Who's more socially anxious online?

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Ok...I gotta do this before I decide I don't want to...lol

I'm Cait, and this is my first time on tbis website. Er, well actually, probably my second. Got too nervous the first time I think...

I'm, um, not real sure if this is the right spot to post this (forums are hard to navigate...so much info overload :p) But I'm here to maybe talk to interesting ppl, see if I can't learn some things, do some complaining about horrible health care and sorely underqualified health care "providers", and... maybe get past my social anxiety a bit.

A social anxiety that is, somewhat backwardly (i say its a word, rawr) far worse online. Talking online, even thru a live video feed, is...kinda like...
Well, I'm not religious but I'll use this as an example, anyway.

It's like, no matter what is said, it's like "god" writing on a wall in your house.

Yes, you can read it, and yes, it was written by something living (if u believe in god anyway), but it's still just totally abstract. Even if "god" were to use emojis and, it'd still feel that way, lol...

I really prefer to hang out with friends in PERSON, no matter how nervous i may get, or how many times i stick my foot in my mouth (lol), but, I can't drive, and my mum has limited mobility and often cant offer rides...
So I decided I'm gonna grit my teeth and try this anyway. I want to see if I can meet some folks, and I want to expand my creative horizons.

I am really, REALLY nervous though. I prolly wont reply to anything right away...But...um, keep trying, yes ^^;?

I have a pitiabley poorly stocked DevArt, btw, which I may someday share after i add more to it. Mentioned cuz I am a very visual person, and "communicating" and expressing myself thru art is far less stressful for me
(even if I like NOTHING I draw e.e)

Welcome to WP SGDragon , I may not fit the interesting person category

I am the reverse to you , I don't have the same anxiety online as IRL although I do obsess about my posts sometimes so it still does my nut in.

P.S. I don't expect a reply if your not able , this is more to let you know that you have been acknowledged and accepted into WP , well by me anyways

Hi! Welcome to Wrongplanet . Your post is perfectly fine. I'm glad you are posting here even though it's hard for you. You're doing a good job .

Thank u StampySquiddyFan This is totally hard, but I still wanna try. Thanks for the support

And SaveFerris...What makes you think you are "uninteresting"? I find that statement itself interesting xD What could make a person truly uninteresting? Stamp collecting? Being a pet rock trainer? Ha, even those things could be interesting ;D

Guess I say things that come off unintentionaly critical or excluding...lol.
But according to what little I do know...Kinda common for an aspi to do.

I still feel nervous though...I'm so archaic compared to the modern, online world. I feel like Crocodile Dundee, ha! You know, didn't know Tom Cruise, and when shown a Pres. Nixon impression, he asks if this "Nixon" guy lives nearby. Anyone who's seen Crocodile Dundee will know what I'm saying

See...I've only had a computer for about 10 years (maybe more i unno), and still don't have "real" internet, technically. Kinda feel like that excludes me from even other aspis or autistic folks :p

It's kinda tough sometimes, being "Cait-o-dile Dundee," ha \xD

...And I'm over-analyzing saying that to death, but...It' the truth, so whateva, lol xD That gets me alot of raised eyebrows and akward stares when I tell ppl that in person, and I know that what you say DOES influence how ppl see you, but hey. Trying to filter EVERYthing I say gets pretty darn tiring, so...I say, WHA DA HELL.

Welcome SGDragon! I understand about the anxiety relating to online posting. It took me a couple of years before I posted much on WrongPlanet. I worry I might come across wrong so I double- and triple-check what I write. And after I post a comment, I often get a bunch of anxiety because I see how it might be misinterpreted, might not follow the WP rules, or might attract negative or angry reactions. For me it's slowly getting better. It's been worth it: a great thing about WP is that there are usually others who relate to our experiences and understand. It's helped me accept my differences while knowing that they don't make me less of a good person.

Hey dude! Welcome. No worries. I read once that Aspie's are some of the most accepting people you will meet. I hope you find that so in this forum. And hey, I collect stamps, but the way

Where'd u read that? Well doesn't matter, cuz i can easily see how it'd be true. At least, in my experiences. Gotten a lot of "critical reviews," so to speak, througout my life. And certaintly not an excess of understanding. You learn pretty quick that that don't feel so great :p But it can teach you empathy, which is more important than a "perfect" life

Anyhoo, thanks ^^
And thanks too, EyeDash, for...Well, for sounding just like me, ha xD Affirmation that I'm not the only one thinkin' like that is nice

And ps, no worries, Stamp Collecter! I collect rocks, and ither "nature", which is no more or less interesting :› And cats, too, it would seem -_-;

The internet keeps me from being socially isolated, especially during the summer or any block of time I'm not enrolled in school. I only go to school when I really want to learn something, & a class is the best way to do it -- like welding. I needed to learn how, but after watching many videos, decided it was best to take a class. Same for computer programming -- different languages like Java, C#, C++, ... etc. I watch the videos, but class has always been better for me, because they give assignments & tests that force me to focus & do more work. Practice is best for all learning. I can ask as many questions as i want. Lots of times, the professor thanks me for being so interested. Some get annoyed, but not usually.

I always think my comments & videos are obvious & people who read or watch what I make will understand everything perfectly. That is not usually how it goes. People misunderstand me a lot, & some get me so very wrong that they get upset. I'm always surprised by it, even though I shouldn't be since it happens so frequently. To me everything I do & say has an obvious reason.

Subjects change too fast for me in regular conversations. Just when I think of something to say, the subject has already changed. Never know if it is ok to go back to a previous topic that was being discussed or if I should just stay quiet about my idea. Chatting is never worth it to me -- makes me very tired. I stick to working by myself & typing online when I'm in the mood to interact.

Welcome to WP.

Well I certainly express myself a lot more online than irl. But when I first started out I was very nervous and akward and all that.

I don't use my real name on this forum, because I don't want to risk being found out. It could jeopardize all the gains I have made over the past couple of years. I think people who know I like tennis, cats and Denis Istomin could probably guess who I am.

You know...Maybe I'm kinda odd for this, but I don't care who knows who I am
I spent my whole life feeling so darn...WEIRD.
Being aspi gives me a reason, and an "ok", to be myself.

I think being diagnosed with aspergers was one of the best darn things ever. It's not like a diagnosis of a horrible disease, cuz my aspi was already THERE. Nothing changed for the worst, and instead...Now it's like I have a shiny passport I can flash and say, "Hey, I'm not weird, I'm just from "ye Land of Autism"!" Kinda gives it all a good reason, and I can let go of "trying to be like everyone else" (not that i ever wanted to though, lol).

But yeah, anyway, whenever I meet someone first thing I flop on the table is "I have ASPERGERS, I'm different but awesome . It is what it is, so like it or LUMP it ."

And if they get a look like "oh, you poor, sad thing..." then I give them a brief (hahaha...) explanation. I mean, why shouldnt I, hm ? Cuz' if they think it's sooo awful, they're clearly not well informed xD And it's not like I'm tyin' em to a chair, clothes pinning their eyes open, and making them watch Barney re-runs. Aspergers and autism isnt a bad thing, and i think its important ppl know a lil about it

And if they wanna subject change when Im talking about something THAT important to me, I smile and nod, and then I steer the subject back towards what I was saying. REAALLY graceful, like so;
"Hey, yeah...that was really cool, um...whatever you were saying, but actually...I didn't finish what I was saying...SO *re-launches previously skipped topic*"
And surprisingly enough, ppl I've talked to dont seem to mind all that much. Cuz I guess, once my "hot-air balloon" has been deflated (lol i laff at my own analogy) I give my full attention and really listen to THEM

...Speaking of hot-air balloons...I think I just sent one whizzing off into the atmosphere, lol! Kinda got on a rant, OH WELL. It's something I'm passionate about. Wheew...kinda tired now...

Um, k...internet tardo question here. How do you, uhh...do that thing where u quote other ppls posts in a box?

Anyway, to what IgA said. That's impressive, at least to a techie disaster like me And i agree, actual IRL chatting is tootally exhausting :p i go home and nap, for like, a MONTH. But myself, i still like it, cuz theres still something special about an actual person.

And, actually I'm wanting to go to school too. I wanna enroll in artsy fartsy classes Ive always drawn, made comics, etc...but i wanna learn to paint, and even get my "sea legs," so to speak, in fashion design. Not contemporary fashion, just my own, costumes or historical.
Also wanna brush up on my language studies. (btw, if u learn to weld real good, maybe i could commission a big, giant, metal yeti someday O.o rig some pyrotechnic flash and sparks (nothin dangerous of course) to it, a smoke machine...really scare the pants off some ppl xD xD)