Tales from an Ickle
Kendra Givens
June 2017
I joined HOL almost 3 months ago… exactly 82 days ago as I’m writing this. I have been online every day since, and it feels as though I have been a part of this for years. When I started out, I was excited to join classes and be sorted into a house (fully hoping for Ravenclaw), but I wasn’t expecting anything else. Then I started looking around and realized there was much, much more to do here than I could wrap my head around. Luckily, I logged into IRC for the first time and met a current professor and a professor from my own house who were both able to show me around HOL, as they have both been on the site for a long time and are collectively involved in everything this place has to offer. Since joining HOL a mere 82 days ago, I have completed two classes, won two awards, read an entire book for the first time in forever, done more puzzles than I care to count, debuted as a seeker in my first ever Quidditch game (and apparently did a decent job), and am participating in training to become a prefect. You might say I jumped in with both feet, but it felt completely natural to do so.
What do I think made my experience here what it has been so far? It’s been connecting with people through IRC. From the day I joined, I have continued to meet people there and build friendships I never predicted I would have through a random Harry Potter website. I learned everything I know from these amazing people who are always encouraging me to get involved in more facets of this community. Without talking with them almost every night, I would never be able to keep track of everything going on here. I would never have even known about Quidditch, and I would not know nearly enough to dream of becoming a prefect sometime in the (hopefully) near future.
One of the most mind-blowing things I have learned in my short time here is that many, many people have been connected to this community (I can’t even call it a ‘site’ anymore) for more than seven real calendar years. Some I know have been on here for 14 years or longer and are online every day still! There seems to be a certain “je ne sais quoi” (French for something that is not easily described) about what the driving force is behind people’s passion and dedication to this community, because I’ve heard countless times that “it’s hard to explain to those who aren’t involved in it.” So I’ve come up with what I think might be words I can associate with that “we don’t know what it is” that brings us all together and has made us all fall in love with this community…
I think HOL allows us all to be who we are without judgment. We collectively cover various age groups, countries of origin, professions, levels of education, etc, which are celebrated, if not completely disregarded. All I consider when I talk to someone is the conversation I’m having and the spirit evident in that person. I feel as though I know some people SO well through just chatting with them via a computer screen, because no one feels the need to pretend or hold anything back. My worldview has been changed forever because of what I've learned from each of you. We share so many different talents here – we have amazing artists, writers, programmers, designers… and we all get to share our unique talents and passions to build this community together. We are afforded various opportunities to collaborate and have our ideas encouraged and heard. We celebrate in each other’s successes, support each other when times get tough, laugh so hard we cry, and always encourage each other to be our best selves and take risks. When I joined HOL, I was expecting a Harry Potter fansite. What I got was a community that became a part of me I don’t think I could ever let go - my constant silver lining. Thank you all for giving me that opportunity <3
I joined HOL almost 3 months ago… exactly 82 days ago as I’m writing this. I have been online every day since, and it feels as though I have been a part of this for years. When I started out, I was excited to join classes and be sorted into a house (fully hoping for Ravenclaw), but I wasn’t expecting anything else. Then I started looking around and realized there was much, much more to do here than I could wrap my head around. Luckily, I logged into IRC for the first time and met a current professor and a professor from my own house who were both able to show me around HOL, as they have both been on the site for a long time and are collectively involved in everything this place has to offer. Since joining HOL a mere 82 days ago, I have completed two classes, won two awards, read an entire book for the first time in forever, done more puzzles than I care to count, debuted as a seeker in my first ever Quidditch game (and apparently did a decent job), and am participating in training to become a prefect. You might say I jumped in with both feet, but it felt completely natural to do so.
What do I think made my experience here what it has been so far? It’s been connecting with people through IRC. From the day I joined, I have continued to meet people there and build friendships I never predicted I would have through a random Harry Potter website. I learned everything I know from these amazing people who are always encouraging me to get involved in more facets of this community. Without talking with them almost every night, I would never be able to keep track of everything going on here. I would never have even known about Quidditch, and I would not know nearly enough to dream of becoming a prefect sometime in the (hopefully) near future.
One of the most mind-blowing things I have learned in my short time here is that many, many people have been connected to this community (I can’t even call it a ‘site’ anymore) for more than seven real calendar years. Some I know have been on here for 14 years or longer and are online every day still! There seems to be a certain “je ne sais quoi” (French for something that is not easily described) about what the driving force is behind people’s passion and dedication to this community, because I’ve heard countless times that “it’s hard to explain to those who aren’t involved in it.” So I’ve come up with what I think might be words I can associate with that “we don’t know what it is” that brings us all together and has made us all fall in love with this community…
I think HOL allows us all to be who we are without judgment. We collectively cover various age groups, countries of origin, professions, levels of education, etc, which are celebrated, if not completely disregarded. All I consider when I talk to someone is the conversation I’m having and the spirit evident in that person. I feel as though I know some people SO well through just chatting with them via a computer screen, because no one feels the need to pretend or hold anything back. My worldview has been changed forever because of what I've learned from each of you. We share so many different talents here – we have amazing artists, writers, programmers, designers… and we all get to share our unique talents and passions to build this community together. We are afforded various opportunities to collaborate and have our ideas encouraged and heard. We celebrate in each other’s successes, support each other when times get tough, laugh so hard we cry, and always encourage each other to be our best selves and take risks. When I joined HOL, I was expecting a Harry Potter fansite. What I got was a community that became a part of me I don’t think I could ever let go - my constant silver lining. Thank you all for giving me that opportunity <3