[idiocratic]

I disagree. They were such a great door into escapism and friendship for me, a standard guy from a small town in Italy with no metal friends at all until the internet came about. Forums in particular provided the opportunity of meeting people with very different backgrounds sharing similar music tastes, and it was also fun to argue about silly things like what is true and not true metal and getting banned by mods. I built amazing memories of road trips together, motorcycles, seeing bands and meeting each other somewhere basically every weekend. Not to say that what you experienced is not true, but it’s not the case for every forum out there for sure. Also, what made metalheads special was their status as a total outcasts of society, of course we were very much an insular culture. I miss the group spirit, the “family” side of all of this amazing subculture.

[noobermin]

May be a good rule for what determines how someone can enjoy things like small groups is how physical it is. For me, MA was an online-only thing I found through my love of metal, almost no one I knew loved metal, most who listened to rock-ish music at all loved the *-core brand of music (which was popular in the late 00s) which I specifically didn't like. In terms of chances to actually branch out and see bands (and perhaps meet other metal heads at the time) I couldn't as I a) couldn't drive and b) lived in America in the bible belt.

Finding randoms who become actual meatspace friends probably makes it a little better, if anything, it lessens how insular you are when you have to be actually outside with others who aren't part of your group.