My one complaint is that none of the hair styles include curly, so my virtual me was a bit lacking.

The real purpose of My Virtual Model is to allow its users to try clothes on before buying when window-shopping online. Sears, Lands End, Glamour, Gurl, and iVillage are among the stores linked with My Virtual Model.

But the real fun is playing with your model. It's like having an online paper doll to dress up. But in this case you're seeing how you look with various body shapes.

Go ahead, give it a try and have some fun.

Online Fun and Games

This afternoon I spent time updating my website, including a list of online chat games and programs that I've collected over the years. My nephews clued me in on a program I hadn't heard of before called Mu. It looked pretty fun so I added it to my list.

Visit Chatter Box for my mini-reviews and notes. Although I no longer have much time to chat online I still enjoy hearing about new programs and checking out the latest RPG games.

Old Friends

This afternoon I received a surprise call from an old online friend that I met way-back-when on Palace. The call reminded me how much I missed our daily exchanges of gossip, tips about men, and commiserating about life in general.

Every now and then we experience those special moments in life that we know will never be repeated or replicated. There was an era of Palace where friendships were made and remained. Where a group of people tumbled online together from all parts of the world and from different walks in life. We were smart, fun, and curious. We were passionate about our online experiences and driven by an inner sense of knowing that this was special, we were special, and that this time together would never last. So we plunged forward and enjoyed every moment of this great experiment called virtual life.

We're all busy with real life now, but the memories linger on.

Welcome!

Greetings and welcome to my inaugural blog for Chat Jockey. My virtual life began over a decade ago on AOL as grgspelvin where I was a host during the days when hosting meant a serious reduction in the monthly bill (back when AOL charged by the hour).

But even with hosting my AOL bill was still shockingly high. An online friend introduced me to a fledgling animated chat program that hadn't even really opened its doors. The program was called The Palace, was free, and instantly appealing -- though it was like moving from a big city to a small town in cyberspace.

My membership got lost and so I floundered around as a smiley-guest ball for nearly a month before gaining official member status.

That was around 1995. Incredibly, many of the people I first met on Palace nearly ten years ago remain in touch today. We used to get together in Las Vegas once a year, then Nashville, and now many of us continue chatting on Deep Thoughts, a listserve born from the ashes of a Palace email group.

Over the years I've been an online moderator, listserve owner, and eventually scored a job as Executive Producer for online celebrity events with Communities.com, the company that eventually purchased Palace.

Communities.com closed its doors a number of years ago but Palace lives on in various forms as old-timers continue hosting their sites.

For those burning to know more visit The Palace website. A ten-year anniversary is coming up and I continue to be amazed at how tenacious this little group of online junkies is about Palace.