The Literary Khan: fiction, wisdom, and writings of The Khan

       Community. It is a universal concept. Fundamental to the human desire to belong. In all areas of life we see the almost natural formation of communities, often grouping around shared appreciations or beliefs. As a nerd I have seen communities spring up around every single fandom, or hobby that I engage with. In 2019 I attended PAX AUS. An event that arguably was created to celebrate all the different aspects and communities of gaming. Whilst I was there you could see each of the different communities. A short walk took you through the bright lights of the videogaming section, and even within that there was the various indie game producers.The next hall over saw the various stalls peddling their tabletop offerings. All of these different tribes all forming one PAX AUS community. The conversations I had with other attendees revealing the differences in opinion, attitude, and tastes. All from different communities. Recently in my interaction with various online s...

    "The Jury may leave the courtroom" the judge said, and just like that we were escorted out of the courtroom. Then the building, and back into the general public. We exchanged no pleasantries, we did not speak as we left. All of us accepted the gravity of the situation. After a week of testimonies, evidence, and expert opinion we had given a guilty verdict on all charges. I had done the math in my head. Given the age of the accused the combined sentences would be the equivalent to a life sentence. This is the one and only time I have ever been on a jury, and I still think about it. I remember the intense and crystal clear talk we were given that drove home our responsibilities, and accountability to case, and the law. It is a stark difference to the trials of public opinion that play out in the social media landscape. Up front I will say I have made a promise, and conscious effort to not be a part of a dogpile. I will watch them unfold and try to comprehend what I am seein...