A
virtual community started by
Howard Rheingold as sequel project to
Electric Minds. Membership in the community is at the discretion of Howard, and
rude or
obnoxious behavior can and will get you kicked out of the community. It is a pleasant change of pace from the normal din of
Usenet or other
open forums on the
Net. The discourse on Brainstorms is almost always intelligent and civil, which combine with Howard's
colorful personality to make it the closet thing to a
hippie commune existing in electronic space. Members of the community refer to themselves as
BSers.
From the Brainstorms Frequently Ask Questions List:
The origins of BS
In February 1998, Howard Rheingold created the initial conferences for Brainstorms, and established the basic social contract -- that it was to be run as his personal salon, in the style of old-time BBSs. It was to be a place where civility is valued and assholes CAN get the boot. He invited a bunch of people he knew from previous virtual communities -- The WELL, the River, Hotwired Threads, Electric Minds, and put an invitation to apply on his web page.