| Zone.com: Tell us a bit about yourself and your book “Playing Around: My Adventures on the Zone.com.”
Dorothy: I am 72 years old and have been married for nearly 51 years. I am a mother of two and a grandmother of four. I am still a practicing part-time journalist and writer. I have survived breast cancer twice, and skin cancer once, and numerous other maladies, and have always managed to look well and maintain a work schedule. My looks belie my years and even doctors have been amazed at my youthful appearance, not only in my face, but hands, feet, demeanor, and attitude. After my Zone.com friend died in June, I was determined to complete this book that I began more than two years ago. It has brought me so much joy, reviving early memories of playing on Zone.com and sharing those and new ones in this book. I want to be able to tell everyone that this world of cyberspace is fantastic. I would hope it encourages others to enter it.
Zone.com: Before we get into your adventures online, tell us how long you’ve been playing Bridge?
Dorothy: 45 years
Zone.com: What inspired you to take the leap to playing online?
Dorothy: I bought my computer in January 2000. In February, I heard about Zone.com. My husband was ill at that time and I was housebound. I began to play online. After the first two short sessions, I was feeling a bit confused. A very friendly man helped me out, and I became devoted to the game.
Zone.com: What are the differences between playing with someone live and in the flesh vs. playing with someone online?
Dorothy: It is a bit more social to play in the flesh, but that very same reason diminishes the quality of play. My live game with other women includes lunch and the whole experience is different. Even when the game is “serious,” there are inflections in bidding and innuendoes in conversation. Live duplicate bridge now uses bidding cards, but the people are too intense and competitive there. Online, there is concentration on the game when you choose to play seriously. When I am with friends, there is a great deal of sociability through chats, Zone.com messages, and IM’s. Online, voices are not heard, so bids cannot be interpreted. You have your choice online, to play social or serious bridge. You can even choose to do both in a single session.
Zone.com: Do you think people act and play differently online than they would if you were sitting across the table from them?
Dorothy: Not really. Serious players don’t chat, and social players remain very social. Again, you have the choice online to decide how you care to play at any time.
Zone.com: How would you respond to someone who might be a bit resistant to playing online because they’ll lose the personal connection they feel with a partner or competitor?
Dorothy: I would do my utmost to convince them that they can become very personal with anyone they play with. Even with a first-time partner or opponent, a bond can be established very quickly. If not, the player has the opportunity to go to another table and find more-compatible players. You have to reach out to people if you want to have a connection to them. I have done so, and have made many friends.
Zone.com: How did you discover Zone.com?
Dorothy: I was an MSN subscriber and possibly saw a notice about Zone.com online. Or perhaps someone told me about it. I am not completely sure. Once I tried it, I felt Zone.com was more realistic than other sites. The use of real playing cards, the green felt table, and the ability to chat with others at the table made the entire experience feel realistic.
Zone.com: How many Bridge partners have you played with on Zone.com?
Dorothy: I have played with dozens. I have made friends with people all over the world and have met 47 of them in person.
Zone.com: Could you tell us about some of the more interesting partners you’ve played with online?
Dorothy: There’s a young surgeon in Lisbon that I met soon after I began playing on Zone.com. He is an exceptional person. He’s only 32 years old but highly intelligent, fluent in five languages, knows so much about our culture, and has a wonderful wit. Another interesting partner lived in California and was one of the most brilliant people I have ever known, and probably the funniest person I have ever heard. His wit was extraordinary, and his puns and remarks were exceptional. He had a very interesting life, and we became very close. Unfortunately, he died on June 27. His death helped inspire me to finish the book. I currently play quite often with a 40-year-old man from Romania. He joins the games at 5:30 A.M., his time, to play for two hours before going to work. He taught me Romanian phrases for greeting each other. His English is quite acceptable, but he feels unsure about it. He is a joy to be with, and we both appreciate the cultural exchange we offer each other.
Zone.com: Wow, very impressive and that’s just a sampling of the people you’ve played with. Have you ever had a chance to play with famous amateur Bridge players like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett? Do you think you could beat them?
Dorothy: I have played with Bill Gates several times and held my own very well against him and with him as a partner. Could I beat him? I am not sure of that, because through the years I have played with him I have seen him improve, and I know he reads books and takes lessons from them and CD’s. I have also not seen him since March, so he might have gotten a great deal better. I have stopped trying to learn new methods, and I believe Bill Gates has adopted new systems for tournament play. But I would surely love to try to beat him. I don’t believe I have ever played with Warren Buffett, although one of his early Zone.com names was added to my list. I would love to try to beat him, because we are the same age, and perhaps he sticks to old-fashioned bridge as I have. I must add that I love Bill Gates. He is a genius and all that he has accomplished is amazing to me. I am in awe of Warren Buffett, but his business acumen did not affect the world the way that Microsoft did. I wish I had realized his business expertise at an earlier age and followed his purchases.
Zone.com: What impact do you think online gaming has had on a game like Bridge?
Dorothy: I believe it is the future of Bridge. It has brought many young people to the game. The popularity of bridge had ceased in the 1970’s, but there is now resurgence in interest and an increase in players. People who play on the ladder games, for example, cross 10 time zones, and decades of ages. Players in widely spread areas have hosted tournaments run on Zone.com as well, and they reach across continents for the enjoyment of the players. These hosts on Zone.com are all volunteers for the free games. I also feel that people like Bill Gates, who has publicly shown his love for the game, to be an incentive for other boomers to give it a try.
Zone.com: What do you see in the future for online gaming?
Dorothy: I see that online gaming will continue to grow as more and more people are Internet knowledgeable and cyberspace is no longer a mystery to most. I would hope that the future would make online gaming as common as board games and card games at home once were, and that people would raise their level of awareness by expanding their horizons with Internet play.
Zone.com: What would you like folks to take away when they read your story?
Dorothy: As I got to meet and know more players, through chats online, and e-mails, I developed friendships that led to phone calls and visits. These new friends would never have been available to me without Zone.com. Zone.com brought the world to me and expanded my horizons. It afforded me so much pleasure aside from the game of bridge, I felt I had to share the joy with others. I began by writing about certain players and places in a weekly opinion column I wrote for a local daily paper. Non-bridge players enjoyed the articles too. I also met many people who are disabled, elderly, or housebound for a variety of reasons, and they, too, can become part of the shared experiences that make Zone.com a vibrant community. We can enjoy things in common while reveling in the diversity we find there. I want folks to understand this and realize that virtual friendships can enrich their lives. Age, appearance, financial status mean nothing when you connect to the inner soul, thoughts, and ideas through Internet relationships.
Zone.com: Thank you so much for answering our questions and for sharing your Zone.com adventures with the world. Good luck with the book!
Dorothy: Thank you. | |
