This is Why I Became an Active Internet Citizen

Mother Jones News has a story up about an effort by members of MetaFilter to help two young Russian women who appear to have almost fallen prey to human traffickers: MetaFilter Saved My Pals From Sex Traffickers.

Though I am not very active on the site lately, I've been a MetaFilter member for about six years now and the reaction of this on-line community, and their success in dealing with this story, is no surprise.

I found MetaFilter when I was looking for help on a much more mundane level. A web-search for advice on an automotive matter led me to a MetaFilter discussion that solved my problem and I later joined the site. It was my educational resource for what the web has become, for blogging, on-line photography, and for social media.

I followed this Russian students/sex-traffickers story from afar this week. I had nothing to contribute, but I find this a fascinating example of what we can and should be in on-line communities.