I joined the internet at the advent of formal social media so chatrooms and forums were never really a thing I participated in. Still, I would watch my older sister in AIM chatrooms and try to wrap my head around the appeal, the way she would sit around for hours watching texts appear from, to me, indecipherable usernames.
The experience of Webfishing, I have to imagine, is akin to what my sister felt bullshitting away hours of the night as her soulja-boy-ing stick figure gif looped ad infinitum.
In webfishing, you inhabit a little cat or dog avatar (even more with expanded species mods which are dumb easy to install - I play as a little bunny boy) and sit around, cast your line in hopes of catching rare and valuable aquatic life. All underscored by the incessant chatter of 11 other players textually shooting the shit, cracking jokes, role playing, etc.
It’s a portal into the world of queer and trans youth, furries, weebs, and folks who just like digital fishing mini-games. You can start a convo, get real with strangers, catch some fish, drink a digital beer, unlock swag for your avatar, and enjoy the vibe. Highly Recommend.
