You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir
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Description
“Felicia Day is a lot of fun, and so is her book.” —George R. R. Martin
From online entertainment pioneer, actress, and “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is a “relentlessly funny and surprisingly inspirational” (Forbes.com), memoir about her unusual upbringing, her rise to internet stardom, and embracing her weirdness to find her place in the world.
When Felicia Day was a girl, all she wanted was to connect with other kids (desperately). Growing up in the Deep South, where she was “home-schooled for hippie reasons,” she looked online to find her tribe. The internet was in its infancy and she became an early adopter at every stage of its growth—finding joy and unlikely friendships in the emerging digital world. Her relative isolation meant that she could pursue passions like gaming, calculus, and 1930’s detective novels without shame. Because she had no idea how “uncool” she really was.
But if it hadn’t been for her strange background— the awkwardness continued when she started college at sixteen, with Mom driving her to campus every day—she might never have had the naive confidence to forge her own path. Like when she graduated as valedictorian with a math degree and then headed to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting despite having zero contacts. Or when she tired of being typecast as the crazy cat-lady secretary and decided to create her own web series before people in show business understood that online video could be more than just cats chasing laser pointers.
Felicia’s rags-to-riches rise to internet fame launched her career as one of the most influential creators in new media. Ever candid, she opens up about the rough patches along the way, recounting battles with writer’s block, a full-blown gaming addiction, severe anxiety and depression—and how she reinvented herself when overachieving became overwhelming.
Showcasing Felicia’s “engaging and often hilarious voice” (USA TODAY), You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is proof that everyone should celebrate what makes them different and be brave enough to share it with the world, because anything is possible now—even for a digital misfit.
Book Information
Posts
Felicia Day ist mir eigentlich nur aus der Fernsehserie Supernatural bekannt. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich zwar auch Eureka geschaut habe, aber irgendwie ist sie mir da nicht aufgefallen. Es war für mich jedoch äußerst spannend zu lesen, was sie über ihr Leben und das Internet zu sagen hatte. Ich staunte zudem nicht schlecht, als ich erfuhr, was sie in ihrem Leben bisher sonst noch leistete und erreichte. Es gibt Dinge, die sind nur in Amerika möglich. Öhm... eigentlich ist das falsch. Amerika ist ein großer Kontinent. Genauer gesagt, es gibt Dinge, die sind nur in den USA möglich. So auch, völlig verantwortungslos seine Kinder daheim zu unterrichten, statt sie frühzeitig "an die böse, weite Welt" zu gewöhnen bzw. sie an eine öffentliche Schule zu lassen. So, wie Felicia Day es schildert, ist es auf jeden Fall ein WAHNSINNS Verdienst, was sie aus sich und ihrem Leben gemacht hat. Chapeau! Ihr Schreibstil ist erfrischend und direkt. Ja, auch lustig. Aber nicht alles ist so lustig verlaufen, wie es sich liest. Und sie bringt es mit der Zeit sehr gut auf den Punkt, was aus dem Internet geworden ist und was das Internet aus einem machen kann (aber nicht sollte). Ich kenne noch die Zeit, als noch nicht jeder Zugang zum WWW hatte und jeder früher oder später das ungeschriebene Gesetzt der Netiquette lernte. Ich bin überzeugt, dass heute ein Großteil der Internetnutzer das Wort Netiquette nicht mal richtig schreiben könnten, geschweige denn wissen, was das ist (sofern sie es überhaupt schon mal hörten...). Ich kenne noch die Zeit, als es einfach nur toll war, Gleichgesinnte im Internet (virtuell) zu treffen und Spaß mit Ihnen zu haben. Bevor es zu vielen Deppen (sorry) bewusst wurde, dass man die Anonymität des Internets wunderbar zum Ausleben des persönlichen Defizits missbrauchen und anderen Menschen damit das Leben zur Hölle machen kann. Felicia Day bringt es mir ihrer wahrlich umfangreichen Erfahrung gnadenlos auf den Punkt, wie sehr das Internet die Welt zwischenzeitlich beherrscht und wie sehr sich ganz viele Menschen davon beherrschen lassen. Ob nun bewusst, oder unbewusst. Ich bin ihr jedenfalls sehr dankbar, dass sie dieses Buch geschrieben hat. Sehr offen und mit sehr vielen persönlichen Details. Natürlich ist ihre Erfahrung aufgrund ihres öffentlichen Lebens durchaus als etwas extremer zu betrachten, als bei den meisten Durchschnittsmenschen. Aber es enthält sehr viel Wahrheit ("sehr viel" nur deswegen, weil man bestimmt noch mehr schreiben könnte und nicht, weil unwahres enthalten ist) und sehr viele Passagen, die einen zum Nachdenken anregen. Felicia, vielen Dank nochmal, dass Du einen Teil Deines Lebens mit uns geteilt hast.
This book has a little tale of my own attached to it, so bear with me for a moment, before I get to the interesting part. ;) When I first read that this book existed – or was going to be published at the time – I was curious and excited as it sounded really fun. Then I was frustrated and sad when I realized it would take me ages to even get my hands on it. But then I visited a book store in Stockholm and without second thought I took it with me. As soon as we got back to our Hostel I read the Foreword and the Introduction, if we hadn’t been in the middle of exploring Stockholm I probably would have finished the book way earlier as it was hard to put it down, but Stockholm was the priority that weekend, so the book had to wait. As I said was I barely able to put the book down, so it’s probably not surprising that I finished the last pages before our ferry even reached the German shore again… The format of the book is a bit unusual. It’s quite large with large letters, but it’s still easy to read and full of funny pictures. Though quite often I had to take a pause from reading, laugh and tell SaJaehwa about what I just read – fortunately without having to translate it first. The read was a bit jumpy at times, as it felt like the narration followed thoughts instead of time line and therefore the tale went from childhood to adulthood and got back to childhood again for another topic. Still, that seems to be Felicia’s way of telling stuff, at least from what I can gather from what I read here and saw of her in other places. With the funny, entertaining and witty way Felicia tells her story you soon forget that those are things that actually happened to someone. I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. It is not just a memoir, that tells you things about an Internet Celebrity you know and like, it’s also inspiring and motivating if you yourself have projects that you would love to see recognized and loved by others. While reading this book my perspective for certain things shifted. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to create something others like, but reading about the creation of The Guild made it even more clear to me that I had a bumpy road ahead. But at the same time it showed me that conquering that road is worth it and that giving up along the way might seem like the easy route, but that you shouldn’t take it and instead reward yourself with finishing your projects. At least that’s what I got out of it. >_< Long story short: I laughed a lot, could relate to several things, thought about others and took a lot from it for my own projects and endeavours. Read full Review: You're never weird on the Internet (almost)
I already loved her anyway, but now I adore her even more. For being weird and (mostly^^) not ashamed of it. For being one of us gamers. For being open with private issues you normally don't tell everybody. And - of course - for being just the funny likable person she is. And it's a relief that someone with the same insecurities and anxiety is out there and still awesome :)
Description
“Felicia Day is a lot of fun, and so is her book.” —George R. R. Martin
From online entertainment pioneer, actress, and “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is a “relentlessly funny and surprisingly inspirational” (Forbes.com), memoir about her unusual upbringing, her rise to internet stardom, and embracing her weirdness to find her place in the world.
When Felicia Day was a girl, all she wanted was to connect with other kids (desperately). Growing up in the Deep South, where she was “home-schooled for hippie reasons,” she looked online to find her tribe. The internet was in its infancy and she became an early adopter at every stage of its growth—finding joy and unlikely friendships in the emerging digital world. Her relative isolation meant that she could pursue passions like gaming, calculus, and 1930’s detective novels without shame. Because she had no idea how “uncool” she really was.
But if it hadn’t been for her strange background— the awkwardness continued when she started college at sixteen, with Mom driving her to campus every day—she might never have had the naive confidence to forge her own path. Like when she graduated as valedictorian with a math degree and then headed to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting despite having zero contacts. Or when she tired of being typecast as the crazy cat-lady secretary and decided to create her own web series before people in show business understood that online video could be more than just cats chasing laser pointers.
Felicia’s rags-to-riches rise to internet fame launched her career as one of the most influential creators in new media. Ever candid, she opens up about the rough patches along the way, recounting battles with writer’s block, a full-blown gaming addiction, severe anxiety and depression—and how she reinvented herself when overachieving became overwhelming.
Showcasing Felicia’s “engaging and often hilarious voice” (USA TODAY), You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is proof that everyone should celebrate what makes them different and be brave enough to share it with the world, because anything is possible now—even for a digital misfit.
Book Information
Posts
Felicia Day ist mir eigentlich nur aus der Fernsehserie Supernatural bekannt. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich zwar auch Eureka geschaut habe, aber irgendwie ist sie mir da nicht aufgefallen. Es war für mich jedoch äußerst spannend zu lesen, was sie über ihr Leben und das Internet zu sagen hatte. Ich staunte zudem nicht schlecht, als ich erfuhr, was sie in ihrem Leben bisher sonst noch leistete und erreichte. Es gibt Dinge, die sind nur in Amerika möglich. Öhm... eigentlich ist das falsch. Amerika ist ein großer Kontinent. Genauer gesagt, es gibt Dinge, die sind nur in den USA möglich. So auch, völlig verantwortungslos seine Kinder daheim zu unterrichten, statt sie frühzeitig "an die böse, weite Welt" zu gewöhnen bzw. sie an eine öffentliche Schule zu lassen. So, wie Felicia Day es schildert, ist es auf jeden Fall ein WAHNSINNS Verdienst, was sie aus sich und ihrem Leben gemacht hat. Chapeau! Ihr Schreibstil ist erfrischend und direkt. Ja, auch lustig. Aber nicht alles ist so lustig verlaufen, wie es sich liest. Und sie bringt es mit der Zeit sehr gut auf den Punkt, was aus dem Internet geworden ist und was das Internet aus einem machen kann (aber nicht sollte). Ich kenne noch die Zeit, als noch nicht jeder Zugang zum WWW hatte und jeder früher oder später das ungeschriebene Gesetzt der Netiquette lernte. Ich bin überzeugt, dass heute ein Großteil der Internetnutzer das Wort Netiquette nicht mal richtig schreiben könnten, geschweige denn wissen, was das ist (sofern sie es überhaupt schon mal hörten...). Ich kenne noch die Zeit, als es einfach nur toll war, Gleichgesinnte im Internet (virtuell) zu treffen und Spaß mit Ihnen zu haben. Bevor es zu vielen Deppen (sorry) bewusst wurde, dass man die Anonymität des Internets wunderbar zum Ausleben des persönlichen Defizits missbrauchen und anderen Menschen damit das Leben zur Hölle machen kann. Felicia Day bringt es mir ihrer wahrlich umfangreichen Erfahrung gnadenlos auf den Punkt, wie sehr das Internet die Welt zwischenzeitlich beherrscht und wie sehr sich ganz viele Menschen davon beherrschen lassen. Ob nun bewusst, oder unbewusst. Ich bin ihr jedenfalls sehr dankbar, dass sie dieses Buch geschrieben hat. Sehr offen und mit sehr vielen persönlichen Details. Natürlich ist ihre Erfahrung aufgrund ihres öffentlichen Lebens durchaus als etwas extremer zu betrachten, als bei den meisten Durchschnittsmenschen. Aber es enthält sehr viel Wahrheit ("sehr viel" nur deswegen, weil man bestimmt noch mehr schreiben könnte und nicht, weil unwahres enthalten ist) und sehr viele Passagen, die einen zum Nachdenken anregen. Felicia, vielen Dank nochmal, dass Du einen Teil Deines Lebens mit uns geteilt hast.
This book has a little tale of my own attached to it, so bear with me for a moment, before I get to the interesting part. ;) When I first read that this book existed – or was going to be published at the time – I was curious and excited as it sounded really fun. Then I was frustrated and sad when I realized it would take me ages to even get my hands on it. But then I visited a book store in Stockholm and without second thought I took it with me. As soon as we got back to our Hostel I read the Foreword and the Introduction, if we hadn’t been in the middle of exploring Stockholm I probably would have finished the book way earlier as it was hard to put it down, but Stockholm was the priority that weekend, so the book had to wait. As I said was I barely able to put the book down, so it’s probably not surprising that I finished the last pages before our ferry even reached the German shore again… The format of the book is a bit unusual. It’s quite large with large letters, but it’s still easy to read and full of funny pictures. Though quite often I had to take a pause from reading, laugh and tell SaJaehwa about what I just read – fortunately without having to translate it first. The read was a bit jumpy at times, as it felt like the narration followed thoughts instead of time line and therefore the tale went from childhood to adulthood and got back to childhood again for another topic. Still, that seems to be Felicia’s way of telling stuff, at least from what I can gather from what I read here and saw of her in other places. With the funny, entertaining and witty way Felicia tells her story you soon forget that those are things that actually happened to someone. I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. It is not just a memoir, that tells you things about an Internet Celebrity you know and like, it’s also inspiring and motivating if you yourself have projects that you would love to see recognized and loved by others. While reading this book my perspective for certain things shifted. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to create something others like, but reading about the creation of The Guild made it even more clear to me that I had a bumpy road ahead. But at the same time it showed me that conquering that road is worth it and that giving up along the way might seem like the easy route, but that you shouldn’t take it and instead reward yourself with finishing your projects. At least that’s what I got out of it. >_< Long story short: I laughed a lot, could relate to several things, thought about others and took a lot from it for my own projects and endeavours. Read full Review: You're never weird on the Internet (almost)
I already loved her anyway, but now I adore her even more. For being weird and (mostly^^) not ashamed of it. For being one of us gamers. For being open with private issues you normally don't tell everybody. And - of course - for being just the funny likable person she is. And it's a relief that someone with the same insecurities and anxiety is out there and still awesome :)