Article
What is with the Name?
Compensation? Why in the world would anyone name a newsletter “Compensation?” Why? Well I’ll tell you why. What is online life anyway but a way for us to compensate for something we can’t get in real life? One of Dictionary.com definition of compensations is:
a mechanism by which an individual attempts to make up for some real or imagined deficiency of personality or behavior by developing or stressing another aspect of the personality or by substituting a different form of behavior
I know even myself I tend to compensate social interactions and individual bonds that aren’t working in real life to the community built up on online sites such as Gaia. It’s an environment that people feel safe in. If a relationship starts to get weight all you have to do it press the ignore button or make another friend. There are lots of them! Not usually something we can do in real life.
Another compensation could be that its available at any time, when you have the time. Interestingly enough our real life schedules do not possess this ability. Not being measured by time allows us to feel the freedom that we tend to be limited in our busy schedules.
One of the reasons that also apply is that a person can feel important online and gain status that is normally dealt out uneven in the real world. You have your MySpace or your profile, you have 100 friends, or are apart of the “Artist Guild”. Any of the titles can be compensation for something that isn’t achieved in the real world.
So why Compensation for a newsletter? Honestly it allows us to see each other from another point of view, while still enjoying the online experience. So welcome.. to the monthly issue of Compensation. Come.. be apart of the community.
If you are interesting in submitting a article (Gaia related) to Compensation. Please PM Angel387 with any submissions
Questions to Editor
Alexandria Wendell found the market was busy this time of day but the hustle and busyness made her feel at home. It was a world she walked into recently and it was one she missed. There would be traders on the right and left of her, selling jewelry, hand made items, and artwork. They had been there most of their lives and through several generations it seemed. Alex spied a sign that said “Gibson’s Jewelry, here for over 75 years”. It made her smile inside. She loved the merchants and Pike’s Place was a nice indoor market; filled with a lot of Seattle’s culture.
A man near one of the entrances was doing card tricks and asked her if she was interested in viewing one. She smiled at him but said no and moved on. The smell of the fish was strong today. She knew it was because of the hot weather they were having. Early and mid July were the hottest time of the year in Seattle. While it wasn’t over 100 degrees yet it was still different for a born and raised Washingtonian. Rain and overcast was the usual in King County but for the last few weeks there had been no drops of rain. It was surprisingly starting to fluster some people. You didn’t live in Washington if you didn’t enjoy rain once in awhile and the heat was just murdering some of the farmers and fishers sales; while boosting business for the trinket merchants.
